The Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB) invites applications for a Science Museum Collection Manager 2 for the Division of Genomic Resources (DGR), a full-time, 12-month staff position at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. The ideal candidate will bring a natural history museum background, the technical expertise to manage a cryo-collection, and will welcome opportunities for mentoring, outreach, and collections growth at a research-intensive (Carnegie R1) academic institution.
Founded in 1979, DGR is one of the oldest and largest natural history museum frozen tissue collections in the world. Its approximately 700,000 cryovials constitute a frozen time capsule of Earth's biological heritage — a continuously growing archive of vouchered genetic material drawn from across the Tree of Life. Mammal tissues account for roughly 90% of the collection, with exceptional holdings from western North America, Beringia and East Asia, and Latin America, alongside significant representation of birds, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, and plants.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Expertise in the principles and practices of biological collections management is mandatory. The successful candidate should demonstrate:
-
Comprehensive knowledge of best practices in natural history collections management, encompassing the full lifecycle of holistic specimens — from permitting, field acquisition, and preparation through cataloging, preservation, and long-term archival stewardship; demonstrated experience managing and linking associated specimen materials across physically or institutionally distributed collections
-
Familiarity with molecular biology and genomic methods, including DNA/RNA extraction, preservation, and quality assessment, and awareness of the growing range of scientific applications of frozen biological collections (e.g., pathogen surveillance, environmental contaminant research, conservation genomics, isotopic ecology)
-
Proficiency in Arctos (https://arctosdb.org), or a clear commitment to developing it; ability to manage and link specimen parts via object tracking across multiple collections and institutions within this system; willingness to engage with the broader Arctos community and contribute to its ongoing development
-
Ability to work collaboratively with Collection Managers across all MSB divisions and to coordinate effectively with university facilities management, contractors, and institutional administration on behalf of the collections
-
Aptitude for identifying and cultivating new collection development opportunities, including partnerships with research programs, long-term ecological monitoring networks, conservation organizations, state and federal agencies, and other institutions
-
Experience with biodiversity data aggregators (e.g., iDigBio, GBIF, VertNet) and familiarity with data standards for specimen and tissue records
-
Ability to develop and implement emergency response protocols for personnel and collection safety; strong organizational, interpersonal, and supervisory skills, including the ability to train and direct student and staff workers and communicate effectively with a diverse range of constituencies
-
Skill in budget preparation, fiscal management, and grant administration, including tracking facility maintenance expenditures and preparing grant reports
Duties and Responsibilities
-
Manages all aspects of DGR collections care by following and implementing accepted museum and biorepository standards for permitting, acquiring, processing, and cataloging incoming material and associated documentation, data entry, database management, maintenance of systematic order, and routine conservation; develops strategies to upgrade the physical condition of the collection and increase efficiency.
-
Manages the full tissue loan workflow — from subsample selection through preparation, documentation, packaging, and domestic and international shipment; ensures all transactions are accurately recorded in Arctos and that applicable institutional, legal, and biosafety requirements are met for each shipment; tracks the scientific outcomes of loaned material, including monitoring resulting publications and linking loaned samples to associated papers and GenBank accessions in Arctos.
-
Maintains and actively manages DGR specimen and sample records in Arctos, the MSB’s shared collections management system; ensures that tissue samples and other genomic materials are accurately linked to holistic voucher specimens held in other MSB divisions; collaborates with Collection Managers across MSB divisions to resolve data discrepancies, support cross-collection queries, and advance shared informatics goals.
-
In collaboration with the Curator, proactively identifies and pursues new opportunities to grow the DGR collection, including partnerships with field researchers, long-term ecological research programs, conservation organizations, government agencies, and other institutions seeking to archive frozen biological material.
-
Fosters and supports the expanding scientific use of the DGR collection across research disciplines, including but not limited to biodiversity systematics, pathogen surveillance and discovery, environmental contaminant research, conservation genomics, and host-parasite dynamics; serves as a knowledgeable point of contact for researchers exploring new applications of the collection.
-
Serves as the primary facilities steward for the DGR cryogenic infrastructure, including day-to-day operational oversight of liquid nitrogen (LN2) storage systems, ultra-low temperature freezers, chilled water systems, and associated mechanical infrastructure; monitors system performance and responds promptly to equipment malfunctions or emergencies (including after hours); coordinates with UNM Facilities Management, contractors, and MSB administration to ensure proper maintenance and repair.
-
Develops, documents, and regularly reviews emergency response protocols for the cryogenic facility, including procedures for power outages, system failures, fire suppression concerns, and loss of building utilities; ensures that MSB staff, university administration, and relevant contacts are informed of protocols and emergency communication pathways.
-
Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of database applications and participates in long-term planning for divisional and museum-wide data management protocols; manages and contributes to the publication of DGR data to national and international biodiversity aggregators.
-
Establishes work priorities and directs staffing to accomplish DGR goals; recruits, trains, and supervises graduate and undergraduate curatorial assistants, volunteers, and technicians as part of their professional development.
-
Maintains professional relationships with the scientific and museum professional community, representing the DGR collections at relevant conferences and through participation in professional societies and working groups.
-
In collaboration with the curator, develops and manages the annual budget, purchases materials and supplies, and manages contracts and grants; maintains records on collection use and growth, and co-writes the divisional annual report.
-
Conducts public outreach and participates in educational events; works with state, federal, and international agencies and the New Mexico community on issues related to biodiversity research and conservation.
-
Engages in research-related activities such as editing publications, organizing workshops, supporting collections-based research, and co-authoring scholarly publications and reports
See the Position Description for additional information.
