Jobs Archive
PhD studentship: Preservation of geological collections in museums
We are seeking applicants for a 4 year PhD studentship available to start September 2017 to investigate: Preservation of geological collections in museums.
Mineral specimens, despite their apparent stability, are prone to deterioration in museum environments. Currently available methodologies are not suitable for routine collection monitoring, as results are not necessarily replicable, and, in the absence of guidance on suitable storage conditions, triggers and the suitability of conservation actions are difficult to determine. We need a more robust approach to the delivery of preventative conservation of geological collections. This studentship, based at the University of Oxford and in partnership with the Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales and BSRIA Ltd, addresses these issues. The student will define what kind of material change in minerals constitutes damage; develop a protocol for routine monitoring of museum geological collections for potential damage; establish optimum environmental and minimum air quality standards for different types of minerals; and test rigorously the suitability of conservation treatments that are presently available.
Full information about the project can be found at: http://www.seaha-cdt.ac.uk/study-with-us/studentships/
Training path: The student will be part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training SEAHA (Science and Engineering for Arts, Heritage and Archaeology). Students will register for the one year MRes SEAHA at UCL in year 1 and then register at the University of Oxford for years 2-4 of the studentship. The student will be encouraged to spend time working in the laboratories at the National Museum Cardiff.
Funding: The SEAHA Studentship will cover home fees and a stipend of up to a maximum of £18,172 per year (current rate) for eligible applicants (http://www.seaha-cdt.ac.uk/opportunities/eligibility-criteria/), and a substantial budget for research, travel, and cohort activities. Non-EU applicants are not eligible for funding.
Enquiries: For further information, please contact the academic supervisor, Prof Heather Viles (heather.viles@ouce.ox.ac.uk)
Application deadline: 6pm Thursday, June 15th (interviews on Thursday, June 29th)
Collections Manager (Life Collections)
We are recruiting a Collections Manager (Life Collections) to work under the supervision of the Head of Collections. He/she will work flexibly across the zoology collections (vertebrate and invertebrate). The post holder will engage in and facilitate collections development and maintenance. They will also contribute to grant applications and proposals. Additionally, the successful applicant will help develop new exhibitions and displays with the Public Engagement Team and will be expected to participate in the Museum’s outreach and public engagement programme.
Applicants will have: a degree with a substantial biological sciences component; an excellent knowledge of general zoology; experience of collections-focused museum work, conservation work and using collections management databases; the ability to work effectively both as part of a team and on an individual basis; and will have a track record of successfully delivering public engagement in science activity. As part of your online application, you will be required to upload a covering letter that shows how you meet the selection criteria, and a full CV. The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on Friday 23 June 2017. Interviews will be held on Tuesday 4 July 2017.
For further details see the website (www.oum.ox.ac.uk) or contact the Acting Head of Collections, Kate Diston using the contact details below.
Kate Diston, Acting Head of Collections
Email: kathleen.diston@oum.ox.ac.uk Tel: 01865 272982.
Collections Manager (Earth Collections)
We are recruiting a Collections Manager (Earth Collections) to work under the supervision of the Head of Collections. He/she will work flexibly across Earth Collections (palaeontology, mineralogy and petrology) with a focus on the Museum’s mineralogy and petrology collections. The post holder will engage in and facilitate collections-based research and field collecting. Additionally, the successful applicant will help develop new exhibitions and displays with the Public Engagement Team and will be expected to participate in the Museum’s outreach and public engagement programme. Applicants will have: an excellent knowledge and understanding of general geology; proven skills or experience equivalent to those derived from a holding a degree with a substantial Earth Sciences component is desirable; experience of collections-focused museum work, conservation work and using collections management databases; the ability to work effectively both as part of a team and on an individual basis; and will have a track record of successfully delivering public engagement in science activity.
As part of your online application, you will be required to upload a covering letter that shows how you meet the selection criteria, and a full CV. The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on Friday 23 June 2017. Interviews will be held on Tuesday 18 July 2017.
For further details see the website (www.oum.ox.ac.uk) or contact the Acting Head of Collections, Kate Diston using the contact details below.
Kate Diston, Acting Head of Collections
Email: kathleen.diston@oum.ox.ac.uk Tel: 01865 272982.
