Curator of Mammals and Birds

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Zoological Museum is seeking a Curator of Mammals and Birds: https://jobs.hr.wisc.edu/en-us/job/516381/curator-of-mammals-and-birds

Job no: 269996-AS
Work type: Partial Remote, Staff-Full Time
Department: L&S/INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY
Location: Madison, WI
Categories: Museums: Museum and Departmental Collection Services

Job Summary: The Curator of Mammals and Birds is responsible for the direction and growth of the mammal and bird collections, which include study skins, skulls, mounts, eggs, nests, fluid-preserved and histological preparations. This position is also responsible for supervision of, and participation in, all preparative activities including management and oversight of the tissues collection, preparation room and dermestarium. Decisions on accessions, loans and exchanges of specimens under their curatorial purview, as well as serving on the committee for destructive sampling requests are responsibilities of this position. The Curator of Mammals and Birds will (1) develop and maintain programs to facilitate specimen deposition; (2) conduct collections-based specimen research; and (3) produce, publish and present their findings. In coordination with the Collections Manager, the Curator will provide guidance for the maintenance of a bird and mammal museum database. The Curator of Mammals and Birds will provide specimens and verbal presentations for teaching and outreach, and will mentor students and employees. They will participate in grant-writing to enhance infrastructure, collection growth and management.

Responsibilities: Conducts research on and develops museum, gallery, teaching, and research collections to enhance academic teaching, research, general public education, and interest.

• 25% Serves as a subject matter expert and point of contact for internal and external stakeholders regarding collection information and access
• 20% Produces, publishes, and presents original research
• 15% Participates in development of collections plans, acquisition of collection items, exhibitions or displays, educational resources, and access to collections
• 5% Develops and maintains relationships with donors, collectors, and colleagues
• 10% Provides budgetary input and subject matter expertise in support of funding requests
• 10% Designs, develops, and delivers instruction to faculty, staff, students, and museum patrons
• 15% Provides operational guidance on day-to-day activities of student workers and volunteers. May supervise staff, students, and volunteers

Institutional Statement on Diversity: Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background – people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

Education: Required – Bachelor’s Degree; Preferred – Master’s Degree in biology, museum studies or related field.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:
1. Two years previous professional work in natural history or vertebrate museum collections
2. Commitment to fostering a respectful, effective, and collegial work environment through a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion
3. Demonstrated expertise in mammalian or avian taxonomy and familiarity with both classes
4. Proficiency in preparation of vertebrate specimens (study skin, skeleton and fluid)
5. Strong oral communication skills, including the ability to collaborate and network
6. Demonstrated problem solving abilities, flexibility and proven ability to work as part of a team
7. Ability to lift 40 pounds and use a ladder

Preferred Qualifications:
1. Four years or more of professional work in natural history or vertebrate museum collections
2. Familiarity with natural history collection databases (especially Arctos)
3. Experience with midwestern taxa
4. Experience working with tissue collections
5. Experience in management of a dermestid colony

Work Type: Full Time: 100%. This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.

Salary: Minimum $53,000 ANNUAL (12 months)

Depending on Qualifications

Additional Information: The University of Wisconsin Zoological Museum houses extensive collections of over 500,000 vertebrate and aquatic invertebrate specimens. Located on the UW-Madison campus, the Museum provides support for university teaching and research activities both in and outside of Wisconsin, state and federal agencies, and qualified individuals. Additional department information can be found at https://uwzm.integrativebiology.wisc.edu/.

The Museum is part of the Department of Integrative Biology which consists of 67 faculty and staff members, as well as a large number of employees in training, graduate, and undergraduate employees. The department has 1,300+ undergraduate majors in Biology (L&S), Molecular and Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Zoology, teaches thousands of students in our introductory biology courses, and has top ranked graduate programs in the areas of Integrative Biology and Freshwater & Marine Science. Additional department information can be found at https://integrativebiology.wisc.edu/.

The Department of Integrative Biology has a strong commitment to fostering a welcoming community where students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds, experiences, and abilities can thrive. As such, we strongly encourage applications from candidates who foster and promote the values of diversity and inclusion.