Technical Lead, Federated Research Data Repository, Research, Library, and Data Centre Technologies,
Please note that a strong internal candidate has been identified.
The University of Saskatchewan has some of the most innovative people doing some of the most groundbreaking research and pedagogy. Information and Communications Technology (ICT), as strategic partners, enable courageous curiosity by empowering students, staff and faculty to do more than thought possible with technology that boosts productivity, strengthens security, enhances research outcomes, amplifies connectivity and supports
The university offers access to the university’s recreation services; ongoing professional development and a comprehensive benefits and pension program.
Primary Purpose: The Technical Lead, Federated Research Data Repository oversees the ongoing design and development of the Federated Research Data Repository (FRDR), a customized repository integrated with Globus to facilitate the transfer and storage of large open data deposits, as well as Lunaris, a national service for the discovery of Canadian research data. They provide strategic technical oversight, manage and contribute to collaborative development efforts to deliver critical repository and discovery services for Canadian researchers, and explore and implement new technologies that enable scholars to interact more effectively with digital materials.
Nature of Work: The Technical Lead, FRDR reports to Director, Research, Library and Data Centre Technologies at University of Saskatchewan. This position is part of a geographically distributed team developing software and operating Research Data Management (RDM) services in cooperation with the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (The Alliance). Research Computing in ICT is the unit responsible for supporting university researchers in the areas of research-specialized software, hardware, and computation.
The Technical Lead is expected to maintain awareness of trends in research data repositories and data discovery, and with the FRDR Product Lead and Lunaris Product Lead pursues opportunities for enhancing repository and discovery services through the adoption of new technologies and partnerships.
Typical Duties or Accountabilities:
Accountabilities:
• Leading the technological design of software for a national-scale data repository and for a national-scale data discovery service;
• Supervising the work of a distributed software development team members across multiple Canadian institutions;
• Collaborating and communicating frequently with key stakeholders including host site partners, users, data managers and other Alliance staff members as appropriate;
• Collaborating with the FRDR Product Lead and Lunaris Product Lead to assess current features and offerings at other similar services, seeking opportunities for improvement and differentiation;
• Collaborating with developers, librarians, and other experts throughout the country to develop and improve the technology.
Tasks / Duties:
• Conduct requirements analysis for repository and discovery functions with internal and external stakeholders and researchers;
• Work with the FRDR Product Lead and Lunaris Product Lead to translate detailed requirements into work packages for the development team;
• Ensure software is built according to the acceptance criteria and meets business needs;
• Perform internal project management tasks for the technical work including projections for milestones, deliverables, and feature rollouts;
• Prepare reports on the status of the software development project for stakeholders and management;
• Perform performance and scalability analysis as needed, and use the outputs to inform technical road maps;
• Implement high quality code in an agile, test-driven development environment;
• Other duties as assigned.
Education: A diploma, certificate or degree in a related discipline is required. (i.e. computer science, business, etc.). A Bachelor’s degree in product design or engineering would be considered an asset.
Experience: Minimum of 5 years increasingly responsible, substantive positions developing, planning, and successfully implementing technology services.
We appreciate that non-traditional career paths may have developed a candidate’s competency, and alternate combinations of education and experience may be considered.
Skills:
• Strong communication skills—written and via presentation to an audience.
• Innovative and consistently curious—constantly seeking ways to improve our offerings based on industry trends, experience, common customer pain points, and competitor research.
• Experience in deploying software to cloud environments like OpenStack and AWS.
• Experience with automated deployment and configuration tools like Terraform and Ansible.
• Experience with multiple programming languages such as Python, Java, and Ruby.
• Experience with developing and deploying web based solutions, including experience with HTML, Javascript, and CSS.
• Familiarity with best practices, standards, and trends in the application of technology in digital repositories and discovery services.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively both independently and as a member of a team.
• Familiarity with the research life cycle and research methodology, generally or in a particular domain.
• Exceptional problem-solving capabilities that prioritize tasks across multiple key stakeholders as well as internal teams.
• Ability to make confident recommendations based on data analysis, customer insight and ongoing stakeholder engagement.
• Previous experience working in an agile software development environment.
• Proven experience overseeing all elements of the product development lifecycle.
Inquiries regarding this position can be directed to Jason Hlady at jason.hlady@usask.ca
Department: ICT ResrchLibrary&DataCtr Tech
Status: Term 1 year with the possibility of extension or becoming permanent
Employment Group: ASPA
Shift: Mon-Fri, 8:00-4:30
Full Time Equivalent (FTE): 1.00
Salary: The salary range, based on 1.0 FTE, is $87,266.00 - 145,353.00 per annum. The starting salary will be commensurate with education and experience.
Salary Family (if applicable): Information Technology
Salary Phase/Band: Phase 3
Posted Date: 5/14/2025
Closing Date: 5/20/2025 at 6:00 pm CST
Number of Openings: 1
Work Location: May be eligible for hybrid work under the terms of USask's Alternative Workspace Guidelines
The successful applicant will be required to provide the following current verification(s) where 'Yes' is indicated below. Further information is available at: https://careers.usask.ca/tips-for-applying.php
Criminal Record Check: Yes
Education/Credential Verification: Yes
The University is committed to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion, and are proud to support career opportunities for Indigenous peoples to reflect the community we serve. We are dedicated to recruiting individuals who will enrich our work and learning environments. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. We are committed to providing accommodations to those with a disability or medical necessity. If you require an accommodation to participate in the recruitment process, please notify us and we will work together on the accommodation request. We continue to grow our partnerships with Indigenous communities across the province, nationally, and internationally and value the unique perspective that Indigenous employees provide to strengthen these relationships. Verification of Indigenous Membership/Citizenship at the University of Saskatchewan is led and determined by the deybwewin | taapwaywin | tapwewin: Indigenous Truth policy and Standing Committee in accordance with the processes developed to enact the policy. Successful candidates that assert Indigenous membership/citizenship will be asked to complete the verification process of Indigenous membership/citizenship with documentation. The University of Saskatchewan’s main campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. We pay our respects to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and reaffirm our relationship with one another. Together, we are uplifting Indigenization to a place of prominence at the University of Saskatchewan. 