Collections Specialist II, Herbarium Specimen Digitization Project

About the California Academy of Sciences:
The California Academy of Sciences is a globally renowned scientific and cultural institution located in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Our mission is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. Our extensive collections span plants, animals, fossils, and cultural artifacts from across the globe and throughout history. We are a diverse team of biodiversity scientists, educators, storytellers, designers, and communicators who work collaboratively to advance knowledge and inspire action through science and storytelling.

When you join the California Academy of Sciences, you become part of a mission-driven community that values curiosity, collaboration, and innovation.

About the Opportunity

As part of the biodiversity science efforts embedded within the Thriving California Initiative, the California Herbarium Specimen Digitization Project will make hundreds of thousands of specimens from the California Academy of Sciences (CAS) herbarium collections available online. This project combines high-throughput specimen imaging using conveyor belt technology to image California herbarium specimens housed cimen images and associated data records will be uploaded to a community science platform for transcription and georeferencing of label data.

Fully transcribed and georeferenced records will then be imported into the CAS collections database and linked to their corresponding images. Results will democratize CAS museum collections, providing equitable access to these specimens for botanists, scientists, and the general public worldwide.

Reporting to the Botany Curator, the California Herbarium Specimen Digitization Project Curatorial Assistant II will primarily assist in transitioning the collection from partially imaged to fully imaged, and contribute to reorganization of the collection. The Project Curatorial Assistant II will perform rearrangement, sorting, and separation of specimens into a new, updated schema. This role will help develop and implement workflows to ensure high-quality specimen organization and data flow efficiency, coordinating with the Botany Curator and Collection Manager to meet collection goals and with other staff to maximize quality control and data flow.

Organizational Culture

Join a team dedicated to the Academy’s mission, vision, and values. The Academy’s new strategic initiatives include Hope for Reefs, Thriving California, and Islands 2030, which leverage biodiversity science and environmental learning to regenerate fragile ecosystems worldwide. Learn more at https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). The Academy encourages applicants who bring diverse backgrounds and experiences. This position is based in San Francisco, California.

The onsite/hybrid schedule and status are listed below. This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by Cal Academy Workers United and is subject to the terms of that contract.

• Work with the Botany Curator and Collection Manager to identify the special needs and requirements for reorganizing and rearranging the collection
• Work with the Collection Manager and other Curatorial Assistants to identify the best approach to associated project tasks
• Develop, test, implement, and modify workflows that achieve project-specific specimen organization
• Follow all Academy safety regulations
• Other duties as assigned

A successful candidate will have the following:

• Undergraduate degree required
• Experience with biological collections required (botanical preferred)
• Knowledge of taxonomy and use/implementation of biological classification (botanical preferred)
• Experience and/or past participation in large-scale projects requiring detailed preparation

Skills and abilities:

• Excellent organizational and time-management skills
• Ability to execute work independently and with great attention to detail
• Ability to take direction, work as part of a team or collaborate with external partners to accomplish mutual goals
• Ability to work efficiently and communicate with staff, cross-functional teams, and external partners from diverse backgrounds
• Ability to bring new ideas and create inventive solutions to transform manual or detailed processes

English is the primary language necessary for this job, written and spoken; bilingual (spoken and/or written) in Spanish or another non-English language is a plus, but not necessary.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. The role requires standing, sitting, using a computer, and communicating via phone and meetings. Repetitive motions may be required up to 30% of the time.

The salary range for this position is $33.16 per hour. Actual compensation will be commensurate with the final candidate’s…