Angelo State Natural History Collections
Under supervision of the Curators and Department Chair, the Collections Manager manages the teaching and scientific specimen collections and Specify database in the Angelo State Natural History Collections (ASNHC), including the Herbarium, Mammalogy, Ornithology, Herpetology, and Frozen Tissue collections. This position serves to promote the ASNHC, department, and university through various forms of community outreach; oversees undergraduate and graduate student assistants, interns, and volunteers working in collections; and participates in providing input toward new facility design.
Duties:
Operational management of research and teaching collections in the Angelo State Natural History Collections (ASNHC), to include the Herbarium; Mammalogy, Ornithology, Herpetology, and Frozen Tissue collections. ASNHC duties are varied, but typical job functions include (but are not limited to):
- Accessioning, cataloging, and integrating specimens into the ASNHC
- Collecting and preserving scientific specimens
- Operating and maintaining the dermestid skeletal preparation facility
- Developing, implementing, and maintaining an integrated pest management (IPM) program
- Improving and maintaining the collection databases (Specify) with georeferenced locality data
- Processing and managing loans
- Creating and maintaining policies and procedures that are cohesive with best practices
- Providing assistance to curators in research
- Training, managing, and working with undergraduate and graduate student assistants, interns, and volunteers to carry out curation activities and specimen preparation
- Maintaining and developing the ASNHC website
- Producing and distributing regular PR announcements including annual ASNHC newsletters
- Participating in providing input toward new facility design
- Conducting tours, lectures, programs, and classes on collection-related topics
- Assisting in grant-proposal preparations for collection-related projects
- Coordinating and managing permits relating to collection activities
- Participating in museum programs, workshops, seminars, and other forms of professional development in the museum profession
- Serving to promote the ASNHC, department, and university in other various forms of community outreach and social media
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Knowledge of accepted museum standards and practices for collection care, collections management, specimen conservation and preparation, and registration methods
- Skilled in curation of natural history collections
- Knowledge of IPM protocols and procedures, including general knowledge of museum pests
- Skilled in operation of dermestid facility
- Knowledge of georeferencing and specimen-based electronic database protocols
- Knowledge of imaging systems
- Skilled in MS Word, Excel, and Specify® database management software
- Ability to be detail oriented for accuracy of data and information
- Ability to be highly organized and able to handle multiple projects
- Ability to communicate well and build rapport with students, faculty and staff
- Ability to complete work within deadlines
- Ability to have strong initiative to solve problems
- Ability to work independently and with interdepartmental teams and initiatives
- Skilled in having good presentation (oral and written communication) skills
- Ability to use established occupational health and safety practices
- Ability to organize and complete tasks in an accurate and timely manner
- Ability to manage computerized files and records
- Ability to prepare written communications and reports independently and proofread work accurately
- Ability to work with minimum supervision
- Ability to perform basic mathematical calculations
- Ability to manage annual budget
Qualifications:
M.S. degree in Museum Science, Biology, Zoology, Botany or related field, or B.S. degree in those fields and professional experience working in Museum Collection Management or related field.
Proficient in Specify® data management software, including Specify® 6, Specify® 7, and Specify® web portal systems. Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access. Knowledgeable in FileMaker® database system.
Other Information:
The Biology Department maintains the Angelo State Natural History Collections, which contains nearly 150,000 specimens of plants, vertebrates, and frozen tissues. The collections are preserved, documented and curated assemblages that are important to a wide array of human activities.
The collections are essential to the management of natural resources because they document the diversity and biology of organisms that impact agriculture, health and urban and other rural activities. They also characterize the ecosystems upon which we all depend.
The collections are a resource for many fields of biological research. The presence and growth of the collections at ASU are important to the university, San Angelo and the Concho Valley because they are a readily available local resource for the region, as well as being used in research at the national and international levels.
For more information and to apply for this position, go to https://employment.angelo.edu.