Research Data Steward / Data Manager for the Faculty of Health Sciences

Are you passionate about structured data management, life cycle governance and compliance? Do you want to help ensure that cutting-edge health research rests on a secure and future-proof data foundation? Then you may be our new colleague.

At the Faculty of Health Sciences, we are seeking a structured and proactive Research Data Steward / Data Manager. The position is located at SUND IT, where you will serve as the link between our researchers, the IT department, the faculty's legal experts, and the Research Data Office.

About the role and your tasks

As a Data Steward, you will be tasked with supporting and advising research projects throughout the data lifecycle—from the initial Data Management Plans (DMPs) to the final and secure archival. Health research often involves complex and sensitive personal data (such as biobank data, patient records, and register data from Statistics Denmark), making compliance and security a core responsibility.

Your primary responsibilities will be

• Lifecycle and FAIR governance: Advise researchers in setting up and updating Data Management Plans (DMPs) and ensure that research data are structured according to the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).
• Compliance and GDPR: Ensure that data handling always complies with AU's applicable regulations for research data, including information security and the GDPR rules for sensitive personal data.
• Data Governance & Data Ownership: Help researchers and research leaders clearly define data ownership, access controls (access control) and logging procedures in the projects.
• Infrastructure and tools: Advise on the use of relevant storage and analytics platforms, and assist with secure data transfers and data sharing agreements.
• Training and bridging: Hold workshops and provide everyday support for researchers, PhD students, and other staff on good data culture.

Your profile

We imagine you have a relevant academic degree (e.g., in health IT, bioinformatics, data science, information science or similar) combined with practical experience in data management or data stewardship.

We emphasize that you have

• In-depth knowledge of Data Life Cycle Management and the practical workflows in research environments.
• Strong competencies in GDPR and information security – particularly with a focus on health data and human research.
• Experience with data tools and databases (familiarity with, for example, REDCap, SQL, R, Python or register data is an advantage, but not a requirement).
• Good communication skills in both Danish and English, as you need to communicate complex compliance rules in an easily understandable way to international research teams.
• A structured, diplomatic and solution-oriented approach to your work.
• Have good interpersonal skills and thrive in an environment where you need to be proactive and outgoing.

We offer

An exciting and challenging position in an international and dynamic research environment at Aarhus University. You will become part of a dedicated team where professional sparring is paramount, and where you will have significant influence on the development of future procedures for data security and open science. We offer flexible working arrangements and good opportunities for skills development.

Work location is Aarhus C.

Employment terms

Salary and terms of employment in accordance with the collective agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and academics in the state.

Application

Your application must include the following

• Cover letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Statement of education (copies of relevant certificates)
• References/recommendations can be uploaded separately in the e-recruitment system

We refer to the faculty's Guide for Applicants .

Aarhus University will be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and seeks a culture in which each individual can develop and grow. We view equality and diversity as a resource and therefore encourage all interested to apply.

Applications are submitted via Aarhus University's recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

About Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically broad and research-intensive university with high quality in education and research, and a strong commitment to societal development nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring educational and research environment for 37,500 students including PhD students and employs 9,000 staff measured in full-time equivalents and an annual turnover of DKK 8.9 billion. Read more at au.dk