Collections Manager, Ornithology

The Natural History Museum of LA County (NHMLAC) seeks a Collections Manager of Ornithology. NHMLAC’s Ornithology collection consists of approximately 124,000 specimens, including study skins, skeletons, fluid-preserved specimens, taxidermy mounts, and frozen tissues of birds. This position is directly supervised by the Curator of Ornithology.  The position is available immediately.  

The Collections Manager will oversee the day-to-day operations of the ornithology collection, including processing incoming and outgoing loans, preparation and integration of new specimens, maintaining and improving specimen records in NHMLAC’s EMu database, conserving and organizing specimens, managing physical improvements and digitization projects, facilitating the use of the collection by researchers, and supporting the needs of other NHMLAC departments including Exhibitions, Education and Programming, and Marketing and Communications.  The Collections Manager will also train and supervise volunteers, students, and other personnel, and collaborate with other departments to manage shared space and facilities. 

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County values and endeavors to support diversity, equity, inclusion, and access within its organization and communities. Candidates who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC), neurodiverse, a woman, a person with a disability, a veteran, and/or a part of the LGBTQAI+ community are welcome and encouraged to apply. 

NHMLAC is especially interested in candidates whose background and experience have prepared them to contribute to our commitment to engage and include culturally diverse audiences in museums and in science.  

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Cares for the Ornithology collection on a day-­to-­day basis, including organizing and conserving specimens, preparing or processing all specimen loans, acquiring new specimens, preparing specimens, and facilitating collections visits.  Proposes, develops, and implements plans for collection growth and improvement. 
• Provides documentation for the collection, including cataloging and accessioning, entering/updating database records, inventorying, and enhancing documentation through digitization.  Responds to requests for information about the collection and shares collection records through external repositories.  
• Participates in education and other public program activities of the Museum including but not limited to collection tours, supporting exhibitions, and participation in public museum events. Handles inquiries from the public and researchers.
• Stays current with the research field related to the collection including trends and techniques in collections management, collection-based research, conservation, digitization, biodiversity informatics, government regulations, and documentation. May lead or participate in ongoing or original research related to the collection.
• Trains, supervises, and manages collections personnel, including interns, students and volunteers.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• 5 years experience in the collection, organization, care and/or conservation of natural history specimens/collections; relevant experience may have been gained through work as a student or professional.  We expect qualified applicants will have either a substantial history of museum work or a bachelor’s or graduate degree in a related field and some museum work experience, but we encourage applicants in their cover letters to explain how their particular combination of education and experience qualifies them for the position.
• Working knowledge of avian taxonomy and natural history. 
• Experience with database software and common principles of biodiversity informatics.
• Experience writing reports, grants, professional correspondence, and/or procedure manuals.
• Experience effectively presenting information to and responding to questions from individuals or groups of managers, scientists, and the general public.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with common specimen preparations, the organization and management of bird collections, and community standards and existing best practices in ornithology.
• Experience supervising a diverse team of staff, volunteers, and students.
• Working knowledge of international, federal, and state regulations governing the collection and use of bird specimens by museums.
• Working knowledge of external data repositories such as GBIF, iDigBio, and MorphoSource.
• Experience with typical methods used for field collection and processing of birds.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, access and inclusion work.

OTHER INFORMATION

Annual salary for this position is $67,000.00  This is a full-time, regular, exempt position with excellent benefits.

The primary location for this job is at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, in Exposition Park in Los Angeles. Some offsite travel will be required.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

To apply, submit a current CV, a cover letter describing how your experience, knowledge, and interest qualify you for this position, and the names and contact information of three professional references through the Museum’s employment site at https://nhm.org/careers-our-museums/careers-natural-history-museum.  

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Applicants and employees are invited to identify reasonable accommodations that can be made to assist them to perform the essential functions of the position they seek or occupy. The incumbent must be able to perform this job safely, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health or safety of him/her/themself or others.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Please contact jobs@nhm.org for any application inquiries.