Collections Specialist, Senior

About the California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences is a globally renowned scientific and cultural institution located in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Home to a world-class planetarium, aquarium, research center, and natural history museum—all under one living roof—our mission is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.

Our extensive collections span plants, animals, fossils, and cultural artifacts from across the globe and throughout history. We are a diverse team of leading biodiversity scientists, educators, storytellers, designers, and communicators who work collaboratively to advance knowledge and inspire action through science and storytelling.

When you join the California Academy of Sciences, you become part of a mission-driven community that values curiosity, collaboration, and innovation. Whether you're working behind the scenes in research or engaging the public on the museum floor, your work will help connect people to the natural world and empower them to protect it.

About the Opportunity

Reporting to the Herbarium Collection Manager and under minimal supervision, the Curatorial Assistant III performs duties related to specimen preparation, cataloging and archiving, processing loans, digitization, collection maintenance and organization. The incumbent is expected to work with a high degree of autonomy, developing and leading projects as needed, and to provide expertise in the relevant discipline. The incumbent will independently manage one or more of the duties and responsibilities listed, and will contribute to the team’s efforts in many, if not all, of the others. Assigned responsibilities for this position are diverse and range from moderately simple to complex in nature.

Organizational Culture
Join a team dedicated to the Academy’s mission, vision and values! Currently, the Academy has a new strategic plan including three initiatives – Hope for Reefs, Thriving California, and Islands 2030 – that leverage biodiversity science, environmental learning, and collaborative engagement to regenerate fragile ecosystems around the world. Learn more at https://www.calacademy.org/about-us/major-initiatives.

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are excited to contribute to our mission. The mission of the California Academy of Sciences is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every qualification for the position.

Key Responsibilities

• Helps maintain departmental collection and its files, including specimen preparation, updating and organization of current collection, and accessioning of new specimens
• Performs curatorial duties such as processing loans & exchange
• Assists in overseeing departmental digitization activities; must become familiar with specimen database, operating digital camera equipment and image processing software
• Trains and supervises all department volunteers and interns 
• Performs literature review and archival research to answer inquiries or in the performance of routine curation of collections
• Provides taxonomic identifications consistent with education and training or experience appropriate to this position
• Assists in maintaining the quality of information in the database
• Assists visitors, students or scientists in the use of the collections; leads departmental tours and occasional public demonstrations for Academy members and visitors
• May assist Curators in research activities, which may include fieldwork, labwork, literature review and/or other research-related activities
• Serves as acting collection manager in the Collection Manager’s absence, responsible for all day-to-day collections activities and decision making
• Serves on Academy-wide committees, or as a liaison for the Collections Manager on standing committees
• May contribute to the building of exchange material by participating in field collection efforts
• Encouraged to participate in or present talks at professional scientific meetings
• May perform heavy lifting
• Follows all Academy safety regulations 
• Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications: A successful candidate will have the following:

• Bachelor's degree in Botany or