Scientific Data Manager(P4)

Organizational Setting

The Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications implements the IAEA's Major Programme 2, "Nuclear Techniques for Development and Environmental Protection". This Major Programme comprises individual programmes on food and agriculture, human health, water resources, environment and radiation technologies. These programmes are supported by laboratories in Seibersdorf, Monaco and Vienna. The Major Programme's objective is to enhance the capacity of Member States to meet basic human needs and to assess and manage the marine and terrestrial environments through the use of nuclear and isotopic techniques in sustainable development programmes.

The Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences is responsible for assisting and advising Member States in research and development for the nuclear sciences, especially the physical and chemical sciences. Specifically, the Division provides support to Member States in the following fields\: production of radioisotopes and radiolabelled products for applications in health care and industry; radiation source applications; research reactor utilization; applications of accelerators and nuclear instrumentation; nuclear and atomic data for applications; controlled nuclear fusion and isotope hydrology and geochemistry.

Additionally, the nuclear science activities carried out by the Nuclear Data Section and Physics Section in the Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences of the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications fall under Major Programme 1.

The Nuclear Data Section (NDS) is primarily responsible for the generation and maintenance of a number of high-quality and fundamental nuclear and atomic databases and providing services to users worldwide. The main means of dissemination is via the NDS website, which provides interactive tools to present the required data.

Main Purpose

Reporting to the Section Head, the Scientific Data Manager is responsible for all computer-scientific aspects of the nuclear and atomic data libraries that are maintained by the Nuclear Data Section including data analysis, processing, formatting, validation and dissemination. Scientific Data manager coordinates NDS staff dealing with database processing and dissemination. Coordination and management of the setup, maintenance and update of the Linux-based computational/dissemination servers in the Section which deal with scientific calculations and database dissemination is part of the job responsibilities. The actual implementation of this will be done the Agency's IT division (MTIT). These responsibilities concern operating system, specific scientific software including FORTRAN compilers, parallel computing, and Section’s web infrastructure. In cooperation with Section IT staff and MTIT she/he must ensure that the Section's software and servers conform to Agency security rules and are adequately backed up.

Role

The Scientific Data Manager is\: (1) a computational physicist providing authoritative advice on nuclear and atomic data software and hardware issues to Member States and external organizations as well as to NDS staff, (2) a manager of the atomic/nuclear databases and scientific calculation and dissemination network and corresponding software required by the Section. She/he proactively seeks ways to ensure the highest level of support for all nuclear and atomic data on our servers, local and in the cloud; and, (3) a technical IT expert, providing advice on operating systems for scientific purposes, scientific and atomic/nuclear data analysis and processing software, parallel computing, and web infrastructure required by the Section, (4) an expert providing advanced atomic/nuclear data processing and dissemination advise and capabilities to MS and NDS staff.

Functions / Key Results Expected

• Develop innovative atomic/nuclear data analysis methods and facilitate recommendations with regards to new developments in one or more of the following areas\: visualisation, crowdsourcing, parallel computing, atomic/nuclear data processing, atomic/nuclear data software development.
• Coordinate and monitor the manage the Section's servers by the MTIT section, both those that provide data services to external nuclear data users and those used for internal development and computations.
• Maintain and upgrade of scientific software required in the Section including FORTRAN compilers for all platforms.
• Develop new approaches for the Section's atomic/nuclear data dissemination and computational network (e.g., planning and development of new web pages and tools for dissemination of atomic/nuclear data; optimization of computational servers to speed-up atomic/nuclear data calculations; etc ), constantly seek ways to improve processes and services, design scientific software applications for atomic/nuclear data, databases and interactive tools to better serve atomic/nuclear data users.
• Guide and assist MS counterparts and NDS staff in novel techniques for the development and dissemination of nuclear structure, nuclear reaction or atomic data.
• Provide system support to update all scientific software and databases running on the Section's dedicated computer cluster; ensure that diagnostics and usage statistics for the Nuclear Data Section are available.
• Ensure that the Section can provide the scientific software and databases support to other Data Centres, particularly by mirror sites and to users in Member States.
• Assist technically and guide other IAEA staff in the development and maintenance of nuclear or atomic databases and web-based nuclear data services, including atomic/nuclear software development in a Linux environment with Fortran compilers.
  

Competencies and Expertise

Core Competencies

Functional Competencies

Required Expertise

Asset Expertise

Qualifications, Experience and Language skills

• Advanced University degree in nuclear or atomics physics, nuclear data management or related field.

• Minimum of seven years of working experience in scientific, commercial, national or international organizations in design and development of complex computational infrastructures for scientific computing and data dissemination;

• Experience with Linux maintenance and web infrastructure;

• Strong knowledge of secure coding techniques and information security;

• Experience in atomic/nuclear data processing and/or management, database design and interface development;

• Experience with scientific databases;

• Experience with performing scientific computer simulations;

• Experience in atomic/nuclear data formatting and processing is an asset.

• Excellent oral and written command of English. Knowledge of other official IAEA languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.

Remuneration

The IAEA offers an attractive remuneration package including a tax-free annual net base salary starting at US $71332 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance), a variable post adjustment which currently amounts to US $ 36950, dependency benefits, rental subsidy, education grant, relocation and repatriation expenses; 6 weeks' annual vacation, home leave, pension plan and health insurance

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Applications from qualified women and candidates from developing countries are encouraged

Applicants should be aware that IAEA staff members are international civil servants and may not accept instructions from any other authority. The IAEA is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. As part of the United Nations common system, the IAEA subscribes to the following core ethical standards (or values)\: Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for diversity. Staff members may be assigned to any location. The IAEA retains the discretion not to make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade or with a different contract type, or to make an appointment with a modified job description or for shorter duration than indicated above. Testing may be part of the recruitment process
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