Senior Archives and Library Assistant
We are recruiting for a Senior Archives and Library Assistant to work under the supervision of the Head of Archives and Library. He/she will provide support for routine library and archive work, in particular with cataloguing Library and Archive materials and managing collections enquiries from staff and the general public. He/she will also support and develop projects within the Archives and Library in line with the Museum’s strategic plan, with an emphasis on promoting and improving access to the collection, both inhouse and online.
Applicants will have: cataloguing skills and experience, in particular RDA, LCSH, MARC21 and AARC2; excellent English language skills, with the ability to communicate verbally and in written form with a wide variety of people, from members of the general public to senior academic staff; Collections Management System experience and the ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines is essential. For further details see the website (www.oum.ox.ac.uk) or contact the Head of Archives and Library, Kate Diston using the contact details below.
This is a full-time post fixed-term for three years. Applicants wishing to work part-time will be considered.
As part of your online application, you will be required to upload a covering letter that shows how you meet the selection criteria, and a full CV.
The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on Friday 23 June 2017. Interviews will be held on Monday 17 July 2017. Please contact Kate Diston, Head of Collections with any questions about the role kathleen.diston@oum.ox.ac.uk or 01865 272982.
Exhibitions Officer
The Museum of Natural History has programmed a series of ‘Contemporary Science and Society’ temporary exhibitions. This series aims to connect the research power of academic departments with the University of Oxford with the very large audiences visiting the museum.
The Exhibitions Officer will be responsible for project managing identified exhibitions in this series, working with the Public Engagement Manager and the Deputy Director. Each exhibition will have a full programme of activities aimed at different audiences. The Exhibitions Officer will be responsible for co-ordinating the programme, working in partnership with other members of the public engagement team, as well as public engagement officers and researchers embedded in University departments.
We are seeking a highly motivated team player, with a science degree or equivalent experience, with expertise working in partnerships to deliver temporary exhibitions. With strong diplomatic skills, the successful candidate will be able to project manage to budget and deadline, often under pressure. The successful candidate will have first-rate administrative, organisational and IT and writing skills. Design and target audience marketing experience is highly desirable.
As part of your online application, you will be required to upload a covering letter that shows how you meet the selection criteria, and a full CV.
Please contact Janet Stott Deputy Director and Head of Public Engagement with any questions about the role janet.stott@oum.ox.ac.uk or 01865 282537.
Closing date: 12 noon Friday 23rd June 2017
Interview date: Monday 3rd July 2017
Senior Curator in Charge in the Bird Group
Embedded within the Vertebrates Division of the Department of Life Sciences, the Senior Curator in Charge (SCiC) of Birds will lead and manage a curatorial team (currently three full-time and two half-time collections managers) ensuring best practice in collections care and providing a world-class collection of natural history specimens in ornithology. Bird specimens are to be acquired, curated and used and made available to facilitate research, teaching, training, reference and exhibitions. An expert in their field of collections-based science, the SCiC of Birds will demonstrate a high level of scientific scholarship (e.g. taxonomy, systematics, organismal biology). The SCiC of Birds will work with other SCiCs across the Vertebrates Division, and will line manage other Curators and Senior Curators within the Division. The SCiC of Birds is in turn line managed by and is expected to support the Principal Curator in Charge of Vertebrates.
The NHM Bird collection is based at Tring, though the SCiC of Birds will be expected to work closely also with NHM staff at South Kensington. This is an exciting opportunity to lead and integrate ornithological curation and collections-based research in one of the World’s largest and most important bird collections.
Salary: £35,164 - £42,420 (plus a 5% responsibility allowance). We may consider a higher salary for exceptional candidates
For full details and how to apply – please follow the following link:
https://careers.nhm.ac.uk/templates/CIPHR/jobdetail_internal_250.aspx
Collection Move Project Assistants
We are seeking 4 skilled Project Move Assistants to prepare, pack and document an off-site reserve collection. Working as part of a team the Project Assistants will condition assess objects against standard guidelines and ensure that the Museum protocols relating to object handling, object security and collection databases are adhered to. Working to agreed project workflows the team will work at the offsite facility under the direction of the Project Manager. A high level of accuracy is required alongside experience of digital photography and database skills. The project assistants will be required to move moderate weights and utilise trolleys and other moving equipment. A knowledge of geological collections would be desirable.
