Jobs Archive
BioMedia Meltdown Project Manager
One-year fixed term contract, commencing May 2017
Salary £27,000 plus generous pension scheme
Based in Wimbledon at The Linnean Society of London’s offices in Toynbee House
The Linnean Society of London is seeking an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and inspiring individual to take on the co-ordination, delivery and reporting of the Society’s BioMedia Meltdown Project (BMM) – Phase 2, funded by John Lyon’s Charity.
BMM is targeted at Key Stage 3 students (11-14 years old) in a number of London boroughs, and aims to inspire and engage young people, as well as teachers, giving them a better understanding of natural science through a creative approach within the context of an art/media competition.
BMM is focused on two main National Curriculum topics, namely Evolution and Ecosystems, and has successfully completed Phase 1 during 2015/16.
We now want you to take BMM forward, further developing the loan kits and workshops for students, as well as CPD (Continuous Professional Development) sessions for teachers. These workshops will highlight the creative skills needed within the broad range of job roles in science, and will involve creative professionals providing careers advice.
BMM is fast-paced, with the workshops being delivered over a 5-month period (Sep 2017-Jan 2018), before the project culminates in a student art/media competition and subsequent Celebration Event (March 2018). As such, you will need to be a highly motivated self-starter, who is able to work independently to meet tight deadlines. The competition and Celebration Event, at which prizes are awarded and winning entries are displayed, will be planned and managed by you. Previous event management experience would therefore be beneficial, but is not essential.
You should be an innovative graduate/post-graduate biologist with a proven passion for education and public engagement in science, with experience of giving talks in schools and mentoring school-aged students. You will need a clear understanding of the challenges faced by biology teachers in disadvantaged schools in London. A teaching qualification would be useful, while experience as a STEMNET ambassador would be an advantage. You should be a self-starter and team player.
For further information about BMM, please contact Ross Ziegelmeier (Education Project Officer) at ross@linnean.org. To apply for this position, please send your CV (concise summary please) together with a one-page covering letter outlining why we should select you for this role to elizabeth@linnean.org. The closing date for applications is 5pm Monday 8th May. Interviews will be held on Monday 22nd May, in the Society’s offices in Wimbledon
Conservation Technician, Airless
The Airless project aims to carry out preventive conservation treatments to protect those palaeontological specimens held at the Natural History Museum considered to be at highest risk from pyrite oxidation. This includes specimens from all areas of the collection, from brachiopods to ichthyosaurs.
Working as part of a team, the successful candidate will transport specimens from the storage area, undertake remedial treatment if required and re-house the specimens in individual anoxic enclosures. This will involve handling very delicate, as well as large, heavy specimens. The project also requires digitisation of conservation records and images through the collection management system, barcodes and web-based applications. We are looking for self-motivated individuals who show a high degree of manual dexterity and attention to detail, and have the ability to maintain focus and accuracy. Training will be given for specialised treatments.
The data produced by this project will also contribute to future digitisation projects undertaken by the curatorial staff.
Curator (Natural Science)
Birmingham Museums are seeking an experienced and enthusiastic Curator of Natural Sciences to lead on a number of significant projects and to research and develop Birmingham’s important collection. This represents a significant opportunity to curate a Natural Science collection which is the largest and most representative of its kind in the West Midlands, covering botany, entomology, zoology and earth sciences.
Upcoming projects include development of a new wildlife gallery at Thinktank science museum and a partnership programme with the Natural History Museum to display their iconic Diplodocus or ‘Dippy’, as part of a wider exhibition at the Museum & Art Gallery. The ideal candidate will have expertise in researching Natural Science collections and understand the process of development of new displays. They should also be an excellent team player capable of collaborating effectively with other staff members on organisation-wide projects.
Curatorial Assistant, Collections Task Force – Life Sciences
he Life Sciences Collections Task Force has been created to provide support to collections and research staff in maintaining and developing a world-class collection of natural history specimens. The post holder will work alongside the Task Force Manager, other Task Force Curatorial Assistants and the Loans and Exhibitions Coordinator to support the delivery of collections-based projects. These will be informed by the Museum’s Collections Plan, highlighted by the Collections Assessment Audit (“Join the Dots”).
