Herbarium Collections Manager
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee - 
Knoxville

Description

The TENN herbarium is seeking a highly organized, detail-oriented individual to 
join our department as the Herbarium Collections Manager. This key team member 
oversees the day-to-day management, preservation, and accessibility of our 
plant and fungal biodiversity collection, which includes specimen curation, 
record keeping, and monitoring specimen inflow/outflow. In addition, the 
Herbarium Collections Manager leads a team of undergraduate students and 
volunteer assistants with specimen curation and scientific outreach projects. 
The Herbarium Collections Manager reports to the TENN Herbarium Director, Dr. 
Jessica M. Budke, and collaborates with the Director and Curators to plan and 
implement herbarium goals, priorities, and programs.



The TENN herbarium houses over 600,000 plant and fungal specimens and is one of 
the largest collections in the southeastern United States. The Herbarium 
Collections Manager supports research in the herbarium focusing on taxonomy, 
systematics, invasive species, conservation of rare plants/fungi, and field 
botany/mycology.  For more information on our collection, see the TENN 
herbarium website - http://tenn.bio.utk.edu/



Duties and Responsibilities

Will include but are not limited to:

1.     Oversee the day-to-day management, preservation, and accessibility of 
this biodiversity collection, which includes specimen curation, record keeping, 
and monitoring specimen inflow/outflow.

2.     Hire, train, schedule, and supervise members of the public as herbarium 
volunteers and undergraduate student curation technicians to carry out tasks 
such as label making and mounting, filing, imaging, databasing, and 
georeferencing specimens.

3.     Respond to inquiries from members of the university community, visiting 
scientific researchers, governmental and consulting agencies, and members of 
the public.

4.     Perform outreach and science communication through herbarium social 
media pages/feeds.

5.   Conduct tours for visiting scholars, students, and the public.

6.     Manage the TENN website to share plant information with internet users 
worldwide.

7.     Upload data to and manage online databases containing information on 
specimens in the TENN collection.

Qualifications

1.     Master's degree or PhD from an accredited university in Plant Sciences, 
Botany, Ecology, Biology, Horticulture, or related field is required.

2.     Previous herbarium/botanical experience (1-3 years) is required.

3.     Knowledge of botanical museum principles, practices, and procedures is 
required.

4.     Strong interpersonal communication skills with the ability to lead a 
team of volunteer and student assistants to complete collection management 
projects are required.

5.     Sound reasoning, analytical thought, attention to detail, creativity, 
high levels of organization, and innovation in solving minor problems that 
occur day to day are required.

6.     Proficiency with computer software (e.g., Word, Excel, Photoshop, 
Dreamweaver) is required.

7.     Ability to learn new programs to manage and maintain websites/databases 
as needed.

8.     Previous experience with plant/fungal taxonomy and knowledge of 
plant/fungal families and genera are preferred.

9.     Excellent verbal and written communication, including experience 
communicating through social media (i.e., Twitter, Facebook), is preferred

This is a full-time (12-month), permanent position with health and retirement 
benefits. Initial appointment for one year starting July 2018, with extension 
pending positive performance evaluations. Salary commensurate with education 
and experience.

Please submit a cover letter, resume/CV, and contact information for three 
references as a single document when applying. Application review will begin 
April 19, 2018 and continue until the position is filled. To be considered, all 
applications must be submitted online. 
https://ut.taleo.net/careersection/ut_system/jobdetail.ftl?job=18000000DM&tz=GMT-04%3A00

Job
  Academic and Instructional Support
Primary Location
  USA-Tennessee-Knoxville
Organization
  Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Schedule
  Full-time
 Campus/Institute Knoxville

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