Only applications received before midday on Monday 8th May can be considered. As part of your online application, you will be required to upload a covering letter that shows how you meet the selection criteria, and a full CV.
For further details see the website (www.oum.ox.ac.uk) or contact, Wendy Shepherd, Head of Operations T: +44 1865 272966; E: wendy.shepherd@oum.ox.ac.uk
BioMedia Meltdown Project Manager
One-year fixed term contract, commencing May 2017
Salary £27,000 plus generous pension scheme
Based in Wimbledon at The Linnean Society of London’s offices in Toynbee House
The Linnean Society of London is seeking an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and inspiring individual to take on the co-ordination, delivery and reporting of the Society’s BioMedia Meltdown Project (BMM) – Phase 2, funded by John Lyon’s Charity.
BMM is targeted at Key Stage 3 students (11-14 years old) in a number of London boroughs, and aims to inspire and engage young people, as well as teachers, giving them a better understanding of natural science through a creative approach within the context of an art/media competition.
BMM is focused on two main National Curriculum topics, namely Evolution and Ecosystems, and has successfully completed Phase 1 during 2015/16.
We now want you to take BMM forward, further developing the loan kits and workshops for students, as well as CPD (Continuous Professional Development) sessions for teachers. These workshops will highlight the creative skills needed within the broad range of job roles in science, and will involve creative professionals providing careers advice.
BMM is fast-paced, with the workshops being delivered over a 5-month period (Sep 2017-Jan 2018), before the project culminates in a student art/media competition and subsequent Celebration Event (March 2018). As such, you will need to be a highly motivated self-starter, who is able to work independently to meet tight deadlines. The competition and Celebration Event, at which prizes are awarded and winning entries are displayed, will be planned and managed by you. Previous event management experience would therefore be beneficial, but is not essential.
You should be an innovative graduate/post-graduate biologist with a proven passion for education and public engagement in science, with experience of giving talks in schools and mentoring school-aged students. You will need a clear understanding of the challenges faced by biology teachers in disadvantaged schools in London. A teaching qualification would be useful, while experience as a STEMNET ambassador would be an advantage. You should be a self-starter and team player.
For further information about BMM, please contact Ross Ziegelmeier (Education Project Officer) at ross@linnean.org. To apply for this position, please send your CV (concise summary please) together with a one-page covering letter outlining why we should select you for this role to elizabeth@linnean.org. The closing date for applications is 5pm Monday 8th May. Interviews will be held on Monday 22nd May, in the Society’s offices in Wimbledon
Conservation Technician, Airless
The Airless project aims to carry out preventive conservation treatments to protect those palaeontological specimens held at the Natural History Museum considered to be at highest risk from pyrite oxidation. This includes specimens from all areas of the collection, from brachiopods to ichthyosaurs.
Working as part of a team, the successful candidate will transport specimens from the storage area, undertake remedial treatment if required and re-house the specimens in individual anoxic enclosures. This will involve handling very delicate, as well as large, heavy specimens. The project also requires digitisation of conservation records and images through the collection management system, barcodes and web-based applications. We are looking for self-motivated individuals who show a high degree of manual dexterity and attention to detail, and have the ability to maintain focus and accuracy. Training will be given for specialised treatments.
The data produced by this project will also contribute to future digitisation projects undertaken by the curatorial staff.
Curator (Natural Science)
Birmingham Museums are seeking an experienced and enthusiastic Curator of Natural Sciences to lead on a number of significant projects and to research and develop Birmingham’s important collection. This represents a significant opportunity to curate a Natural Science collection which is the largest and most representative of its kind in the West Midlands, covering botany, entomology, zoology and earth sciences.
Upcoming projects include development of a new wildlife gallery at Thinktank science museum and a partnership programme with the Natural History Museum to display their iconic Diplodocus or ‘Dippy’, as part of a wider exhibition at the Museum & Art Gallery. The ideal candidate will have expertise in researching Natural Science collections and understand the process of development of new displays. They should also be an excellent team player capable of collaborating effectively with other staff members on organisation-wide projects.