The Bell Museum is seeking a Collection Manager for the University of Minnesota Herbarium (https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/), located in the Biological Sciences Center on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

For over 140 years, the Bell Museum has collected, preserved and interpreted the natural history of Minnesota as the state’s official natural history museum. Our spectacular new 74 million dollar facility has just opened on the St. Paul campus for exhibits, educational programming and public engagement including a state-of-the-art digital planetarium. The museum is committed to digitization of collections through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (http://bellatlas.umn.edu/) and Mapping Change, a citizen science opportunity (https://z.umn.edu/mapping-change). At present, four of our eight faculty curators are associated with the herbarium.

As part of the extensive scientific collections of the Bell Museum, the University of Minnesota Herbarium (MIN) houses close to a million specimens (https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/plants/). The record of historic flora of the Upper Midwest (including the Dakotas, Wisconsin, and southwestern Ontario) is among the best in the United States. Other significant historical collections include circumboreal and arctic flora, historic Pacific Island flora, early Amazonian flora, and early California plants. We also have extensive collections of lichenized and non-lichenlized fungi. We continue to grow with new specimens, particularly from the Minnesota Biological Survey (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources) and a tropical rain forest research program in Papua New Guinea.

This position is responsible for the management, preservation, accessibility, and outreach activities of MIN. Job duties include:

1. Specimen acquisition, research and classroom loans, exchanges, inventory and record keeping, and collection conservation (pest control, specimen repair, etc.).
2. Support specimen databases and digitization projects.
3. Support the use of the collection in specimen-based research by faculty, staff and students.
4. Arrange appointments for visitors; providing orientation to new visitors, assisting visitors, and developing and implementing visitor and usage policies.
5. Train and lead a team of students and volunteers working with databases, specimen curation and scientific outreach projects.
6. Provide taxonomic expertise through plant identification services and respond to information requests from the University, government agencies, and the public.
7. Promote the visibility of the herbarium collection through public engagement activities such as tours, presentations, and assist with relevant Bell Museum programing.

Applicants interested in research and teaching will have the opportunity to discuss options during the interview and hiring process.

Essential Qualifications:
1. M.Sc. Degree in botany, plant systematics, plant ecology, or related fields.
2. Knowledge of herbarium practices and procedures.
3. Experience with specimen digitization and databases. Ability to learn new programs and platforms.
4. High level of organization and attention to detail.
5. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
6. Ability to train and lead a team of volunteers and students.

Preferred Qualifications:
1. Ph.D. Degree in botany, plant systematics, plant ecology, or related fields.
2. Herbarium curatorial experience.
3. Knowledge of plant, algal, lichen, or fungal taxonomy and nomenclature.
4. Familiarity with upper midwest flora.
5. Previous experience of public outreach activities.

For additional information and to apply for this position: go to https://www.myu.umn.edu/employment and search with the job ID "324832". You will have the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and a CV. Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Activities" page and uploading documents there. Please submit a cover letter, CV, a 2-page personal statement, and contact information for three references. Application review will begin September 1, 2018 with an expected starting date of January 2019.