Open Data Officer at the Belgian Biodiversity Platform (m/f/x)

Job description

Purpose of the position

The Belgian Biodiversity Platform is seeking a science officer (m/f/x) for biodiversity data publication,

1 year contract, full time, at our office at the Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences.

The Belgian Biodiversity Platform (BBPF) is a science-policy interface body funded by the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO) and is supported by a Cooperation Agreement between the federal and concerned federated authorities. Within the field of biodiversity, it acts as a broker between policy, science and practice. We are presently seeking to hire a full time Data officer to work on open

data/science activities for a 1-year period.

Outcome areas

As Science officer, you will:

Liaise with biodiversity collections holders, especially holders of the Federal collections(RBINS, RMCA, BGMeise), to facilitate publication through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) with the support of the Belgian node;
Liaise with Belgian nodes of European Infrastructures such as DiSSCo, CETAF, LifeWatch, Elixir…;
Assist in the establishment and cleaning of an inventory of Federal Biodiversity collections in collaboration with international initiatives such as DiSSCo, CETAF via the Global Registry of Scientific Collection (GRSciCol);
Assist in the development of long term strategies for data mobilisation and cleaning of collections data and metadata;
Support the organisation and facilitation of scientific meetings and events;
Advice the Platform team on new networking opportunities;
Support the work of the Platform in selected national and international biodiversity initiatives, as appropriate.

Employer

There are 2 positions open in the Belgian Biodiversity Platform, at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (address: rue Vautier 29 – 1000 Brussels, Belgium).

The activity group for the position is: I. Scientific research and experimental development

Belgian Biodiversity Platform:

Federal scientific institution recruiter (in bold): The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences is one of the ten federal scientific establishments that are governed by the Belgian Science Policy Office (Belspo). It is involved in important scientific research activities and carries out public service missions. It is open to everyone through the Museum of Natural Sciences.

"To provide the scientific community, public authorities and civil society with relevant, high-quality science, useful advice and an attractive discovery of nature, its long history and its sustainable management".

This commits us to:

producing high-quality, relevant science: complex issues require well-founded, up-to-date knowledge;
maintaining, enriching and making accessible our research infrastructures, such as collections, databases and models: reliable forecasts require certified long-term data;
Linking research to action and governance as much as possible: increasing the impact of scientific results requires relevant and targeted communication, capable of providing independent advice at the appropriate level;
to increase the knowledge and understanding of citizens, particularly through the Museum, so that they can make informed choices about their lives and their future.

Skills

Behavioural skills

Have excellent networking and communication skills.
Flexibility, ability to adapt quickly to new issues, proactive attitude, self-motivation.
Ability to multitask, work in team and independently, and take initiative

Technical skills

Genuine interest in and enthusiasm for biodiversity research and policy, and collection data in particular
Mastering of (biodiversity) informatics tools and more largely of Information Technology

Assets

Good knowledge of English
Excellent mastery of English spoken and written
Fluent in either French or Dutch

Conditions for consideration

Your profile

Hold a university degree (MSc or equivalent) in any field related to biodiversity; experience with biodiversity or environmental research or policy is an asset.

Degree must have been conferred by the closing date for applications

/!\ Applicants who have a degree or certificate from a foreign institution who apply for a scientific position for which the tasks are not related to the permanent missions of the institution are exempt from the need for an academic equivalence evaluation.

Experience required

We seek an enthusiast collaborator with the following profile and qualifications:

Proven experience and mastering of (biodiversity) informatics tools and more largely of Information Technology
Good knowledge of FAIR principles in the context of Open Science
Have excellent networking and communication skills. Good knowledge of English is mandatory
Genuine interest in and enthusiasm for biodiversity research and policy, and collection data in particular
Flexibility, ability to adapt quickly to new issues, proactive attitude, self-motivation.
Ability to multitask, work in team and independently, and take initiative
Excellent mastery of English spoken and written
Fluent in either French or Dutch

Job offer

Contract and category

Applicant recruited as category SW1

You will be hired under a fixed-term contact as an assistant on the SW1 salary scale.

Minimum pay: 45.525,72 EUR (gross annual salary, at the current index, legal benefits not factored in).

