Arizona State University https://www.asu.edu/
Job Profile: Lab and Research Specialist 2
Job Family: Lab and Research Support
Time Type: Full time
Max Pay – Depends on experience: $64,700.00 USD Annual
Job Description:
The School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University (https://sols.asu.edu/) is seeking a full-time Research Specialist who will serve as the Vertebrate Collections Manager for the ASU Natural History Collections (ASUNHC). The position is part of a dynamic, collaborative biocollections and biodiversity data science group of faculty, staff, students, volunteers, and other researchers. The ASUNHC is co-located with the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Biorepository (https://www.neonscience.org/data-samples) in a unified 28,000 sq. ft. facility, collectively referred to as the ASU Biocollections. The facility is ca. 2 miles southwest of the main ASU Tempe Campus, and forms part of ASU’s Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center (BioKIC; https://biokic.asu.edu/)
The ASUNHC Vertebrate Collections are primarily focused on documenting vertebrate diversity in the Southwestern U.S. and Sonoran Desert Region, and comprise the following four collections: (1) Ichthyology, with 24,000 registered lots and more than 1,000 stained specimens; built most prominently by Wendell Minckley (70% digitized/online); (2) Herpetology, with 36,000 specimens (90% digitized/online); (3) Ornithology contains over 1500 specimens (>90% digitized/online); and (4) Mammalogy, with 9,000 specimens (95% digitized/online). The research collections are complemented by teaching collections located on site. The ASUNHC Vertebrate Collections Manager will work synergistically with the NEON collection managers, who archive, curate, and make available to the research community an additional 20,000+ vertebrate specimens and samples collected annually from 81 field sites spanning the entire US.
BioKIC is a leading promoter of the Symbiota software platform (http://symbiota.org/) and is co-managing an increasing range of biodiversity data portals that also feature vertebrate occurrence records. We therefore seek a candidate with a demonstrated background and/or willingness to become skilled in biodiversity informatics, portal management, and digitization workflows. We also strongly encourage the candidate to develop an active field- and collections-based research program at a level commensurate with the position, and possibly including systematic biodiversity, inventory, and ecological forecasting-related themes. The successful candidate will work in close collaboration with curators, collection managers, students, and researchers affiliated with the Biocollections and the School of Life Sciences. Contributing to our diverse biodiversity/data learning programs is strongly encouraged. A wide range of applicant profiles will be considered. Candidates who may not be immediately available to start in the position are nevertheless encouraged to apply.
Salary Range: $50,000 – $64,700; depending on experience
Essential Duties:
- Comprehensive management of the ASUNHC Vertebrate Collections, including physical and digital data holdings.
- Specimen-level curation and coordination of regular collection/research activities involving organization and conservation, information quality, growth, exchanges and loans, and other collection activities.
- Using computer software, data management, and publication tools to support specimen digitization and data sharing.
- Shared responsibility for co-managing BioKIC’s Consortium of Vertebrate Collections (https://csvcoll.org/portal/) Symbiota-based portal and digital data holdings; including digitization of primary data, data quality, images, workflows, and other data curation tasks.
- Regular collaboration and communication with ASUNHC and NEON collection managers to ensure seamless coordination of equipment and infrastructure management tasks, particularly in shared spaces, promoting a synergistic approach to effective teamwork and shared success.
- Participation in diverse, vertebrate-focused, in-person or online learning and outreach activities; including opportunities for instruction and course development.
- Recruiting, training, and supervising graduate and under-graduate students and volunteers.
- Managing donations and expanding the collections
Desired Qualifications:
- Master’s or Doctoral degree in vertebrate biology, or a related field with a focus on systematics, evolution, ecology, conservation, or vertebrate diversity documentation and forecasting using modern informatics tools.
- Working knowledge of the Symbiota platform.
- Evidence of advanced, research-level expertise in vertebrate groups.
- Curatorial skills will ideally include specialized vertebrate specimen and sample preparation methods such as taxidermy.
- Two or more years of curatorial experience in vertebrate research collections, including supervisory and mentoring roles.
- Familiarity with, and willingness to secure and maintain State, Federal, and institutional scientific collecting permits.
- Evidence of effective verbal and written communication skills.
- Experience in contemporary biodiversity data standards and tools.
- Experience in collections-centered teaching and outreach activities is highly valued.
- Demonstrated commitment to the ASU Charter (https://www.asu.edu/about/charter-mission)
Working Environment:
- Daily, on-site position with occasional field work (not a remote position).
- Standard scientific research laboratory and collections facility environment requiring sitting, standing, walking, climbing stairs, bending and lifting moderate loads (20-50 lbs).
- Occasional strenuous hiking during field work.
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree and three (3) years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment/field; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and/or training from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.