Research Data Manager

Axle • Bethesda, MD

12h • $105,000 - $150,000

About The Position

The Research Data Manager will build and maintain the data infrastructure for the SOM Center, including its Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), document and repository platforms such as Invenio, and the metadata databases and pipelines that connect them. The role integrates instrument, assay, and analysis data to make it findable, traceable, and reusable in line with NIH data management and sharing requirements. It combines hands-on software development with data stewardship, using cloud-native tooling and AI/ML to improve data discovery and use.

The position also evaluates data-management tools and standards, prepares technical assessments for IDSS leadership, and trains laboratory and analytical staff. Axle describes itself as a bioscience and information technology company focused on translational research, biomedical informatics, and data science applications for research centers and healthcare organizations.

Requirements

• Experience and skills in connecting laboratory instruments, analysis pipelines, and external data sources to a LIMS, and building automated ingestion pipelines with validation, logging, and error handling.
• Experience and skills writing scripts and services to convert, normalize, and harmonize heterogeneous data formats into standardized schemas.
• Experience and skills deploying, configuring, and supporting document and research data management systems, and managing records, metadata schemas, persistent identifiers, and access controls.
• Experience and skills designing, creating, and maintaining databases for experimental metadata and small-to-moderate datasets, including schema design, migrations, indexing, backup, and recovery.
• Experience and skills incorporating ML/AI into data workflows and user interfaces, including semantic search, metadata extraction and auto-annotation, and natural-language query tools.
• Experience and skills developing, containerizing, and deploying software on cloud or local Kubernetes resources, and maintaining CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, and infrastructure-as-code.
• Experience evaluating and recommending data-management packages, platforms, and standards, and preparing technical assessments for IDSS leadership.
• Ability to train laboratory and analytical staff and write standard operating procedures and technical documentation.

Nice To Haves

• Experience deploying or customizing Invenio/InvenioRDM or similar repositories such as Dataverse, DSpace, or CKAN.
• Experience integrating ML/AI components into applications, such as embeddings and vector search, LLM-based retrieval, or document parsing.
• Familiarity with workflow tools such as Airflow, Nextflow, Snakemake, or Argo, and with Helm, Terraform, or similar infrastructure-as-code tools.
• Experience with stem cell or tissue engineering laboratories.
• Experience with imaging and omics data.
• Experience with high-performance computing environments, for example NIH Biowulf.
• Experience with front-end tooling such as React for data-facing interfaces.

Responsibilities

• Connect laboratory instruments, analysis pipelines, and external data sources to the LIMS; build and maintain automated ingestion pipelines with validation, logging, and error handling.
• Write and maintain scripts and services to convert, normalize, and harmonize heterogeneous data formats into standardized schemas.
• Deploy, configure, and support document and research data management systems such as Invenio; manage records, metadata schemas, persistent identifiers, and access controls.
• Design, create, and maintain databases for experimental metadata and small-to-moderate datasets, including schema design, migrations, indexing, backup, and recovery.
• Incorporate ML/AI into data workflows and interfaces, including semantic search, metadata extraction and auto-annotation, and natural-language query tools.
• Develop, containerize, and deploy software solutions on cloud or local Kubernetes resources; maintain CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, and infrastructure-as-code.
• Evaluate and recommend data-management packages, platforms, and standards, and prepare short technical assessments for IDSS leadership.
• Train laboratory and analytical staff and write standard operating procedures and technical documentation.

Benefits

• 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees.
• Paid time off and paid holidays.
• 401(k) match up to 5%.
• Educational benefits for career growth.
• Employee referral bonus.
• Flexible Spending Accounts for healthcare (FSA), parking reimbursement (PRK), dependent care assistance (DCAP), and transportation reimbursement (TRN).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: No Education Listed