Biodiversity Co-ordinator & Principal Curator Botany

Amgueddfa Cymru is committed to safeguarding and restoring nature and our environment. We have the largest and most comprehensive collection of Welsh geology, zoology and botany specimens in the world, and this provides a unique record of the natural history of Wales, charting evolutionary and environmental change. The museum is also home to Welsh National Herbarium which contains botanical specimens from Wales and across the world, including the British Bryophyte Society Collection. This is of international importance and represents over 300 years of collecting. These collections underpin our understanding, maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity in Wales and contribute to global research in taxonomy. All of our collections belong to the people of Wales, and we want to find new ways in which we can make them a relevant and useful resource for everyone to explore and enjoy. Amgueddfa Cymru has 8 sites across the whole of Wales, each with its distinctive natural characteristics. This role will support the development of a better understanding of these sites and seek to engage with a range of communities in exploring bio-diversity and how we can work together to protect and restore nature.

View full job advertisement PDF
Apply here

Contract: Permanent contract, 35 hours per week
Salary: Grade F, £32,572.14 – £39,924.30 per annum
Closing date: 7 January 2022 (by 5pm)
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post.
Appointment will normally be to the minimum of the salary scale for this grade.

You will:

• Play a strategic role in delivering the Museum’s goal to safeguard and increase biodiversity across the museum sites.
• Develop wider participatory approach to undertaking biodiversity surveys of the sites.
• Promote, and co-ordinate biodiversity data within the Museum and play an active role in sharing this data externally.
• Provide expertise in lower plants, to develop, promote and increase access to the collection through research and online presence
• Explore and develop new ways to digitize the collection which will make the collection accessible to a range of audiences.
• Undertake research focused on taxonomy, to support understanding and monitoring of environmental change in Wales.
• Play an active role in the Natural Sciences related events and learning programmes.
• Supervise student projects to enthuse and support young scientists in Wales.

The knowledge and qualifications you’ll need…
• A degree botany or an allied subject, or equivalent practical professional experience.
• A postgraduate qualification in a botanical or ecological subject area is desirable.
• Knowledge of current practice of undertaking terrestrial biodiversity surveys, qualification in habitat surveying desirable.
• Demonstrable specialist expertise in an area of lower plant taxonomy relevant to complement existing staff specialisms.
• Knowledge of biological databases.
• Knowledge of standard Microsoft software.

The experience you’ll need…
• Experience of undertaking terrestrial biodiversity surveys.
• Experience writing biological reports and disseminating information.
• Experience of working with botanical collections to deliver strategic goals.
• Experience managing projects, developing plans and working with external stakeholders.
• Experience of leading teams.
• Experience supervising postgraduate and undergraduate students.
• The ability to develop networks with a range of different partners.
• Experience delivering curatorial and research projects.
• Experience in working and curating botanical collections

The skills you’ll need
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, with the ability to communicate effectively with colleagues and external stakeholders, and to engage a range of audiences in a lively and accessible manner.
• Proven project management skills with the ability to motivate people and work as a team to deliver results.
• The ability to organise and structure visual and written information, and to develop accurate and engaging content for a variety of audiences.
• Excellent organisational skills, including the ability to prioritise workloads, multi-task and work with competing deadlines.
• A confident user of internet, email and social media.
• The ability to communicate in Welsh, or the willingness to learn, is desirable.