Curator Coleoptera, Natural History Museum

Closing deadline for applications

Embedded within the Insects Division, the Curator (Coleoptera) will be developing expertise (Curator) in their field of collections-based science and will demonstrate relevant scientific (e.g., taxonomy, systematics, applied entomology) and collections management scholarship.

The post holder will be responsible for part of the collections of beetles (approximately 2 million specimens), exact groups to be determined by the successful candidate’s interests and the museum’s needs. They will ensure specimens are acquired, curated and made available to facilitate research, teaching, training, reference and exhibitions. This is an exciting opportunity to develop a historic collection, integrating curation and research in one of the World’s largest and most important collections.

Main Responsibilities

Collections management, development, conservation and care

• Ensures best practice in collections care.
• Works with the Senior Curator in Charge (Coleoptera), Principal Curator in Charge of Insects, Head of Collections and the Registrar to ensure diligence and compliance with legislation and NHM policies and procedures.
• Makes informed decisions as to curation needs and priorities for designated area, and implements them, while liaising with line management. Leads on delivery of collections assessment, development and unification for relevant collection area.
• Provides the Senior Curator in Charge with information needed to maintain, develop, make accessible and use the collection.
• Works with internal and external researchers engaged with collections-based research, and to actively facilitate such research where possible, seeking to maximise associated collections development opportunities.
• Identifies potential purchases and, where appropriate leads on donations, fieldwork opportunities and exchanges to enhance the collection area strategically.
• Assists internal stakeholders in delivering internally- and externally funded projects.
• Ensures high standards of data management and stewardship. Ensures that collections management system for designated area is kept up to date. Plays a full role in ‘data cleansing’ of imported data.
• Contributes to major NHM programmes, including preparation for the internal collections move as part of the Thames Valley Science Park development, and developing or delivering public engagement. Plays a full part in all major team and divisional projects as required.

Collections scholarship and leadership

• Connected and integrated with the relevant scientific stakeholder community, becoming familiar with scientists, their work, and their requirements and potential benefits and collaborations. Assume the role of the recognised representative of your designated section of the NHM’s Collection to the global community.
• Facilitates access (visitors and loans) and collections care priorities to enable scholarship.
• Leads on scholarly outputs from own area of expertise and contributes to scholarly outputs with collaborators in appropriate outlets e.g., scientific journals, monographs, technical reports, articles, exhibition content etc.
• Maximises use of appropriate and approved collections housing, and works toward unification, identification and incorporation of outlying and incoming collection material, new and historic, to modern museum standards.
• Ensures new techniques (collections management, analytical, conservation) and applications are understood and incorporated where appropriate.
• Actively champions and contributes to cross-departmental working initiatives.

Income generation

• Supports funding opportunities for projects within specialist area, as a participant or team leader where appropriate.
• Supports consultancy and research where appropriate and in agreement with the Senior Curator in Charge (Coleoptera).

Person Specification

• Qualifications:
• An MSc, with an emphasis on the taxonomy and/or systematics of a group of Coleoptera and the use of natural history collections in science; or equivalent experience (essential).
• Skills and experience required for the role:
• Understanding and experience of the principles of entomological collections management, and care and development of insect collections (essential).
• Knowledge of one or more groups of Coleoptera, including the associated literature and systematics/taxonomy. The ability to apply and discriminate taxonomic/diagnostic characters for identification and organisation (essential).
• Ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including researchers, public engagement, visitors, borrowers, students, and volunteers.
• Excellent communication skills (e.g., presentations at scientific conferences) and proven ability to work as part of a team.
• A track record in publishing or contributing to scientific articles (essential).
• Demonstrable understanding of associated information management systems (e.g., databases) for collections management (essential).
• Demonstrable contributions to teaching/training (desirable)