Geoscience Specimen Collections Assistant

Stanford University; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 67,000 - 82,000; Full time

Job summary

Stanford University’s Geoscience Specimen Collections is seeking a full-time Collections Assistant 3 to manage and preserve extensive rock, mineral, fossil, and other geological specimens. You will inventory holdings, catalog specimens, georeference data, and assist with metadata cleanup and imaging to support research, teaching, and outreach.

The role is based on Stanford's main campus with on-site work Monday through Friday; some days may occur at off-site facilities in Palo Alto.

Qualifications

• Two-year college degree plus 3+ years of experience in a natural history collection or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ability to read handwritten script.
• Experience with collections databases and/or inventory management systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide reference and research assistance.
• Compile detailed inventories of specimen collections.
• Draft reports for supervisor.
• Create simple metadata elements across reformatting workflows for physical specimens.
• May supervise lower-level staff.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Word processing

Spreadsheet skills

Attention to detail

Independent work

Team collaboration

Leadership

Judgment and initiative

Read handwriting

Education

Two-year college degree

Tools

Specify database

Inventory management systems

Job description

This is a 2-year fixed-term position and is posted at the Collections Assistant 3 level. Work will be conducted on-site in Stanford, California.

Stanford Libraries and the Doerr School of Sustainability Geoscience Specimen Collection are seeking a full-time Geoscience Specimen Collections Assistant to perform a variety of tasks and functions in support of the long-term preservation, enhancement, and access to a significant collection of rock, mineral, fossil, and other geological specimens housed in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability (SDSS). The Libraries' values are rooted in a commitment to mutual respect, the idea that every member of the staff has something to contribute, and that learning is constant.

About the Geoscience Specimen Collections

The Geoscience Specimen Collections are global in scope and include a wide variety of rock, mineral, fossil, soil, water, and other geological samples, and associated field notes, maps, publications, and metadata. Dating to the founding of the University, the collections have grown through the research of Stanford’s faculty, students, and staff. Today, they are housed within the Doerr School of Sustainability, where they serve as invaluable research and teaching infrastructure in support of the school’s mission to generate knowledge, innovate, and drive impact for a sustainable future.

About Stanford Libraries

Stanford Libraries is a network of over 15 libraries with over 400 employees. We are committed to fueling teaching, learning, and research across Stanford by acquiring, stewarding, and making available a robust collection, currently in excess of 12 million items. Everyone in the organization plays a vital role in fulfilling that objective. Our dedication to discoverability and information management also has us engaged in dynamic global partnerships. We are constantly building and strengthening our organization, and we recognize that striving for excellence is a marathon and not a sprint. We are constantly trying to strike the right pace and admit there are times when we find ourselves at a fast jog. While we hope to always find candidates who fit within our organization, what we truly seek is someone who will add to our culture, our profession, as well as the greater academic arena. We are invested in the success of our teams and the individuals who represent Stanford Libraries.

About the position

The Specimen Collections Assistant will work with collections staff, faculty, and students to manage, preserve, and relocate the SDSS Geoscience Specimen Collections. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, contributing to a comprehensive inventory of collection holdings, cataloging specimens and entering data into the collections database, georeferencing locality information, identifying specimens in need of conservation, and rehousing, packing, and moving specimens to a new storage facility. The assistant may also help with metadata cleaning, specimen imaging, workflow development, and providing collections access for research, teaching, and outreach. We value a collaborative, inclusive team. The assistant will help maintain a respectful workplace and work effectively with colleagues of varied roles and experience levels.

This two-year term position, with possible extension, is based at Stanford's main campus. Work is on-site Monday through Friday during standard business hours unless arranged otherwise in advance. Two or more days per week may be spent at our off-site collections facility in Palo Alto, California.

Core duties under minimal supervision at the Collections Assistant 3:

• Provide reference and research assistance
• Compile detailed inventories of specimen collections
• Draft reports for supervisor
• Perform a wide range of activities, including creation of simple metadata elements, throughout a variety of reformatting workflows for physical specimen/sample materials
• May assist with supervision of lower-level staff

Qualifications:

Minimum Requirements

Education and Experience:

Two-year college degree plus three or more years of experience working in a natural history collection or sample repository, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated experience with word processing and spreadsheet software applications
• Demonstrated ability to perform repetitive, detailed tasks accurately and efficiently
• Ability to read handwritten script
• Ability to understand and communicate collections policies and procedures
• Ability to apply judgment in choosing procedures and evaluating alternatives
• Ability to learn collections procedures
• Ability to work independently and as part of a small group
• Demonstrated experience with collections databases and/or inventory management systems
• Demonstrated leadership skills
• Demonstrated experience using judgment and initiative to analyze and recommend new procedures

Physical Requirements:

• Subject matter knowledge equivalent to two or three courses within a relevant subject area
• Ability to understand and communicate collections policies and procedures
• Demonstrated experience with database platforms or complex information management systems (e.g., Specify), or demonstrated capacity to learn them
• Demonstrated ability to supervise student assistants or lower-level staff
• Demonstrated experience using judgment and initiative to analyze and recommend new procedures
• Ability to maneuver carts loaded up to 650 pounds (requiring initial push force up to 70 pounds), and routinely lift individual specimens weighing up to 30 pounds without assistance.
• Ability to bend, kneel, reach overhead, climb step ladders, and remain standing for extended durations.
• Ability to work in confined or dusty areas and handle specimens containing naturally occurring hazardous materials.

Working Conditions:

May work in confined spaces and at heights of 4-10 feet; be exposed to dust, mold, radioactive minerals, and other non-biological hazards. Expected to follow all safety requirements and procedures, including wearing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) if required.

Work Standards:

• Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.
• Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.
• Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University’s Administrative Guide, http://adminguide.stanford.edu.

Approved budgeted amount up to $74,200.00 per annum.