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The University of Alberta is seeking a dynamic museum professional for the leadership position of Museum Collections Manager, University of Alberta Museums. The University of Alberta located in Edmonton, Alberta, is one of the largest collecting institutions in Canada with more than 17 million objects and specimens in disciplines ranging from art to zoology. There are 29 academic museum collections that comprise the University of Alberta Museums which are integral to the University's teaching, research, discovery learning and access programs. Museums and Collections Services leads the development and implementation of a campus-wide operational, administrative (policy) and exhibition/program delivery framework for the University of Alberta Museums.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Museums and Collections Services/University of Alberta Museums, the Museum Collections Manager is accountable for leading and shaping the U of A Museums Collections Management area including:
◦ Leading, planning and managing the Collections Management Program for the U of A Museums
◦ Planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating collections management services and policies in compliance with legislation, and in accordance with established museum standards
◦ Ensuring the Collections Management Program and the U of A Museum’s collections management system and web strategies are aligned and integrated
◦ Ensuring the University of Alberta Museums are compliant with regulatory areas such as the Cultural Property
◦Export and Import Act, CITES (endangered species legislation) and Copyright legislation
◦ Identifying and securing significant new resources to support the Collections Management Program and strategies
◦ Leading the development and implementation of a museum emergency/disaster preparedness and prevention strategy for the U of A Museums
◦ As a member of the U of A Museums leadership team, contributing to planning major strategic initiatives within the University of Alberta Museums vision
◦ Oversees Collections Management Team

The successful candidate will have:
◦ A graduate degree in a discipline familiar with object-based research and/or museum collections management
◦ Five years of progressively responsible leadership experience in a museum/university museum setting or museum management and advisory settings
◦ Excellent writing, planning, research, communication, organizational and project management skills
◦ Demonstrated knowledge of the museum community, not-for-profit sector and government services, locally, nationally and internationally including funding sources available for museums and related projects
◦ Evidence of ability to interact effectively with all levels of campus personnel and especially academic curators, faculty, and senior administrators
◦ Comprehensive and current knowledge of museum theory and practice
◦ Core competencies including: achievement orientation, analytical thinking, conceptual thinking, flexibility, impact and influence, organizational awareness, business insight, planning and initiative, self-confidence, self-development, sense of urgency, and team leadership and team cooperation

This regular continuing position is in accordance with the Administrative and Professional Officer agreement and offers a comprehensive benefits package (which can be viewed at www.hrs.ualberta.ca) and an annual salary of

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, CV and a list of 3 professional references addressed to Janine Andrews, Executive Director, University of Alberta Museums.

If suitable Canadian citizens or permanent residents cannot be found, other individuals will be considered.

The Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) at Harvard University is a center for research and education focused on the comparative relationships of animal life.

The MCZ was founded in 1859 by an act, signed into law, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts primarily through the efforts of Louis Agassiz, a brilliant lecturer and scholar from Switzerland. The museum established and served as a training ground for professional zoologists and influenced many budding US museums through this new generation.

Research at the MCZ continues to follow Agassiz’s vision to illuminate the structures of living things, their natural classification and relationship with their surroundings, while remaining a leading institution for modern zoological research. The present-day MCZ collections are comprised of approximately 21-million extant and fossil invertebrate and vertebrate specimens, which continue to be a focus of research and teaching for MCZ, Harvard and outside students and researchers.

This position supports the NSF-funded, Thematic Collections Networks (TCN) project awarded to digitize the MCZ’s fossil insect collection, with more than 30,000 catalogued specimens. The Curatorial Assistant (CA) will assist with taking photographs of fossil insect specimens (both rock compressions/impressions and amber inclusions) and obtaining stacked images through specialized software. Once the CA has become familiar with the collection’s unique material, routine rough (pre)identification of specimens will be expected. The CA will also assist with databasing and labeling of fossil insect specimens. Assist with basic curation of damaged amber pieces to make the inclusions within them photographable (polishing of cracked surfaces, restoration with synthetic resin). Other duties as required.

We are looking for volunteers to work on various projects within the Botany department at World Museum.

Volunteer projects include:

Documentation
Specimen Mounting
Digitisation
Library Work
Collections Care

Key Results

Increased accessibility of collections
Facilitating scientific research
Activities

Will vary depending on the role you are interested in but could include:

Creating records within Mimsy XG database
Preparing and mounting specimens following best practice criteria
Researching and imaging botanical collections
Editing images on the Image Management System (IMS)
Production of new folders and labels as required
Re-organising specimens
Re-shelving and classifying new books to Dewey Decimal Classification 21
Labelling reprint collection

Measures of Success

Feedback from supervisor
Volunteer self evaluation
Online feedback

Personal Qualities

Interest in Botany/Natural History
Be able to work as part of a team
Methodical approach to tasks
Good manual dexterity
IT skills

Training Provided

Induction
Specimen handling, mounting, botanical names and classification systems, documentation procedures and IT skills, as required.

Benefits

Opportunity to gain valuable work experience in a national museum service
Discount in NML’s shops and cafés
References
Travel Expenses of up to £5 per day

The Project Officer will have a vital role in coordinating the wide range of national and institutional contacts required; handling data relating to objects and archives, and coordinating external communications via social media and project workshops. Data management will include the extraction, exchange and standardisation of collections data, creation and maintenance of the project database and image files, and analysis of project results. Support will be given by Kew’s IT specialists and other project staff for technical aspects of data management.

The Project Officer will be a core member of the team, alongside two post-doctoral researchers (Dr Caroline Cornish, and another to be appointed 2018), and the two project leaders, Prof. Felix Driver (Department of Geography, Royal Holloway) and Dr Mark Nesbitt (Collections Department, Kew). The post is based at Kew and runs for three years from January 2017.

We are looking for applicants with experience of research, to Master’s level or beyond, but are open as to subject area – although situated in the humanities, this is a highly interdisciplinary project. More important is experience of data management and the ability to acquire new skills in this area. The project will have large numbers of contacts and large quantities of data, so good time management and a meticulous approach to data are essential. Good communication skills are required both within the project team and for external audiences. Experience or interest in collections is highly desirable.

This post offers the opportunity not only to build deep familiarity with Kew’s world-leading botanical collections and archives, but also to interact with many other museums worldwide. The Project Officer will gain transferable skills in handling a wide range of collection and archive data, and will also be able to develop skills in data analysis applied to historical research. Support will be given for training and career development throughout the project.

Interviews will be held on 3rd October.