Project Coordinator, CCG Barcoding Program

About the Opportunity:
We have an exciting opportunity for a Program Associate Manager to support genomic research characterizing insect biodiversity in California as part of the Thriving California Initiative and a grant from the State of California to digitize insect collections. This five-year strategic initiative is a coordinated effort of scientific research, cross-sector collaboration, and widespread education and engagement focused on California biodiversity.

The Insecta DNA Barcoding Program Associate Manager will support our efforts to digitize and barcode every named species of insect in California. The Program Associate Manager will work as part of a large collaborative team and will coordinate across insect collections in the state of California and the Academy’s Center for Comparative Genomics with the goal of DNA barcoding 80,000 archival insect specimens in the next two years. 

In addition, the Program Associate Manager will lead the development of innovative pipelines to ensure the accurate production of quality DNA barcodes from specimens to public-facing databases, ensuring the capture of biodiversity data from natural history collections aimed at informing critical science, conservation, and decision-making. The successful applicant will be meticulous in their approach to handling and processing samples and data and have good all-round experience in handling samples for genetic analyses. This is a temporary full-time position with funding through June 2026.

 

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 one of the qualifications for the position.

This position is based in San Francisco, California. Staff are currently expected to work from the Academy offices at least 2-3 times per week, which may fluctuate based on business needs. Please do not apply if you are not able to work onsite. Candidates are required to have up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment, absent qualifying exemptions in accordance with applicable laws. Individuals receiving a conditional offer of employment from the California Academy of Sciences will be provided the full text of the vaccination policy.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are intrinsic to Academy culture and operations, from recruitment and retention to science and advocacy. Explore Our Commitment to Racial Equity to learn about our intentional engagement of traditionally excluded groups in an effort to spark interest in or foster pathways to scientific careers.

About the Thriving California/Entomology Team
Thriving California is a major new Academy initiative that will harness scientific data and mobilize diverse communities to fight climate change, stop biodiversity loss, and advocate for nature in the Golden State. Our Entomology department oversees one of the largest insect collections in the world, containing over 17 million specimens, many of which are from the State of California.

 

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a team of technicians, interns and volunteer based at the Academy to obtain COI barcodes from insect specimens in our collections via Nanopore amplicon sequencing.
• Coordinate sample submission and communicate with external partners, including funders, and collaborators.
• Oversee the planning, execution, and completion of genomic projects.
• Maintain project timelines, ensuring milestones are met.
• Monitor project budgets, ensuring efficient resource allocation.
• Prepare and present project status reports to stakeholders and collaborators.
• Prepare status report