***Internal Applicants Only***
Department – The UK Data Archive
The UK Data Archive is the lead organisation of the UK Data Service, which provides unified access to regional, national and international social and economic data, and provides support, guidance and training for the development of skills in data curation and use.
Duties of the role
The UK Data Archive is seeking to appoint a dynamic, dependable and diligent individual to join our vibrant Data Access Services team as a Data Access (Secure) Assistant, to support the UK Data Service’s secure data access operations. This post would suit a recent social sciences graduate, or an individual who has recently completed their degree and will be graduating soon.
The post holder will hit the ground running and will have responsibility for administrative work, answering user queries on data, and organising training events, and other duties to help manage a smooth workflow for Secure Lab operations. They will work within the Data Access Services team to support the smooth running of our busy Helpdesk service, and will contribute to the continuing development of our user administration systems.
This post is fixed term until 30/09/2022 due to funding and up to full-time, 36 hours per week (part-time considered, minimum 25.2 hours).
Qualifications and Skills
In order to be successful you must have either undergraduate degree or equivalent in the social sciences (BA, BSc) or at least three years’ recent quantitative research experience, using social science data in a project.
Previous support work with academics or students would be beneficial, but other demonstrable forms of customer service experience will be considered. This is a customer-facing role, so the post holder must be personable, with well-developed ‘soft’ skills, particularly in communication, conflict resolution and collaboration. They will also be a clear and confident presenter, as the role involves running introductory webinars on data access and content.
The successful candidate will have an excellent understanding of social science research and data and will be able to demonstrate that they have used data in a research project setting, such as a dissertation. As part of this, the candidate must have experience in using software to analyse data, such as SPSS, Stata or R. In addition, the post holder must have very strong IT skills, including proficient use of the Microsoft Office suite of programs, as running, collating and reporting metrics are a crucial part of the post, and the use of online communication platforms. The post holder must be confident handling data and have the ability to scan files for viruses, decrypt and unzip files, and convert file formats. We use a ticketing system for managing Helpdesk queries: experience in using one of these systems would be beneficial, but full training will be given to the post holder.
Applications for job share will be considered.
Due to the nature of the work, applicants who are offered employment in this role will be subject to a vetting procedure
At the University of Essex, internationalism and diversity is central to who we are and what we do. We are committed to being a cosmopolitan, internationally oriented university that is welcoming to staff and students from all countries, faiths and backgrounds, where you can find the world in one place.
To support this commitment we have our Global Forum, a staff-led network that promotes and celebrates the rich cultural diversity among Essex staff, and our Colchester campus based Faith Centre, which hosts regular services, meetings and events organised by our chaplains and faith representatives. For more information see: https://www.essex.ac.uk/life/student-facilities/religion-and-faith
Please see the attached job pack, which contains a full job description and person specification which outlines the full duties, skills, qualifications and experience needed for this role plus more information relating to the post. We recommend you read this information carefully before making an application. Applications should be made on-line, but if you would like advice or help in making an application, or need information in a different format, please telephone the Resourcing Team (01206 876559).
*More information: Working at the University