Museum Scientist

Responsibilities
Curation and Transactions:

Oversees basic curation of different collection types including vascular plants, bryophytes. lichens, algae and fungi. This includes mounting, label creation, and filing specimens.
Keeps up to date with changing nomenclature and taxonomies of major groups. Implements changes where possible to be reflected in filing system.
Keeps abreast of current museum methodologies by reading publications, attending conferences and monitoring internet list servers.
Assist and evaluates loan requests, including processing exchanges and gifts. Interacts with herbaria worldwide for request of specimens used for scientific research.
Assists visiting scientists, consultants, graduate students and affiliated researchers with access to collections and research materials.
Provides herbaria orientation for scientists and students using the herbaria with identification, particularly in areas of specialization (Californian flora, bryophytes, plant conservation).
Responds to plant identification requests from general public, consultants and researchers.
Recruits, trains and supervises volunteers in herbarium techniques and practice.
Maintain cooperative relations with other Berkeley Natural History Museums and institutions worldwide.
Assists with public displays including design and implementation of themed botanical exhibits.
Assists with report preparation including collection statistics and grant proposals.
Project Management:

Assists the Director with the management of major projects/grants.
Assists with hiring and training staff, undergraduates, and graduate and work study students.
Assists with visitor orientation and use of facilities.
Works closely with researchers to implement changes in taxonomy and nomenclature of the physical collections and database.
Digitizing:

Personally enters, and trains staff and students to enter, complex collection information and images into relational database that includes detailed information on collectors, annotation history, localities, loans and nomenclature.
Assures accuracy of records particularly with regards to correcting errors arising from incomplete data entry, amendments to annotation history, locality discrepancies, nomenclatural changes.
Works closely with Biodiversity Informatics Manager to maintain updated and accurate on-line specimen data.
Enabling Research:

Establish professional contacts, attends meetings and assists with workshops.
Conducts limited fieldwork for specimen acquisition, and provides fresh material for molecular research.
Advises consultants working on native flora projects.
Conducts original research to support institutional projects and direction.

Required Qualifications
Work experience at an institution of higher education.
Knowledge of or ability to learn the institutional history of the University and Jepson Herbaria.
Background knowledge in botany.
Knowledge of curatorial protocols and techniques, herbarium networks, and plant systematic principles and procedures.
Ability to analyze needs accurately and express ideas clearly, in everyday operations and in contributing to grant proposals and outreach presentations.
Excellent organizational aptitude, memory, and ability to multi-task.
Demonstrated personal strengths of patience, perseverance, friendliness, and respectfulness in relations with a wide range of herbarium users and staff, including supervision of work-study student assistants, and volunteers.
Excellent communication skills, verbal and written.
Basic computer skills, with extensive use of herbarium databases, preferred.
Education/Training:

Graduation from college with specialization in the discipline involved and one year of experience in curatorial work; or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and knowledge and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.

Preferred Qualifications
Familiarity with the UC University/Jepson Herbaria obtained, for example, by attendance at Jepson Herbarium workshops.
Training in herbarium collections management techniques, including specimen preparation and collecting strategies, pest control procedures, loan protocols and proper packaging of fragile specimens for shipping.
Skill in identifying plant specimens on sight and by use of taxonomic keys.
Skilled in resolving difficulties that occur in the curation of the primary data of the physical specimen and attached label data while capturing label data, developing the database, and making the information available to a wide range of users.
Strong sense of initiative and commitment to the core missions of the herbarium.