[Taxacom] Collection Manager, Mycology & Lichenology, Field Museum, Chicago

[Matt Von Konrat]

Dear Taxacom,

We are excited to announce the following position. Please see blow.

Regards,
Matt

*Collection Manager, Mycology & Lichenology, the Field Museum of Natural
History in Chicago*
The Field Museum of Natural History has an immediate opening for a
Mycology/Lichenology Collections Manager. This full-time, permanent
position reports to the Head of Botanical Collections in the Gantz Family
Collections Center. The incumbent must have experience in
Mycology/Lichenology with strong management skills, preferably with
convincing taxonomic expertise. The Collection Manager is charged with
overseeing the direct care, organization, and the management of
approximately 250,000 specimens, based on best practices. The incumbent
will be evaluated on their ability to build, care for, and ensure
accessibility to the great wealth of specimens in the collection. The
Museum particularly encourages applicants with a proven dedication to
collections management. EMu is the Museum’s shared web accessible database
platform. Candidates should either have experience with this database or
another fully relational database system.

This is a collection position. While there will be the opportunity to
conduct research, this will be constrained by the management priorities of
the collection. The Collections Manager will be expected to raise awareness
of the collection among the general public and promote its use (either
digital or actual) by the scientific community. In addition, depending on
strategic priorities, the Collections Manager maybe expected to organize
efforts to make new collections accessible for molecular research and
develop a DNA barcode library of fungi and lichens.

*Duties and Responsibilities*

   - Curation of physical specimens, including specimen preparation,
   organization, care, housing of specimens, and potentially DNA barcoding of
   new collections.
   - Conduct and coordinate the appropriate processing of new collections
   or existing collections including physical preparation, labeling,
   cataloguing, accessioning and loans.
   - Establishing priorities for collection care and management in
   coordination with curatorial and research staff.
   - Development and implementation of collections management policies that
   are aligned with best herbarium practices.
   - Provide collection access to the research community, including
   assisting researchers and students with the use of the collections.
   - Digitization and continuing documentation of collections including
   databasing, capturing digital images of scientific labels and specimens,
   correspondence, archives, publications and loan records using the Emu
   collection management software.
   - Maintain electronic and digital records, including updating taxonomic
   and auxiliary information.
   - Provide support in terms of service to the Museum community, e.g.,
   serving on committees.
   - Training and supervision of staff and volunteers in their collection
   related duties.
   - Develop grant proposals for collections improvements and other
   collection-based initiatives.
   - Collaboration including but not limited to other collections areas,
   research scientists, conservationists, exhibits and education, including
   funding opportunities.
   - Collaboration and liaison with external partners, e.g., Symbiota,
   iDigBio, GBIF.
   - Provide support for promotional and institutional advancement
   activities, including opportunities to engage with donors and participate
   in behind-the-scene tours.
   - Apply taxonomic expertise in identification of collections.

*Qualifications*

   - PhD (with an emphasis in Mycology and/or Lichenology) with collections
   experience is desirable, or, equivalent combination of education and
   experience, e.g., Masters in Biology (with an emphasis in Mycology and/or
   Lichenology) with at least 3 year’s collection experience.
   - A strong background in Mycology and Lichenology is required, including
   familiarity with other Mycology/Lichenology collections, researchers, and
   molecular lab work.
   - Knowledge of taxonomic principles and collection management.
   - Strong organizational skills necessary to keep collection accessible.
   - Supervisory skills necessary for directing collection personnel,
   including volunteers, students and interns.
   - Databasing and imaging skills highly desirable.

Deadline for applications is July 31, 2018.