The team will work with Life Sciences collections staff on the management and care of collections, tackling a variety of projects and developing standards and workflows for future use. These could include mass digitisation, collections moves, documentation assistance and re-storage projects. The post-holder will also have the opportunity to be involved in departmental activities such as public engagement events and training programmes.
This is an excellent opportunity to help shape the future direction of the team and gain diverse skills working on a range of projects across botany, zoology and entomology collections. The Task Force will be a dextrous team, able to plan, resource and deliver projects as well as supporting routine and one-off activities across the department and in conjunction with other museum groups.
Salary: £24,745 per annum plus benefits
Contract: Permanent
Closing Date: 9am on Monday 20 February 2017
Role competences:
BEFORE beginning your application - Please read the section below about the ‘Online Application Process’ carefully.
If you wish to be considered for this role you will need to address each of the following competences in the ‘other information’ section of your online application:
Academic Qualifications
1. BSc (or equivalent qualification), ideally in Biological or Life Sciences (or equivalent relevant experience)
Competencies
2. An understanding of taxonomic, anatomic and stratigraphic principles (e.g. attained from college or university courses in geology, palaeontology, systematics, biology) and an ability to recognise basic taxonomic terms
3. Flexible and willing to work across collections areas and develop good working relationships with a wide range of people
4. Experience of handling a wide range of objects from small fragile specimens to large heavy ones
5. Well organised, able to work on multiple projects and meet deadlines
6. Highly proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, with proven experience of manipulating large datasets
7. Good photographic skills and post-processing of images
8. Experience of working effectively as part of a team
9. Proven ability to follow complex instructions
10. Excellent attention to detail with an ability to undertake methodical tasks to a high level of accuracy
11. Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Curatorial Assistant, Collections Task Force - Earth Sciences
The Earth Sciences Collections Task Force has been created to provide support to collections and research staff in maintaining and developing a world-class collection of natural history specimens. The post holder will work alongside the Task Force Manager, other Task Force Curatorial Assistants and the Loans and Exhibitions Coordinator to support the delivery of collections-based projects. These will be informed by the Museum’s Collections Plan, highlighted by the Collections Assessment Audit (“Join the Dots”).
The team will work with Earth Sciences collections staff on the management and care of collections, tackling a variety of projects and developing standards and workflows for future use. These could include mass digitisation, collections moves, documentation assistance and re-storage projects. The post-holder will also have the opportunity to be involved in departmental activities such as public engagement events and training programmes.
This is an excellent opportunity to help shape the future direction of the team and gain diverse skills working on a range of projects across both palaeontological and mineralogical collections. The Task Force will be a dextrous team, able to plan, resource and deliver projects as well as supporting routine and one-off activities across the department and in conjunction with other museum groups.
Salary:£24,745 per annum plus benefits
Contract: Permanent
Closing Date: 9am on Monday 20 February 2017
Role competences:
BEFORE beginning your application - Please read the section below about the ‘Online Application Process’ carefully.
If you wish to be considered for this role you will need to address each of the following competences in the ‘other information’ section of your online application:
Academic Qualifications
1. BSc (or equivalent qualification), ideally in Biological or Life Sciences (or equivalent relevant experience)
Competencies
2. An understanding of taxonomic, anatomic and stratigraphic principles (e.g. attained from college or university courses in geology, palaeontology, systematics, biology) and an ability to recognise basic taxonomic terms
3. Flexible and willing to work across collections areas and develop good working relationships with a wide range of people
4. Experience of handling a wide range of objects from small fragile specimens to large heavy ones
5. Well organised, able to work on multiple projects and meet deadlines
6. Highly proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, with proven experience of manipulating large datasets
7. Good photographic skills and post-processing of images
8. Experience of working effectively as part of a team
9. Proven ability to follow complex instructions
10. Excellent attention to detail with an ability to undertake methodical tasks to a high level of accuracy
11. Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Documentation Assistant
We are seeking a detail orientated and highly organised team player with good documentation skills to assist with the documentation of the collections at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History in accordance with Museum Accreditation and SPECTRUM documentation standards.
