The National Library of Medicine (NLM), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 27 institutes and centers located in Bethesda, Maryland, is recruiting recent graduates to fill entry-level positions across the Library. We’re seeking applicants with degrees in various subjects, including information science, library science, biological sciences, chemistry, archival science, and more. The positions offer a unique opportunity to work at NLM, a leader in research in biomedical informatics and data science research and the world’s largest medical library.
Application Period: Applications will be accepted June 24 through June 28, 2024 11:59 pm Eastern time unless the applicant cut-off (150 applications for the Program Specialist positions and 100 applications for the Data Scientist positions) is reached.
Overview: Multiple positions are available. If you do not have a USAJobs account, we encourage you to create one to complete the application process by the deadline.
Positions are available in these areas:
- Office of the Director: provides policy and technical direction, and logistical, budgetary, administrative, coordination, program evaluation and analysis, and portfolio management support to enable the collect, curate, and connect functions of the User Services Collection Division.
- Collection Branch: the Collection branch selects, acquires, and preserves biomedical resources in all formats.
- Discovery Branch: the Discovery branch describes, indexes, and curates the NLM collections and other trusted health information, data, and resources.
- Engagement Branch: the Engagement branch provides access to and fosters engagement with NLM collections, data, standards, and resources.
- Health Data Standards Branch: the Health Data Standards branch develops, maintains, and distributes health data standards and terminologies products and services.
The Collection, Discovery, Engagement, and Health Data Standards Branches may select from one or more positions below to fill their vacancies.
Position Description/Responsibilities:
Librarian:
- Metadata specialist: This position will serve as a metadata specialist responsible for transforming data originating in various coding schemes into formats that can be consumed by appropriate applications needed by humans and machines. This would include developing and maintaining transformations supporting NLM products require that the native MARC data in Alma be transformed into other formats such as Digital Collections. This position would also provide metadata support for the JATS and BITS standards which have been transferred to USCD from NCBI as part of the reorganization. The position also assists with moving NLM bibliographic data out of library catalog silos and having it interact seamlessly on the open web to enhance discovery.
- Cataloger: This position is responsible for enhancing discovery and use of NLM resources through the provision of bibliographic data. The position creates high quality and timely cataloging data. NLM bibliographic data serves as the backbone of most NLM products that rely on bibliographic data, such as PubMed, GenBank, Digital Collections, and DOCLINE.
- Reference & Customer Service Librarian: This position works with colleagues from across the division to provide access to NLM’s collection for onsite and remote researchers, and to respond to inquiries about NLM’s products and services received through our Customer Service portal. In order to expand and innovate this work to reach and serve new audiences, Engagement Branch requires a reference librarian who will engage patrons no matter where they are located, meeting their changing and data-focused research needs and expectations by embracing more efficient ILL networks, newer scanning technologies, and new digital and customer service models.
Technical Information Specialist:
- MedlinePlus Team Member: This position supports the MedlinePlus product team. Will primarily provide support for working with the MedlinePlus Input System, performing updates to health topics and other consumer health content. May also include support work for MedlinePlus Connect, including term mapping work. Identifying content management system requirements to maintain and add text, links, terminology mappings (e.g. MeSH), and meta data efficiently and effectively.
- Medline Curator: This position involves primarily reviewing Medline citations that have been machine-indexed with terms (Medical Subject Headings or MeSH) from a controlled vocabulary, making adjustments to the indexing as needed in accordance with established Medline curation policy, and providing any needed feedback to improve indexing algorithm performance.
- Training Specialist: This position will provide instructional products for NLM's training program core curriculum with a special emphasis on NLM data access, distribution, and management tools, terminologies, and other products that support system interoperability and clinical research, and support for researchers seeking to comply with NIH public access and data management and sharing policies. The incumbent will work with product teams across NLM to deliver training products (e.g., live events and asynchronous).
- Archivist: This position is essential for the NLM to care for, manage, and grow its multi-formatted archival collection. The incumbent will apply general archival and historical knowledge to evaluate new acquisitions, oversee preservation and reformatting actions, process, describe, and create finding aids, and support reference services and engagement activities designed to raise awareness and use of the archival collection.
- Data Engineer: Provide technical and subject matter expertise to process raw data, analyze data sets, solve complex problems, and develop/implement capabilities to advance NLM’s mission. Focus on the design, implementation, and operation of data management systems to meet NLM’s business needs, including designing how the data will be stored, consumed, integrated, and managed by different data entities and digital systems. Plan, design, and optimize for data use, utilization, and incorporation with other emerging technologies such as GenAI.
- Data Scientist: Identifies and assesses relevant data sources' validity and reliability to meet project needs. Collates, cleans, transforms, analyzes, and integrates structured and unstructured data from various sources in preparation for analysis. Applies scientific, data mining, and statistical theory and methods to test hypotheses using structured and unstructured data. Develops data product solutions to improve customer experiences, anomaly detection, and business outcomes. Communicates analytic solutions to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Health Program Specialist: Supports NLM health data standards (HDS) products such as RxNorm, DailyMed, the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS), and the Value Set Authority Center (VSAC). Performs routine editing, quality control, analysis, and documentation of HDS data and systems. Identifies areas of collaboration across and outside of NLM. Plans and conducts user outreach, training, and support for HDS products.
- User Experience Designer: Design mockups to communicate design themes for improved user experience with NLM products and services. Build interactive prototypes based on requirements, user experience (UX) best practices, and Section 508 accessibility guidelines and other applicable rules and regulations. Promotes design guidelines, best practices and standards. Research trends in online design, development, and functionality. Outlines options for management and senior staff. Provides guidance to product and service owners to create Personas, Journey Maps, Market/Comparative Research, Analytics reports, Surveys, Interviews, and Customer Experience Metrics.
- Management and Program Analyst (Data Analyst): Plans and conducts analytic projects, which include preparing requirements and developing new or modifying existing processes. Performs quantitative and qualitative analysis, data quality assurance, developing graphics and reports based on the analysis and interpretation of data and delivers analytical capabilities. Selects and modifies data collection and application techniques and methods to produce accurate and timely analyses.
Pay: GS-9 level with a 2024 pay rate of $68,405-$88,926; successful candidates are eligible for permanent positions after one year of service at the GS-9 level.
Benefits: health insurance and all other standard federal employee benefits.
How to Apply
Applicants can apply through one of two announcements:
We encourage you to include a cover letter identifying the area(s) or positions you are most interested in to help plan interviews.Contact Information:
For Program Specialist positions, contact amie Torralava: amie.torralva@nih.gov
For Data Scientist positions, contact Carol Lammering: carol.lammering@nih.gov
NLM and NIH are dedicated to building a workforce that reflects diversity. NLM hires, promotes, trains, and provides career development based on merit, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity), parental status, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, or political affiliation.
In addition to an interesting, challenging work environment, NLM has a great location on the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland. It is a short Metro ride from Washington D.C. and a short walk from Bethesda’s thriving restaurant and retail district.
HHS, NIH, and NLM are equal opportunity employers.
Last Reviewed: June 21, 2024