To apply for this position online, follow this link to the Field Museum of
Natural History website
<https://www.fieldmuseum.org/about/careers?hireology_job_id=201870>. For
more information contact Dr. Matt von Konrat, Head of Botanical Collections
mvonkonrat at fieldmuseum.org
<The%20Field%20Museum%20of%20Natural%20History%20has%20an%20immediate%20opening%20for%20a%20Mycology/Lichenology%20Collections%20Manager.%20This%20full-time,%20permanent%20position%20reports%20to%20the%20Head%20of%20Botanical%20Collections%20in%20the%20Gantz%20Family%20Collections%20Center.%20The%20incumbent%20must%20have%20experience%20in%20Mycology/Lichenology%20with%20strong%20management%20skills,%20preferably%20with%20convincing%20taxonomic%20expertise.%20The%20Collection%20Manager%20is%20charged%20with%20overseeing%20the%20direct%20care,%20organization,%20and%20the%20management%20of%20approximately%20250,000%20specimens,%20based%20on%20best%20practices.%20The%20incumbent%20will%20be%20evaluated%20on%20their%20ability%20to%20build,%20care%20for,%20and%20ensure%20accessibility%20to%20the%20great%20wealth%20of%20specimens%20in%20the%20collection.%20The%20Museum%20particularly%20encourages%20applicants%20with%20a%20proven%20dedication%20to%20collections%20management.%20EMu%20is%20the%20Museum%E2%80%99s%20shared%20web%20accessible%20database%20platform.%20Candidates%20should%20either%20have%20experience%20with%20this%20database%20or%20another%20fully%20relational%20database%20system.%20This%20is%20a%20collection%20position.%20While%20there%20will%20be%20the%20opportunity%20to%20conduct%20research,%20this%20will%20be%20constrained%20by%20the%20management%20priorities%20of%20the%20collection.%20The%20Collections%20Manager%20will%20be%20expected%20to%20raise%20awareness%20of%20the%20collection%20among%20the%20general%20public%20and%20promote%20its%20use%20(either%20digital%20or%20actual)%20by%20the%20scientific%20community.%20In%20addition,%20depending%20on%20strategic%20priorities,%20the%20Collections%20Manager%20maybe%20expected%20to%20organize%20efforts%20to%20make%20new%20collections%20accessible%20for%20molecular%20research%20and%20develop%20a%20DNA%20barcode%20library%20of%20fungi%20and%20lichens.%20Duties%20and%20Responsibilities%20Curation%20of%20physical%20specimens,%20including%20specimen%20preparation,%20organization,%20care,%20housing%20of%20specimens,%20and%20potentially%20DNA%20barcoding%20of%20new%20collections.%20Conduct%20and%20coordinate%20the%20appropriate%20processing%20of%20new%20collections%20or%20existing%20collections%20including%20physical%20preparation,%20labeling,%20cataloguing,%20accessioning%20and%20loans.%20Establishing%20priorities%20for%20collection%20care%20and%20management%20in%20coordination%20with%20curatorial%20and%20research%20staff.%20Development%20and%20implementation%20of%20collections%20management%20policies%20that%20are%20aligned%20with%20best%20herbarium%20practices.%20Provide%20collection%20access%20to%20the%20research%20community,%20including%20assisting%20researchers%20and%20students%20with%20the%20use%20of%20the%20collections.%20Digitization%20and%20continuing%20documentation%20of%20collections%20including%20databasing,%20capturing%20digital%20images%20of%20scientific%20labels%20and%20specimens,%20correspondence,%20archives,%20publications%20and%20loan%20records%20using%20the%20Emu%20collection%20management%20software.%20Maintain%20electronic%20and%20digital%20records,%20including%20updating%20taxonomic%20and%20auxiliary%20information.%20Provide%20support%20in%20terms%20of%20service%20to%20the%20Museum%20community,%20e.g.,%20serving%20on%20committees.%20Training%20and%20supervision%20of%20staff%20and%20volunteers%20in%20their%20collection%20related%20duties.%20Develop%20grant%20proposals%20for%20collections%20improvements%20and%20other%20collection-based%20initiatives.%20Collaboration%20including%20but%20not%20limited%20to%20other%20collections%20areas,%20research%20scientists,%20conservationists,%20exhibits%20and%20education,%20including%20funding%20opportunities.%20Collaboration%20and%20liaison%20with%20external%20partners,%20e.g.,%20Symbiota,%20iDigBio,%20GBIF.%20Provide%20support%20for%20promotional%20and%20institutional%20advancement%20activities,%20including%20opportunities%20to%20engage%20with%20donors%20and%20participate%20in%20behind-the-scene%20tours.%20Apply%20taxonomic%20expertise%20in%20identification%20of%20collections.%20Qualifications%20PhD%20(with%20an%20emphasis%20in%20Mycology%20and/or%20Lichenology)%20with%20collections%20experience%20is%20desirable,%20or,%20equivalent%20combination%20of%20education%20and%20experience,%20e.g.,%20Masters%20in%20Biology%20(with%20an%20emphasis%20in%20Mycology%20and/or%20Lichenology)%20with%20at%20least%203%20year%E2%80%99s%20collection%20experience.%20A%20strong%20background%20in%20Mycology%20and%20Lichenology%20is%20required,%20including%20familiarity%20with%20other%20Mycology/Lichenology%20collections,%20researchers,%20and%20molecular%20lab%20work.%20Knowledge%20of%20taxonomic%20principles%20and%20collection%20management.%20Strong%20organizational%20skills%20necessary%20to%20keep%20collection%20accessible.%20Supervisory%20skills%20necessary%20for%20directing%20collection%20personnel,%20including%20volunteers,%20students%20and%20interns.%20Databasing%20and%20imaging%20skills%20highly%20desirable.%20Deadline%20for%20applications%20is%20July%2031,%202018.%20For%20more%20information%20contact%20Dr.%20Matt%20von%20Konrat,%20Head%20of%20Botanical%20Collections%20mvonkonrat at fieldmuseum.org>

-- 

Matt von Konrat, Ph.D., FLS

Head of Botanical Collections, Gantz Family Collections Center

Adjunct Curator & McCarter Collections Manager (Bryophytes & Pteridophytes)


O: 312.665.7864

Field Museum

1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.

Chicago, IL 60605

fieldmuseum.org


<http://fieldmuseum.org>