The incumbent will be responsible for enhancing the productivity of the Invertebrate Zoology Unit of the Research & Collections Division by providing scientific assistance to the curators and researchers, by managing the Insect Collection, participating in research activities, and publication of results, while providing expert advice and information to MCN staff, the scientific community and other external clients. The person will also contribute to scientific dissemination through the Museum’s public and related programs.
The incumbent of this position will have the opportunity to participate in terrestrial fieldwork; however, the Museum encourages applications from a variety of candidates and will consider them on a confidential, individual basis and with due regard to any requests for workplace accommodation from candidates unable to participate in fieldwork or some collection care activities.
Eligibility criteria
This position is open to all Employees of the Canadian Museum of Nature and any members of the public who meet the qualifications below.
*Candidates must be legally entitled to work in Canada.
Education and training:
B.Sc. or graduate degree in Biology or a related field (e.g., Zoology, Ecology, Environmental Science, etc.) with emphasis on Entomology, or a demonstrated equivalent combination of experience, education and training.
Language requirements:
English and French are essential
Bilingual imperative: CBC/CBC
Experience:
·2-3 years experience in the management of insect collections (i.e. preparation, identification and classification of insect specimens, taxonomy and systematic organisation of insects, data entry, etc.);
·2-3 years experience in taxonomy, identification and classification of insect specimens, including expert identification of Coleoptera families, advanced identification of other insect groups and general identification of other terrestrial arthropods;
·Experience of working with insect collections, including handling, care and cataloguing;
·Experience of dealing with requests for loans and acquisitions of preserved insect specimens in the context of an institution with formal processes;
·Experience in dissecting insect specimens for identification purposes;
·Experience in cataloguing and digitising specimen records in natural history collection databases;
·Experience of interacting with the public in various forums, for example group and category presentations, specialist meetings and collection visits;
·Experience using computers in a scientific environment, including use of common office software (e.g., SharePoint, Microsoft 365 suite). The following experience will be considered an asset:
·Experience in identifying a wide variety and large number of ground beetles, including but not limited to scarabs and weevils;
·Experience in fieldwork preparation and logistics;
·Experience in collecting insects in terrestrial environments;
·Experience in managing large datasets;
·Experience working with Geographic Information Systems (GIS);
·Experience with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, or other image editing programs to prepare quality figures for publications;
·Experience with specimen imaging systems under stereomicroscopes, particularly with the use of image stacking software;
·Experience with rapid-data-capture technologies such as high-volume specimen imaging and crowdsourcing;
·Experience in one or more of the following techniques related to systematics and species/community identification: species description, molecular or morphological systematics, DNA barcoding, environmental DNA (eDNA);
·Experience with the process of scientific publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
https://nature.ca/en/join-give/careers/opportunities/assistant-collection-manager-invertebrate-2/
