Open Source Forest Data Analyst - Fort Collins, CO

This position supports the Forest Service Research Data Archive (FS RDA), which preserves and publishes digital scientific data and related research products in alignment with federal open science policies and Forest Service directives. The role involves assisting scientists across FS Research Stations, the Forest Products Lab, the International Institute of Tropical Forestry, and the Joint Fire Science Program in preparing research data for public release. Key responsibilities include reviewing and processing diverse data types tabular, geospatial), developing and validating metadata and documentation, and providing training or direct support to researchers to ensure data publications meet archival and usability standards. By facilitating high-quality data publication, this position helps advance forest, fire, and wood innovation research while supporting reuse of scientific data by both the research community and the public.

This position is contingent upon funding. Required Job Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in natural resources, forestry, GIS, data science, or other relevant fields.
• The successful candidate must be legally authorized to work in the by proposed start date; the department will not provide visa sponsorship for this position.

Preferred Job Qualifications

• Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, Notepad++/Notepad, Adobe Acrobat
• Competent with ArcGIS Pro
• Familiar with HTML and XML code
• Experience with the Federal Geographic Data Committee: Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC CSDGM) and/or International Organization for Standardization (ISO) metadata standards
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to accurately review, edit, and update documents while ensuring consistency, accuracy, and compliance with formatting and content standards.
• Ability to confidently review and interpret data presented in multiple formats
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to read and generally understand and interpret documentation, data, and terminology relevant to forest management, fire, and a wide range of biological, physical, and social sciences wildlife and fisheries, hydrology, soils science, plant sciences, forest genetics, silviculture, forest products, geospatial science, various social sciences that address human interaction with forests, etc.

Essential Duties Job Duty Category Research and Analysis Duty/Responsibility

• Review, analyze, and organize a wide variety of files and documents to ensure accurate categorization and accessibility; maintain orderly digital filing system.
• Review metadata (data documentation) submitted by scientists, which may also involve helping write metadata.
• Verify metadata are complete, fully describe data, are compliant with the FS RDAs metadata standard, and understandable to a non-subject matter expert.
• Review data submitted by scientists. Ensure data are in proper archival format and fully described in the associated metadata.
• Provide assistance and/or consultation with the preparation of data and supplemental files for publication. (This includes, but is not limited to tabular data, geospatial data which might involve processing GIS layers, sound or video files, databases, documents, image files, etc.)
• Help teach scientists how to prepare data and documentation for publication, which may include one-on-one interaction or potential presentations.
• Other data publishing related tasks as determined by FS staff.

Percentage Of Time 90 Job Duty Category Project Management Duty/Responsibility

• Set up timelines to deliver products.
• Coordinate with other team members

Percentage Of Time 10 Application Details