Asst Curator, Invertebrate Paleontology

Published: November 13, 2024    Curator, Jobs

American Museum of Natural History https://www.amnh.org/

The Division of Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) seeks an Assistant Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology to start on or after July 1, 2025.

The successful candidate will be a creative scientist with an innovative program in invertebrate paleontology and the potential to develop inter-institutional collaborations. We are particularly interested in applicants working on non-arthropod groups, as well as those whose research is focused on past and current biodiversity crises and/or the impact of climate and other environmental changes.

The AMNH is a recognized leader in scientific research, graduate education, and public education about science and the natural world. The responsibilities of this position are to perform original specimen-based scientific research, oversee curation and management of the fossil invertebrate collections in alignment with their taxonomic expertise, enhance the Museum’s collections through field expeditions as well as the innovative use of collections and applications of new technologies, and secure funding for the above activities. In addition, the successful candidate will serve as an Assistant Professor in the Richard Gilder Graduate School and have the opportunity to teach and advise PhD students in the RGGS comparative biology and partner university PhD programs, mentor postdocs, and/or serve as science faculty in the Master of Arts in Teaching Earth science residency program. The successful candidate may also contribute to exhibitions, collaborate with the Museum’s education department, and participate in public programs.

Resources available at the AMNH  include world-class fossil collections; fossil preparation facilities; high performance computing; and a range of optical, electron beam, and X-ray analytical tools (including high resolution micro-CT scanning) in the AMNH Microscopy and Imaging Lab. The AMNH maintains active internal grant programs to support field research across many disciplines. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to build on existing relationships with nearby collaborating institutions including Columbia University and the City University of New York.

The expected salary range for the Assistant Curator/Professor of Invertebrate Paleontology is $125,000 – 142,000. 

Pay will be determined based on several factors. The hiring range for the position at commencement is based on the type of work and the scope of responsibilities. The salary and placement offered is based on a number of individualized factors, including, but not limited to, skills, knowledge, training, education, credentials, areas of specialization and depth and scope of experience.


Candidates must hold a doctoral degree in biology, geology, or related field at the time of application submission.

Application materials should include:

  • Cover letter (max. 1 page)
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Research statement, including goals, achievements, and future plans (max. 3 pages)
  • Curatorial and service statement, addressing your vision for the role of collections and collecting in supporting scientific research and your experience and interests in teaching and public outreach (max. 3 pages)
  • PDFs of up to 5 publications and/or preprints
  • Names and contact information for three people who will provide letters of recommendation. References listed on the application will be contacted for letters at the time of application submission.

For both statements, applicants are encouraged to include relevant information about contributions to, and vision for, increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the AMNH and broader scientific community. Application materials should be submitted as a single PDF under “Other Document”, with the exception of publication PDFs, which can be submitted under “Publications”. Publications may be submitted as a file share link/folder if the size exceeds 10MB.

Inquiries about the position should be directed to Melanie Hopkins (mhopkins@amnh.org). Consideration of applications will begin on December 16, 2024, but applications will continue to be accepted after this date. All materials should be submitted to https://careers.amnh.org.

Direct link to job posting: https://careers.amnh.org/postings/4301