Postdoctoral Scholar – Vertebrate Paleontology Research and Curation

The Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) of the University of California, Berkeley invites applications for a one-year full-time Postdoctoral Scholar-Employee appointment, renewable for a second year. The candidate will work with curators and other museum staff on a new initiative from the Doris O. and Samuel P. Welles Fund that links curation of the Museum’s world-class vertebrate fossil collections with cutting-edge research questions. The position will be approximately 50% curation, 50% research, and offers a competitive salary plus benefits. Review of applications will begin October 1, 2014, and the position can begin as soon after that as a successful applicant is identified, with an anticipated start date of November, 2014.

Responsibilities:
The candidate, upon consultation with Museum personnel, will identify an important paleontological research problem or problems that can be largely addressed in a two-year time frame using the Museum’s fossil vertebrate collections, and carry out this research program while curating associated specimens and mobilizing these data into appropriate online databases. Collaborative research, discussion, and presentation of results in collaboration with members of the UCMP community are expected. Some funds for research expenses and travel are possible. Start date is negotiable within limits, by arrangement with the Director.

Minimum/Basic Qualification Required:
The minimum application requirement is the completion of all doctoral degree requirements except the dissertation or equivalent in the biological, earth sciences, or similar field, with an emphasis on specimen-based paleontological and paleobiological questions.

Additional Required Qualifications:
• PhD or equivalent foreign degree required by start date
• Applicants must have no more than three years of research experience since receipt of PhD at the start of the appointment, and must never have held a formal professorial appointment
• Demonstrated curatorial experience, and taxonomic expertise relevant to the project
• Research interests that are appropriate to the UCMP vertebrate fossil collections
• Explicit plan to collaborate with existing members of the UCMP community
• Demonstrated ability to publish in English-language peer-reviewed journals
• An explicit proposal, detailed in the application, of your research question(s) and how you plan to use and curate specific parts of the UCMP collection to this end

Preferred Qualifications:
The ideal candidate will be able to complete the following:
(1) mobilize large amounts of UCMP data (i.e., specimen records and images) as part of the proposed research as well as the curatorial work
(2) incorporate several taxonomic groups and time scales into the research and curatorial work;
(3) develop new data sets and methods for their study
(4) involve undergraduates and contribute to outreach components (blogs, online images, etc.);
(5) focus on a substantial part of the UCMP fossil vertebrate collections important to a fundamental research questions

Please provide contact information for 3 experts who can provide letters of reference. Letters of reference are not required at this time. We will seek your permission before contacting your references.

Applications must be received by October 1st, 2014. If you have any difficulties uploading your application or any questions, please e-mail azin.gervin@berkeley.edu.