This role will primarily involve working with digital documentation records to improve the quality of object and archive catalogue records by checking their validity, consistency and completeness. Other duties include assisting the Documentation Officer with the integration of the museum’s documentation into a single system.
The successful candidate will have first-rate IT skills with experience in working with museum or archive documentation. Familiarity with museum documentation standards and collections management systems is essential, with direct experience using KE EMu, desirable.
Only applications received before midday on Friday 17th February can be considered. As part of your online application, you will be required to upload a covering letter that shows how you meet the selection criteria, and a full CV.
For further details see the website (www.oum.ox.ac.uk) or contact , Kate Diston Head of Archives and Library (T: +44 1865 272982; E: Kathleen.diston@oum.ox.ac.uk
Closing date: Noon (UK time) Friday 17th February 2017
Interview date: Monday 27th February 2017
Curator
The Finnish Museum of Natural History LUOMUS (www.luomus.fi/en) is an independent institute of the University of Helsinki and the national museum in the field of natural history in Finland. The museum’s duties are to amass, maintain and display its collections, and to conduct related research, particularly in the field of species-level biodiversity. The collections serve research, teaching, and public education in biology, geology, and biodiversity, and form part of the international network of natural history repositories. The Finnish Museum of Natural History, established in 1988, has four units: Zoology, Botany, Natural Sciences, and General Services. The institution has a staff of c. 130, of which 40 work in the Zoology Unit.
The Finnish Museum of Natural History invites applications for a permanent position of
CURATOR
specialising in systematics and biogeography of either vertebrates or invertebrates (excluding insects). At the moment, the Zoology Unit lacks vertebrate expertise, and therefore we are primarily looking for a vertebrate researcher. The appointment will begin on 1 July 2017 or as mutually agreed.
The curator will be part of the Metazoa Team of the Zoology Unit (https://www.luomus.fi/en/zoology-unit). The duties of the curator will include independent research in collection-based and specimen-based systematics and zoogeography (at any taxonomical level, and including molecular approaches), as well as managing, amassing and developing the scientific collections together with the other team members. As an expert in the field, the curator will participate in the museum’s tasks related to teaching and societal interaction. The curator is expected to be active in obtaining external funding, forming and leading his/her own research group and supervising students and junior colleagues.
The curator must hold a doctoral degree and have a record of international publications demonstrating competence in research in the field. Experience in working with scientific collections, participation in university teaching and supervision, proven success in obtaining external funding, experience of societal interaction, as well as knowledge of Finland’s nature and fauna and an inclination to team work are considered further assets.
The official languages of the University of Helsinki are Finnish and Swedish. Foreign citizens, non-native Finnish citizens or citizens who have not been educated in Finnish or Swedish may be exempt from formal language requirements. To successfully attend to the duties of the position, the appointee must also have good skills in English.
The salary will be based on levels 5-7 of the demands level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities (a senior position equivalent to University Lecturer). The salary includes a component based on personal work performance. The starting salary will be 3 300–4 500 euros/month.
Applicants are requested to submit in English, as a single pdf file:
• an application
• CV
• list of publications
• optionally other documents that demonstrate the applicant’s merits
• a brief report (1−2 pages) on the applicant’s previous research activities and how the applicant intends to develop his or her research and focus his or her scholarly activities, if appointed.
Or, alternatively, an academic portfolio containing the above documents and information (http://www.helsinki.fi/recruitment/academicportfolio.html).
The application, together with the required attachments, must be submitted through the University of Helsinki electronic recruitment system by clicking on Apply for job.
Internal applicants (i.e. current employees of the University of Helsinki) must submit their applications through the SAP HR portal.
After closing of the call, if requested, applicants should be prepared to submit up to 5 publications of their choice to be evaluated.
For further information about the position, please contact Unit Director Aino Juslén (aino.juslen(at)helsinki.fi). For more information on Luomus, please see: http://www.luomus.fi/en
Apply at latest on Monday 20 February 2017.
Senior Curator in Charge, Historical Collections and British and European Seed Plants
The Natural History Museum is one of the world’s leading museums, internationally recognised for its dual role as a centre of excellence in scientific research and as a leader in the presentation of natural history through exhibitions, public programmes, publications and the web.
