Natural History Museum of Denmark (NHMD), Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, is looking for a permanent fulltime position for a Collections Manager, starting October 1, 2022 or as soon thereafter. The candidate will be part of a diverse Collection Management Team across the museum and will refer to the Head of the Zoological Collection Unit.
We offer a professionally challenging job in an exciting environment in a workplace that is constantly evolving. We are committed colleagues who emphasize quality, professionalism, and dynamism in the work.
Natural History Museum of Denmark (NHMD), Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, is looking for a permanent fulltime position for a Collections Manager, starting October 1, 2022 or as soon thereafter. The candidate will be part of a diverse Collection Management Team across the museum and will refer to the Head of the Zoological Collection Unit.
We offer a professionally challenging job in an exciting environment in a workplace that is constantly evolving. We are committed colleagues who emphasize quality, professionalism, and dynamism in the work.
About us
Natural history museums have never been more important. Our planet is shared by millions of living species. But now a single one among them, humans, holds the power of changing life on Earth. Solutions to grand challenges for humanity and the planet alike are only possible by way of local action, global collaboration, and by sharing knowledge and resources.
The vision of the Natural History Museum of Denmark is to empower citizens to connect with nature. We want to inspire, engage, and enable people to enjoy, understand, and care for the diversity of the natural world. In the coming years, we will be building a new Danish national museum for the natural world. One big museum complex in the Botanical Garden in the center of Copenhagen to host state-of-the-art laboratories, outstanding research collections, new public galleries, and combined facilities for teaching and science citizenship. Over the next few years, the museum will change the way people think about and use natural history museums. We are working on multiple intersecting capital projects to achieve this, as well as operating the existing museum venues that are open to the public with an exciting program of exhibitions and events.
The Zoological collections contain approximately 10 million specimens from all over the World and collected over a time span of 400 years. The zoological collections are divided into vertebrates, invertebrates and entomology. The vertebrate collections comprises over 750,000 specimens, of which 150,000 are bird specimens, covering approximately 2/3 of the world’s bird species.
Tasks
The successful candidate will care for relevant parts of the vertebrate collections at NHMD on a day-to-day basis.
Responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to:
- Physical care, maintenance, preservation, and security of the collections.
- Improving and updating the physical organization of specimen collections.
- Processing incoming and outgoing specimens and/or materials, including donations, exchanges and loans, with appropriate permits and documentation.
- Documenting the collection through digitization, including entering and updating database records in the collection management system.
- Assisting in planning and overseeing digitization of collections.
- Participate in the rehousing of collections, as necessary.
- Staying current in modern techniques in collections maintenance and database management.
- Working cooperatively with other collection management and museum staff, including curators, to achieve the highest level of collection care and productivity across organizational units.
- Provide service to scientific guests and supervise and train visitors, students and volunteers
- Selection of archival materials to improve specimen storage conditions.
- Supporting the planning and preparation of temporary and permanent exhibits.
The NHMD is currently working on a high-profile New Museum Project (see below and https://nyt.snm.ku.dk/english/ ), which involves entirely new buildings and galleries. Therefore, the successful candidate will be expected to select objects for, and to advise development of, this and other upcoming major public exhibitions.
Desirable qualifications and skills:
Ideal candidates will share a passion for nature, and the long-term preservation of natural history collections.
In particular we seek a candidate who can contribute to management of our bird collection, which is of international significance.
- Knowledge of biology equivalent to a Master’s degree in biology, natural history conservation (conservator) or a comparable field. Other relevant expertise and knowledge about nature and natural history collections will also be a suitable background.
- Work experience involving day-to-day management of natural history or other biological collections.
- Working knowledge of vertebrate taxonomy, systematics, and natural history.
- Experience with and interest in field work and vertebrate specimen preparation.
- Ability to work effectively independently as well as collaboratively.
- Ability to learn and develop new skills related to specimen and data management.
- Strong communication skills.
- Good computer skills.
- An understanding of relevant international compliance procedures regarding import, export, and shipping of scientific specimens.
- Fluency in English (spoken and/or written), or willingness to learn English as a working language
- Fluency in Danish (spoken and/or written), or willingness to learn Danish as a working language
- Driver’s license
For complete details, and to apply, go to https://candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationInit.aspx/?cid=1307&departmentId=19220&ProjectId=157010&MediaId=5&SkipAdvertisement=false