Assistant Collections Manager

State of South Carolina; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

The South Carolina State Museum is seeking an Assistant Collections Manager for Natural History to help care and inventory the collection, assist with rehousing, and support the Curator with field collection work.

You will input data into the CMS, create catalog records, and contribute to digitization efforts (3D scanning or photography). A collaborative, detail-oriented candidate is essential for this role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in vertebrate zoology, skeletal anatomy, or paleontology.
• 2-3 years of experience with standard collections management practices.
• Excellent verbal and written communication; proficient with word processing and spreadsheets.
• Experience with collections management software (EMu preferred).
• Proficiency in museum best practices (collections database management).
• Knowledge in paleontological or biological sciences.
• Ability to meet deadlines with attention to detail and proofreading text.
• Experience with specimen preparation.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team.

Responsibilities

• Assist with physical inventory of the collection and data entry into the CMS.
• Assist with identifying/ accessing collections for exhibition, loans, photography, or research.
• Answer research inquiries about the Natural History collection.
• Locate specimens and assist with packing for loan requests.
• Assist with storage improvements and rehousing to align with standards.
• Participate in routine monitoring of storage for safe environment and humidity/temperature.
• Create catalog records for specimens and label acquisitions.
• Assist with digitization of the collection (3D scanning or photography).
• Assist with offsite field collections as requested.
• Participate in monthly department cleaning and donor tours/outreach.

Skills

Vertebrate zoology

Communication

Microsoft Excel

Research inquiries

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in vertebrate zoology/skeletal anatomy/paleontology

Tools

EMu

Job description

Are you looking to be part of an innovative team of professionals dedicated to telling South Carolina's diverse stories? As the storytellers of South Carolina, the South Carolina State Museum (SCSM) strives to share the rich natural and cultural diversity of the state through its permanent collections, programs, and exhibitions. The SCSM is the largest museum in South Carolina, stewarding over 1.1 million objects and specimens and welcoming 5 million+ visitors over its 37-year history. The museum has embarked on a renovation of 150,000 square feet of its exhibition, programmatic and collection storage spaces occupying four floors of a historic 1890s textile mill on the National Register of Historic Places. Come be a part of our team “reimagining” what the South Carolina State Museum can be for our next generation of visitors, students, and scholars.

The South Carolina State Museum seeks a detail-oriented individual to help manage the physical care of the Natural History collections which tell the fossil and biological stories of South Carolina. Reporting to the Collections Manager, the Assistant Collections Manager for Natural History will work to implement the care of the collection as defined by the Collections Manager. This includes assisting with inventory of the collection, rehousing of specimens, and basic specimen prep. This position will assist the Curator of Natural History with periodic field collection of specimens and will assist with answering inquiries into the Natural History collection. They will assist the Registration staff with the processing of new Natural History acquisitions into the database and collection and will add records to the database on existing collections as needed.

Responsibilities and Duties:

• Assist with physical inventory of collection, entry of data into the CMS, and support planning for the re-organization of the collection.
• Assist staff with identifying and accessing collections for exhibition, loan, photography, or research purposes.
• Answer research inquiries regarding the Natural History collection.
• Locate specimens and assist Collections Manager with packing specimens for loan requests.
• Assist with storage improvements to the Natural History collection, including rehousing of existing specimens and incoming acquisitions to better align the collection with industry standards.
• Participate in routine monitoring of collections storage to help maintain a safe environment and ensure appropriate relative humidity and temperature levels. Assist Collections Manager with integrated pest management procedures as needed.
• Create catalog records for new and existing specimens. Label acquisitions and place new specimens into storage.
• Assist Collections Management with creating standardized procedures for processing the Natural History Collection.
• Assist staff with digitization of collection through either 3D scanning or photography.
• Assist with basic prep of specimens as requested by the Curator of Natural History, including the creation of consolidates and creating support cradles for storage and transport.
• Assist with offsite field collections of specimens as requested by the Curator of Natural History.
• Participate in monthly departmental cleaning of the museum.
• Assist with object transportation and exhibition installs.
• Participate in all Foundation and Museum donor tours, fundraising, and outreach as necessary.
• Works cross-disciplinarily in a team atmosphere to achieve the museum’s strategic goals.
• All other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a focus on vertebrate zoology, skeletal anatomy, or paleontology
• 2-3 years of experience working with standard collections management practices, including object handling
• Excellent verbal & written communication skills; proficient with word processing, spreadsheets (i.e., Excel)
• Experience with collections management software (EMu preferred)
• Proficiency in museum best practices (i.e., collections database management);
• Demonstrated working knowledge in one or more areas of paleontological or biological sciences
• Able to manage and meet deadlines with a strong attention to detail and ability to edit and proofread text without use of spellcheck
• Experience with specimen preparation
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment

Work Environment and Essential Functions

• Have a valid driver's license and be willing to drive vans and box trucks.
• Ability to lift 50 lbs and climb on ladders, lifts, and scaffolding with cleaning equipment

• Ability to handle collections safely and securely, including manual dexterity and ability to operate pallet jacks and other low-impact equipment for moving objects and manual dexterity to handle small & fragile specimen
• Ability to bend, stoop, lift fossils in outdoor natural environments

• Comfortable working in tight, dusty, and dirty spaces, and with potentially hazardous materials such as taxidermy and chemicals using provided PPE and training
• Comfortable communicating with lenders, donors, and the public about the functions of collections management, as well as working on specimen prep in a public lab setting

• Master's Degree in museum studies, vertebrate zoology, skeletal anatomy, or paleontology;
• Experience working in biodiversity collections management, preferably paleontology;
• Intermediate experience with fossil identification and description