Benefits

We offer you an interesting job with a social impact, which comes with a number of benefits:

A good work-life balance
- flexible working hours of 38 or 40 hours (with compensatory adjustment) per week
- offices closed between Christmas and New Year's Day
- possibility of working from home
- 26 days of paid leave (for a year of full time employment)
- easy commuting using public transport
numerous opportunities for self-growth
- numerous opportunities for training and apprenticeship (during working hours)
Financial benefits
- holiday and end-of-year bonus
- laptop provided
- possibility of receiving a bilingualism bonus
- hospitalisation insurance provided
- supplementary pension (occupational pension)
- free use of public transport for commuting between your home and the place of work
- meal vouchers (€6 per day)
- work from home/office allowance
- possibility of receiving a bicycle allowance for travel via bicycle
- Benefits and offers via the Benefits@Work card
- a range of fringe benefits (subject to conditions)
- free entry to the RBINS and other federal scientific institutions with the Belspo card (Royal Museums of Fine Arts, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Planetarium, etc.)
- 10% discount at the Museum shop and Dino Café
- Attractions & Tourism pass (subject to conditions)

Conditions for employment

If you are selected through this procedure, you must – in order to be hired – fulfil the following requirements on the date of selection:

Enjoy full civil and political rights
Have fulfilled military service requirements (only for with Belgian nationality)
Behave in a manner fitting of the requirements of the position
Hold the necessary degree(s)
Have the necessary skills and fulfil the requirements listed in the job profile

Procedure

Step 1 – Verification of the participation conditions

You will be considered in the selection procedure if you fulfil all of the required conditions. Verification will be carried out by the selection board on the basis of the application documents you have submitted. The board will decide whether the qualifications, awards and experiences you have submitted meet the requirements of the position. If they do, you will be invited to continue to the next step of the procedure.

Depending on the number of applications received, the selection board reserves the right to limit the number of applicants eligible for the next step by selecting those applicants it deems most suitable for the position.

Step 2 – Interview

Further details will be sent to you by one of our employees via email.

The selection board assesses whether the qualifications, awards and experience you included in your application documents meet the requirements for the position.

If you fail to attend

If you fail to attend the additional evaluation and/or interview, you will be automatically excluded from the remainder of the selection procedure unless you provide evidence, within three days, that your absence was justified for one of the following reasons:

illness
emergency relating to a member of your household (= anyone who lives with the applicant) or family (= spouse or legal cohabitant of the applicant, parents or grandparents of the applicant)
mandatory presence at your workplace
disruption or delay to public transport of at least 30 minutes
force majeure

If applicable, you may request, within 10 days of the interview date, to be interviewed by the board. A new date will then be offered to you.

Notification

If you are not selected in a step, the procedure will end and you will not be invited to any subsequent evaluations in the same selection procedure.

For each step, you will receive a notification of the result.

Equal opportunities and reasonable accommodations

The Federal Administration has an active diversity policy.

Do you live with a disability, with learning difficulties or an illness? If so, you can request accommodations for the selection procedure. Please contact the individual listed under the “Contact persons” section.

Facilities provided for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding

Are you pregnant or breastfeeding your child? If so, you can request access to the relevant facilities. Please contact the individual listed under the “Contact persons” section.

Final result

What happens if you are selected?

Following the selection procedure, an unranked group of applicants will be placed on a short-list. These applicants will be those deemed most suitable to fill the open position in accordance with the conditions for consideration.

How long will this list remain valid?

The short-list of selected applicants will be valid for 3 months, will be created.

Apply

Do you want to apply? Send your application documents by email to djata@naturalsciences.be, including “Biodiversity Data Officer”.

Your application documents must include:

an updated CV
a cover letter
a copy (or copies) of the degree certificates with all associated annexes
any evidence demonstrating the skills and competences described above

The closing date for sending your application is 15/01/2025 (inclusive).

Applications that do not follow the indicated procedure will not be considered.

Contact persons

Concerning the position:

For more information about the position, please contact:

JATA Divija – Coordinator – +32 2 647 43 35 – djata@naturalsciences.be

Concerning the selection procedure:

For more information about the selection procedure, please contact:

RICHARD Alexis – HR-department manager – +32 2 627 42 56 – arichard@naturalsciences.be

If you want to request a reasonable accommodation for the selection procedure or access to facilities for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, please also contact this person