Student Collections Assistant, Zoology

The Canadian Museum Of Nature; Outaouais; Hybrid; CAD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

The Canadian Museum of Nature in Gatineau, QC, invites female students in STEM to a four-month, full-time placement in natural history collections management and research. You will learn research processes, organize and document specimens, and support digitization and data handling under CMN supervision.

The program emphasizes diversity and inclusion, with a fixed schedule Monday to Friday during standard hours. Applicants must be enrolled in a STEM program and return to studies in Fall 2027.

Qualifications

• Enrolled in a university undergraduate or graduate STEM program in biology or a related field.
• Registered to return to full-time studies in Fall 2027.
• Self-declare as female/woman and complete required self-identification.
• Ability to speak and write in English or French.

Responsibilities

• Learn about research processes and best practices for collection organization and documentation.
• Inventory, organize, label, and prepare collection specimens as needed.
• Participate in collection development and care, connecting the collection with researchers and educators.
• Digitize specimens with specialized imaging systems and manage image data according to procedures.

Skills

English or French communication

Education

STEM program (biology or related)

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Selection process number: 2090-CMN-26-OC-058 16 weeks, January to April 2027 Full-time - 37.5 hours per week 1 position

Work Location

Canada Museum of Nature, 1740 Pink Road, Gatineau

Selection process number: 2090-CMN-26-OC-058

The natural history collections at the Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN) comprise millions of plant and animal specimens emphasizing Canadian wild species. This includes many historical and significant specimens from all provinces and territories. The Museum serves the research and education needs of a broad community by building, preserving, upgrading, and facilitating access to the collection, providing staff with exciting opportunities to play a role in current natural history research and collection management.

The CMN has received funding from the Leacross Foundation to provide one student in STEM (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) who identify as female, opportunities to obtain high-quality professional experiences in natural history collections management and collection-based research. As part of the Museum’s scientific training program, these students will advance specific projects while working alongside colleagues, at all career stages, who are engaged in diverse nature research and who help build, preserve and share natural science collections. These four-month placements offer great potential to fuel curiosity and to provide insights into biodiversity-related careers. They also present unique chances to experience a multi-faceted national museum ‘from the inside’, and to interact with its broader community of partners and guests. Under the supervision of experienced CMN staff, the successful candidates will acquire knowledge and skills transferable to many other natural history projects.

The student in this role will be:

• Learn about various aspects of the research process and of best practices for collection organization, preservation and documentation;
• Inventory/organize, prepare, and/or label collection specimens;
• Participate in collection development (i.e., acquisitions) and care, and help to connect the collection with various research and education communities;
• Digitize specimens using specialized imaging systems, and manage image files and data according to established procedures

Your place at the Museum

We value diversity and believe we benefit from working in a place where everyone feels included and where the unique qualities and strengths inherent in a diverse workforce are combined. We welcome applications from persons who may identify as a member of one or more other equity seeking groups (for e.g. visible minorities, disabled, 2SLGBTQIA+, religious or cultural minority).

You have a place at the Museum!

Don’t forget to self-declare

This recruitment process is open only to female/women students. It is therefore important that you identify yourself as a woman in your cover letter and in the "Self-Declaration for Employment Equity Groups Members" section when applying for this recruitment process via our career page, as mentioned below, so that your application can be considered.

In addition, if your application is successful, you will be asked to complete the self-identification form during this recruitment process in order to be eligible for a job offer.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Candidates must meet the following basic requirements:

• Enrolled in a university undergraduate or graduate STEM program in biology or a related field.
• Registered to return to their full-time studies in the Fall 2027;
• Self-declare as a female/women AND complete the Self-Identification section when applying;
• Ability to speak and write in English or French is essential.
• Computer fluency and experience with Microsoft Excel;
• Basic understanding of taxonomic classification and naming conventions for plant and animal species;
• Ability to read and comprehend information on specimen labels, and apply it to basic tasks;
• Ability to apply fine motor skills and manual dexterity when handling, inspecting, documenting and transporting collection objects;
• Ability to exercise focused attention to detail in order to maintain necessary high standards for accuracy and organization in all tasks;
• Ability to listen effectively, respect established procedures and standards, and faithfully follow instructions;
• Ability to communicate effectively in order to ask and answer questions regarding the methods and progress of assigned tasks;
• Ability to maintain self-motivation in a variety of team and independent task scenarios;

The following are considered significant assets:

• Having or working towards a diploma in museum studies.
• Academic or practical experience with Botany and/or zoology and/or collection management

Please note that this is a full-time position, during weekday hours only.

SALARY: Rates of pay are determined at the initial appointment or reappointment stage and are based on the incumbent’s current academic level as per the museum’s terms and conditions of employment for students . The official working period is from Monday to Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 14:00 p.m.

NOTE: Canadian citizenship is not required, however individuals must be legally entitled to work in Canada. The Canadian Museum of Nature is committed to developing inclusive, barrier-free selection processes and work environments. If contacted in relation to a job opportunity or testing, please advise the Human Resources Advisor in a timely fashion of the accommodation measures which must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.

For more information regarding the position, please contact: Jean-Marc Gagnon, Curator and Chief Scientist, Zoology ([e-mail])