Please visit UW Req # 191082 Paleobotany Collections & Laboratory Manager position for complete job posting and application instructions.
The University of Washington Burke Museum invites applications for the full-time position of collections manager of paleobotany (permanent 0.5 FTE) and manager of the paleobotanical laboratory (0.5 FTE for four years, with the possibility of renewal).
The Burke Museum, located on the UW campus in Seattle, is a repository for research collections and has substantial exhibit and K-16 outreach programs. Fossil collections at the Burke Museum are actively growing and include over three million specimens distributed in several subdisciplines: vertebrate paleontology, paleobotany, invertebrate paleontology, and micropaleontology. A smaller collection of minerals and meteorites is also part of the department’s holdings. Currently, the fossil collections are managed by three half-time faculty curators, one full-time fossil lab manager, and two full-time collections managers. Our collections managers are experts in vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology but currently share responsibility for the paleobotanical collections. We are seeking to add an expert in paleobotany to our team of collections staff who can focus on these collections, as well as manage the labs associated with paleobotanical research in our collections. In addition, some of the actively used paleobotanical collections are prepared, studied, and housed in the Biology Department, located in the Life Sciences Building on the UW campus; curation of these collections needs to be better integrated into the mission of Burke Paleobotany overall.
Review of applications will begin on July 15, 2021.
The successful candidate will assist the curator of paleobotany in setting curatorial and collections goals and in day-to-day collections operations. Specific responsibilities include:
Management and Maintenance of Collections:
Oversee Daily Operations of the Collections
- Assist in management of (macrofossils, fossil wood, pollen and phytoliths, modern and fossil) collections organization and storage, in the Burke Museum and Biology Department, and on and off-site, according to best practices
- Work with other members of the division collections staff team to design and implement protocols for curation and equipment use
- Work collaboratively with collections staff across the museum on Burke-wide policies
- Schedule use by researchers, visiting scholars and students; monitor visitors to the collection
- Track use of the collections
- Maintain lab and field equipment
- Prepare collections-related grants, permits, and subsequent reports
- Assist in preparation of grant and other funding proposals
Data Management
- Maintain division records and compile statistics for the paleobotany collection as needed
- Coordinate digitization of collections data and its dissemination on the internet
- Complete data entry as needed
- Train collections staff and students on entry and use of digital resources
Oversee expenditure of division and grant budget funds
- Order supplies and equipment for paleobotany collections and wet labs and, on occasion, for the entire division
- Manage budget activity and develop quarterly budget reports
Other
- Engage with the rest of the museum through committees
Promoting Growth and Use of the Collections:
Wet lab management, fossil preparation, and training
- Manage the paleobotany wet laboratories (for phytolith, palynology, and cuticle work, including working with HF) in the Burke Museum and Biology Department, the former jointly managed with the Burke’s fossil lab manager
- Supervise activities in the wet laboratory, and ensure the safety of the personnel (e.g., students, visitors) engaged in these activities
- Prepare fossils (e.g., macrofossils, phytoliths, cuticle) as needed
- Train students and volunteers in fossil preparation (e.g., macrofossils, phytoliths, cuticle) and curation
Growth of the Collections
- Process loans, exchanges, accessions and de-accessions
- Assist in the organization and execution of field work pertaining to the collection of fossil specimens; ensure travel is arranged and trip details are organized prior to departure and preparing staff, volunteers, and curators for field work
Public Outreach:
- Respond to public inquiries
- Attend meetings as necessary and allow access to collections as appropriate
- Facilitate use of the collections by UW Faculty, as well as in undergraduate and graduate courses
- Coordinate with curators and museum exhibits/public programs staff for selection and management of all outreach and exhibit materials from the collections
- Conduct divisional tours for school groups, university classes, and others
- Along with other division collections staff, share responsibility for activating the visible work spaces while the museum is open to the public
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- MS in Paleobotany or related field
- Two to five years related work experience.
- Proficient experience with computer databases and online access of natural history collections
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- PhD in Paleobotany or related field
- Experience with GPS mapping and GIS technology
- Experience with MySQL or related relational database systems
- Experience with laboratory work/preparation of plant fossils
- Experience writing funded grant proposals
- Experience with public outreach
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
- In part: work in collections spaces and labs that are visible to the public; work weekends as scheduled