Curatorial Associate

Curatorial Associate

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world's preeminent scientific and cultural institutions, and has as its mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education, and exhibition. The department of Earth & Planetary Science (EPS), in the Division of Physical Sciences, is seeking a full-time Curatorial Associate to lead and manage day-to-day collections operations for EPS and supervise Museum Specialists engaged in collection management activities, including loans, visitor management, curation, databasing, and georeferencing. The Curatorial Associate helps plan and carry out large projects (e.g., collections moves and rehousing) and works with Facilities and Security to ensure that the collections remain safely and appropriately housed. The Curatorial Associate will work with the curators to seek external support for collections improvement, digitization of collections, and other initiatives as assigned. The Curatorial Associate reports to the department's Curator-in-Charge and collaborates with all curators in the department.

Job duties include, but are not limited to:

• Lead the operations of the EPS collections, their care and preservation, at levels that meet or exceed disciplinary and/or Museum standards.
• Direct collections management operations, working with EPS curators to develop and meet short- and long-range objectives.
• Seek and implement efficiencies where feasible.
• Manage the use and upkeep of assigned departmental spaces, facilities, supplies, and equipment.
• Work with the department administrator, curators, and other Museum offices on purchasing and budget management.
• Maintain the collections informatics programs, systems, databases, integrity and security of data, paper and other forms of archival records management.
• Promote discoverability of the collections, access to catalog records and digital assets via internal and external mechanisms.
• Manage incoming and outgoing loan activities including shipping/receiving, permitting, and compliance.
• Supervise departmental collection-related service to internal and external user communities.
• Facilitate visitation to the collections and tours as well as access and use of collections and facilities by students, postdocs, research associates, and visitors.
• Participate in promotional and outreach activities.
• Facilitate curatorial fieldwork and collecting activities by department students, postdocs, staff, and affiliates. Manage post-collecting curation efforts from field to shelf, including specimen identification, preservation, accessioning, cataloging, imaging, and records management.
• Work with curators, the development office, and administration to acquire external funding for fieldwork, collections improvement, digitization of collections, research opportunities, and new programs in collections management.
• Oversee and direct annual collections reporting.
• Supervise departmental Museum Specialists, assigning tasks, managing their efforts, and monitoring performance.
• Train staff and volunteers on collections operations.
• Manage the department's collection-related website content.

The expected salary range for the Curatorial Associate is $93,000/annual – $98,000/annual. The AMNH offers an extensive benefits package designed to meet the needs of our dedicated and diverse community. Pay will be determined based on several factors. The hiring range for the position at commencement is based on the type of work and the scope of responsibilities. The salary and placement offered is based on a number of individualized factors, including, but not limited to, skills, knowledge, training, education, credentials, areas of specialization, and depth and scope of experience.

Minimum Qualifications - Completed PhD or PhD candidate in geological sciences or a related field. Experience with geoscience research and/or geoscience collections. Experience and/or training in collections management, databases, fieldwork, and geological research. Proficiency with FileMaker Pro and/or other collections databases.

Preferred Qualifications - Proficient experience working with public repositories. Knowledge of data sharing standards. Experience working with scientists and samples internationally.

Physical Demands - Must be able to remain in a stationary position (sitting or standing) for prolonged periods. Must be able to occasionally lift up to 20 pounds. Must be able to move about the Museum campus. Positioning/change of positioning: Must be able to frequently position oneself/body to accomplish job duties. Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling. Climbing: Ascending or descending physical structures. Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and up to 20 pounds of force frequently. May include any of the following: Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force to thrust forward, downward, or outward. Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to drag, haul, or tug objects in a sustained motion. Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position.

Category - Full-Time

Total Number of Scheduled Hours Per Pay Period - 70

Union Status - Non-Union

FLSA - Exempt

Expected Salary Minimum - $93,000/annual

Expected Salary Maximum - $98,000/annual

EEO Statement - The American Museum of Natural History is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Museum does not discriminate with respect to employment, or admission or access to Museum facilities, programs or activities on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, gender (including sexual harassment), sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, pregnancy and lactation accommodations, alienage or citizenship status, current or former participation in the uniformed services, status as a veteran, caregiver, pre-employment marijuana testing, sexual and reproductive health decisions, salary history, national or ethnic origin, height, weight, or on account of any other basis prohibited by applicable City, State, or Federal law. Additional protections are afforded in employment based on arrest or conviction record, status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, unemployment status, and credit history, in each case to the extent provided by law.