Digital Data Co-ordinator (Full time, Fixed term)

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 30 June 2029.

The McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research invites applications for a fixed-term, full-time Digital Data Co-ordinator ("DDC") for the Mapping Africa's Endangered Archaeological Sites and Monuments (MAEASaM) project (https://maeasam.org). The project is supported by Arcadia (https://www.arcadiafund.org.uk) and funding is available until 30 June 2029.  

The DDC will to oversee the MAEASaM project's data lifecycle in order to ensure the smooth, safe, efficient and ethical creation, documentation, storage, dissemination and deposition of data generated by the project following the FAIR and CARE principles. As such they will liaise with the Principal Investigator (PI) Prof. Paul Lane and Project Manager (PM) Dr Stefania Merlo to plan all the digital data operations of the project, will supervise their implementation by project members and collaborators on a day-to-day basis and will report on progress in this area on a regular basis.

About the MAEASaM project

The project, started in 2020, aims to identify, document and share knowledge of endangered archaeological sites across eleven African countries using a combination of remote sensing, historical map analysis, records-based research supported by ground-verification, and in-country assessments of the nature, extent and likelihood of threats to these heritage sites. The team employs an innovative combination of remote sensing (use of satellite imagery), records-based research, and selective archaeological surveys to map and document hundreds of thousands of sites, so helping to safeguard Africa's rich archaeological and cultural heritage.

MAEASaM is a partnership programme, with the University of Cambridge serving as the lead and coordinating institution. The core collaborating partners are the University of Pretoria; l'Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Senegal; the British Institute in Eastern Africa; University College London; the University of York; Uppsala University; the Royal Museum of Central Africa; Université des Sciences Sociales et de Gestion de Bamako, Mali. The MAEASaM project also collaborates with key institutions and stakeholders in Africa, as well as with other Arcadia-funded projects, including Mapping Archaeological Heritage in South Asia (MAHSA), which is also hosted at the University of Cambridge.

Key responsibilities

The primary scope of the role is to support the achievement of the project's goals, in close collaboration with the Project Manager, Principal Investigator and all team members. 

The successful candidate is expected to be educated to degree level/Level 6 vocational qualification or equivalent level of practical experience: Bachelor's degree in digital humanities, data management, information systems, computer science, or a related field.

The closing date is 31 March 2025. Interviews are expected to take place on 11 April 2025.

We particularly welcome applications from candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our department.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click the 'Apply' button above. 

Informal enquiries may be addressed to the MAEASaM Project Manager Stefania Merlo (sm399@cam.ac.uk).

Please quote reference JC45133 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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