The Natural History Museum of Denmark (NHMD), Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, is advertising a permanent fulltime position for a Collections Manager, starting December 1, 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter. The candidate will be part of a diverse Collection Management Team across the museum and will refer to the Head of the Zoological Collection Unit.

We offer a professionally challenging job in an exciting environment in a workplace that is constantly evolving. We are committed colleagues who emphasize quality and professionalismin our work.

The collections at NHMD are of high scientific relevance; we have both curators who carry on collections-based research, and collection managers whose duties are the physical maintenance of the collections. Curators and collections managers collaborate on regular basis.

The successful candidate will care for relevant parts of the vertebrate collections at NHMD. We are particularly in need of assistance with our bird collection, which is of worldwide importance, but the successful candidate will be expected to work across all vertebrate collections.

We welcome applicants with various educational and practical backgrounds, be it technical or scientific, but please note that the position does not include opportunities for research.

Ideal candidates will share a passion for nature, and an understanding of the importance of natural history collections and their long-term preservation.

Due to the current high-profile museum project (see below and https://nyt.snm.ku.dk/english/ ), the successful candidate is also expected to dedicate time to help in the development of current and upcoming major public exhibitions as well as participating in the the planning and implementing of an upcoming major move of all collections to new state-of-the-art collections facilities.

Tasks

The successful candidate will care for relevant parts of the vertebrate collections at NHMD, with focus on the bird collection.

Responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to:

• Physical care, maintenance, preservation, and security of the collections.
• Improving and updating the physical organization of specimen collections.
• Processing incoming and outgoing specimens and/or materials, including donations, exchanges and loans, with appropriate permits and documentation.
• Documenting the collection through digitization (registrations and imaging), including entering and updating database records in the collection management system ( Specify ).
• Allocating 20% of the working week to assist in the digitization of collections within the Da SSCo project .
• Staying current in modern techniques in collections maintenance and database management.
• Assisting the curator in the maintenance of the museum’s cryo collection .
• Helping with, and facilitating Collections visits and Collections tours.
• Working cooperatively with other collection managers, scientific curators and other museum staff, to achieve the highest level of collection care and productivity across organizational units.
• Implements and performs tasks in a prompt, timely and effective manner. Be attentive to deadlines.
• Provide service to scientific guests and supervise and train volunteers.
• Selection of archival materials to improve specimen storage conditions.

Desirable qualifications and skills:

• Education equivalent to a Master’s degree in biology, natural history conservation (conservator) or a comparable field. Other relevant expertise and knowledge about nature and natural history collections will also be a suitable background.
• Documented experience involving day-to-day management of biological or other natural history collections.
• Working knowledge of vertebrate taxonomy, systematics, and natural history. Knowledge of bird taxonomy and systematics will be advantage.
• Experience with and interest in field work and vertebrate specimen preparation.
• Ability to work effectively independently as well as collaboratively.
• Ability to learn and develop new skills related to specimen and data management.
• Good communication skills.
• Standard computer skills, experience with database software, and willingness to learn new tools and programmes.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, access and inclusion work.
• An understanding of relevant international compliance procedures regarding import, export, and shipping of scientific specimens.
• Fluency in English (spoken and/or written), or expectation to learn English as a working language.
• Fluency in Danish (spoken and/or written), or expectation to take Danish lessons to reach a working language level.
• Driver’s license.

About us

Natural history museums have never been more important. The impact of climate change and anthropogenic forces on biodiversity has reached a critical point. We need action to build a more sustainable relationship with nature. The Natural History Museum of Denmark is the national museum for nature. We work to empower citizens to connect with nature with the aim to create positive change for life on Earth. We want to inspire, engage and enable people to enjoy, understand, and care for the diversity of the natural world.

We are currently building a new Danish national museum for nature. One big museum site, in the Botanical Garden, in the centre of Copenhagen, will host state-of-the-art laboratories, outstanding research collections, new public galleries, and combined facilities for programming, education, and citizen science. Over the next few years, the museum aims to change the way people think about and use natural history museums.

The Zoological collections contain approximately 10 million specimens from all over the World and collected over a time span of 400 years. The zoological collections are divided into vertebrates, invertebrates and entomology. The vertebrate collections comprises over 750,000 specimens, of which 150,000 are bird specimens, covering approximately 2/3 of the world’s bird species.

Terms of salary and employment

The employment and salary is made in accordance with the Circular on the Collective Agreement concerning academics in the state sector concluded between the Ministry of Finance and AC (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations).

Employment will be as academic employee. The salary is based on seniority. Negotiation for salary supplement is possible. The working time are 37 hours per week on average.
The specific working hours have some flexibility.

Your application

If you find the job interesting, please send an electronic application in English with attachment of CV, a letter of motivation describing how your experience, knowledge and interest qualify you for this position, and documentations for education via Jobportalen (click on the link "Apply Now" at the bottom of the post) no later than November 4, 2024. Only electronic applications are accepted.

The University of Copenhagen seeks to reflect society and encourages applications irrespective of personal background.

Additional information

More information about the position can be obtained from Head of the Zoological Collection Unit, Laura Pavesi ( lpavesi@snm.ku.dk ), phone +45 35321179 and/or the Head of Collections, Nikolaj Scharff ( nscharff@snm.ku.dk ), phone +45 42408088.

More general information about the Natural History Museum of Denmark is available from our website
( SNM ).

The Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen – or SCIENCE – is Denmark's largest science research and education institution with 4,000 employees and 9,700 Bachelor and Master's students in 12 departments. The Faculty has an annual budget of DKK 3 billion.

Learn more about The Faculty of Science at www.science.ku.dk