Embedded within the Algae, Fungi and Plants Division of the Department of Life Sciences, the Senior Curator in Charge (SCiC) Historical Collections and British and European Seed Plants will lead and manage the Historical Collections and the British and European seed plant herbaria, ensuring best practice in collections care and strategic development of the collections. An expert in a relevant field, the SCiC will provide a high level of scholarship across these collections specifically in collections-based science (e.g. taxonomy, systematics, organismal biology). Working towards maximising the significance of the collections for their various purposes, emphasis will be on achieving the strategic goals and values of the NHM. This post will report to the Principal Curator in Charge of the Algae, Fungi and Plants Collections.
Salary: £35,164 (plus 5% responsibility allowance) per annum plus benefits
Contract: Permanent
Closing date: 9am on Friday 10 February 2017
Role competences: Academic Qualifications
1.Relevant higher qualification (MSc or relevant postgraduate experience is relevant, a PhD is desirable), or equivalent experience, with an emphasis on taxonomy or systematics and the use of natural history collections in science.
Role competencies
2. In depth knowledge and experience of collections management, care and development
3 .Detailed knowledge of a collection, its associated literature and its systematics/taxonomy with the ability to apply and discriminate taxonomic/diagnostic characters for identification and organisation
4. Proven ability to effectively lead and manage curatorial or other science teams
5. Ability to supervise graduate, undergraduate level students and/or visiting scientists
6. Successful track record in publishing scientific articles
7. Knowledge or awareness of major current questions in organismal biology
8. Demonstrable working knowledge and practical experience of associated information management systems for collections (e.g. EMu)
9. Experience of successful delivery of collections/curatorial projects
10. Excellent communication skills; presenting, writing
11. The ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with a variety of stakeholders (internal and external researchers, public engagement, visitors, students, volunteers)
Curatorial Assistant, Street Fdn
Role description: The Department of Life Sciences holds some of the world's most important Natural History Collections, within the Division of Insects alone more than 30 million specimens dating back to the 1700s and still developing today.
The Natural History Museum has an new opportunity for a Curatorial Assistant, who will be responsible for for invertebrates (mainly but not exclusively Coleoptera) collected on recent African Project, and manage their entire process from wet field samples to identified, mounted, labelled, digitised, incorporated specimens.
The successful candidate will have experience of working with insect collections and have a passionate understanding of collecting Coleoptera and other insect specimens.
Role competences: BEFORE beginning your application - Please read the section below about the ‘Online Application Process’ carefully.
If you wish to be considered for this role you will need to address each of the following competences in the ‘other information’ section of your online application:
Academic Qualifications
1.Degree in a biological science or equivalent experience
Role competencies
2.Skilled at working with Museum insect collections
3.Skilled at mounting and labelling insect specimens (different techniques)
4.Able to identify Coleoptera to family and experienced at species level identification
5.Computer literacy and experience of using relational databases
6.Understanding of collecting Coleoptera in tropical environments
7.Familiar with the rules of zoological nomenclature, understands the concept of type specimens (Curator Competency 3.i. Systematic and taxonomic principles)
8.Experienced fieldworker, experienced in use of a wide range of fieldwork techniques to collect insects in a variety of habitats and environments
9.Demonstrable knowledgeable about the theory and practice of collecting, the history of and reasons for entomological collecting
Herbarium Digitisation Technician
Contract Type: Part Time (2 days, Thurs & Fri)
Salary: £7,641.02 per annum (based on an FTE of £19,102.56 per annum)
To deliver the RHS Vision and Science Strategy the RHS is creating a virtual reference collection for cultivated garden plants online. Over half of the specimens have already been scanned and we are keen to increase the speed of delivery and completion of this work. We seek an enthusiastic person work with our existing scanning technician, to scan the specimens and manage the image files, as well as to carry out essential curation and conservation activities on the specimens.
We are looking for someone who is used to working with a range of software programmes and specifically is experienced in managing information in a database. Experience with handling digital images or with scientific information and working in a herbarium would be desirable.
The successful applicant would be working in one of the world's leading horticultural herbaria, alongside our internationally recognised botany and horticultural informatics teams.