Department: BURKE MUSEUM
Job Location: Seattle Campus
Posting Date: 12/19/2017
Closing Info: Open Until Filled
Salary: Salary and benefits are competitive. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience.
As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.
UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. All of which has allowed the UW to be nationally recognized as a “Great College to Work For” for four consecutive years.
Our Burke Museum, has an outstanding opportunity for a Paleontology Lab Manager.
The paleontology lab manager is primarily responsible for the supervision, management, and safety of the personnel and activities in the fossil preparation laboratory, including managing relevant budgets. Secondarily, the paleontology lab manager is responsible for facilitating research on fossils, including the preparation and casting of specimens, assisting in the organization and execution of field work pertaining to the collection of fossil specimens, and assisting in the curation of fossil specimens.
Basic Functions:
Lab Management (65%):
Training and supervision of paleontology laboratory staff:
• Develop, assign, and monitor fossil-based projects for employees, volunteers, and students who use the fossil lab.
• Assign schedules for employees, volunteers, and students who use the fossil lab.
• Monitor the skill level of employees, volunteers, and students who use the fossil lab and determine suitable assignments and the appropriateness of further training.
• Provide training in fossil preparation, conservation, and curation for laboratory staff (employees, volunteers, and students).
Operations of the paleontology laboratory
• Manage budgets (museum and grant-based) for equipment, supplies, and labor associated with fossil preparation.
• Oversee the daily operations within the laboratory and keep all associated specimen records.
• Develop standard procedures for the laboratory in the new Burke Museum facility to provide a reference for laboratory staff (employees, volunteers, and students).
Health and safety
• Have training appropriate to ensure personal safety and safety of lab staff.
• Be able to recognize and mitigate physical and chemical hazards and have a basic knowledge of emergency response and first aid.
• Manage the chemical and hazardous materials in the laboratory, making sure they are properly labeled and that all MSDS sheets are available.
• Serve as a Safety Warden for the paleontology lab and paleontology collections areas.
Facilitating Research on Fossil Specimens (20%):
Fossil Preparation
• Possess the knowledge, skill, and experience to prepare fossils using whichever methods will allow for scientific information to be best accessed, including information contained in the surrounding matrix.
• Have an up-to-date understanding of the techniques, adhesives, and solvents that are used during the preparation of fossil specimens, and the experience to select the most appropriate material for each task.
• Create replicas of fossils as needed for research, exhibits, or education and manage a list of available molds. Possess the knowledge and skill to select the appropriate molding and casting materials.
Collections Management
• Create and manage a record of the history of each fossil as it passes through the fossil preparation laboratory.
• Before each fossil specimen leaves the laboratory, the paleontology lab manager must ensure its suitable housing and archival labeling.
• Possess skill and experience with collections management software or willingness to be trained in order to maintain necessary records of specimen preparation and curation.
Professional Development and Outreach
• Keep abreast of developments and new materials and techniques in the specialty of fossil preparation through professional journals and conferences and networking with colleagues.
• Be willing and able to present innovations to concepts and techniques of fossil collection, preparation, conservation and laboratory or volunteer management to colleagues at professional meetings.
Public Outreach (10%):
• Interact with the public (museum visitors, school groups, university classes, and others) in the paleontology gallery and open fossil lab spaces.
• Present to the public both general paleobiological and geological information and information specific to the specialty of fossil preparation and the specimens being worked on and the nature and importance of the tasks being performed.
• Coordinate with relevant exhibits and public programs staff when the preparation of fossils is to be part of a public event at the Burke Museum.
• Internally and externally assess the nature and importance of finds made by the public and provide information that will ensure that specimens collected or held by amateurs will see proper preparation, conservation and documentation should they eventually become part of the public trust.
• Help prepare fossils and casts for display and exhibit at the museum, as needed.
Fieldwork Management (5%):
Management of fieldwork operations and field staff
• Collect fossils in the field and return them safely to the museum. Possess the knowledge to ensure the stability of the specimens and the preservation of the greatest amount of scientific information.
• Have the knowledge, willingness and ability to live and work out of doors in varying climatic conditions.
• Manage logistical arrangements to ensure the safety of UW students, museum volunteers and other staff when working in the field.
• Provide training to field staff and volunteers to ensure effectiveness in safely extracting fossils from the field.
• Ensure all permits and permissions are in place and that all work in the field is properly documented and archived as part of the permanent museum records.
• File reports with appropriate agencies.
Required Qualifications:
• BS in Biology, Geology, Paleontology or related field OR at least four years of relevant work experience in a paleontology lab or museum collections environment.
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.
Desired Qualifications:
• MA in Biology, Geology, Paleontology or related field OR at least six years of equivalent experience in a paleontology lab or museum collections environment
Conditions of Employment:
Appointment to this position is contingent upon obtaining satisfactory results from a criminal background check
• Work in a lab that is visible to the public and work weekends as scheduled