Carnegie Museum of Natural History, one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, is among the top natural history museums in the country. It maintains, preserves, and interprets an extraordinary collection of artifacts, objects, and scientific specimens used to broaden understanding of evolution, conservation, and biodiversity. Carnegie Museum of Natural History generates new scientific knowledge, advances science literacy, and inspires visitors of all ages to become passionate about science, nature, and world cultures. Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh is interested in candidates who, through their experience and collaborations, will contribute to diversity and excellence of the Carnegie Museums community.

The Curatorial Assistant- Invertebrate Zoology is the primary person providing entomological specimen preparation and collection-related curatorial care services for the arthropod collection at CMNH in the Section of Invertebrate Zoology. Position involves all aspects of specimen handling including: storage, sorting, pinning, minuten mounting, papering, spreading, labeling, sorting to higher taxa (family-group taxa), transfer to and from the collection, and training of other assistants in the above tasks. Position requires specialized and extremely delicate technical preparations for purposes of research. Other major functions are to operate and sustain the integrated pest management protocols for Invertebrate Zoology by helping to coordinate and implement flash-freezing of the entire insect holdings of more than 30,000 drawers over a two-year cycle. Primary person for IZ to maintain basic supplies such as ethanol, glassware, and other storage equipment.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Performance to expected levels would require initial education represented by a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in job-related subjects, either entomology, biology, or museology.
• In lieu of a B.S. or equivalent degree, the applicant may have ten or more years’ experience with entomological collections as a practicing professional, with preference for activities involving entomological specimens and collection care.
• The position is encouraged to have membership in appropriate professional organizations involving collection care (e.g., Entomological Collection Network), specimen preparation, and/or scientific illustration.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Must have superior eye-hand coordination for performing meticulous tasks under the microscope for both preparation and microdissection, and a working knowledge of basic entomological principles and practices with special emphasis on techniques, procedures, best practices, and professional standards for specimen preparation, especially Lepidoptera and Coleoptera.
• Position must be able to work for prolonged periods of time at stereomicroscope for specimen preparation and other detailed tasks.
• Heavy emphasis on capacity for sustaining workload involving large, iterative tasks over lengthy periods of time with minimal supervision.
• As for all staff, expected to be self-critical in maintaining highest professional standards of workmanship while working independently.
• Position must have personal skills compatible with demonstrating and teaching so as to communicate finer nuances of specimen preparation, specimen renovation, and collection care to visitors, patrons, other staff, interns and work-study student assistants, and the general public.
• Position must be able to contribute to the regular public experiences that promote an active research collection in a museum that emphasizes excellence in public programming. In particular, there is need to explain and justify curatorial activities as having critical importance for sustaining the collection for research and human awareness.
• Position must be scientifically, artistically, and aesthetically expressive.
• This position, as one of three key positions maintaining one of the world’s largest Lepidoptera collections, should regularly contribute to the development of other Lepidoptera preparators, entomological technicians, and collection-based museum workers at Carnegie Museum and beyond.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• The physical demands of the position vary from sedentary during preparation, to moderate exertion when lifting, moving, and arranging drawers and other storage equipment during curation and pest-control freezing, or moving storage equipment for shipping and packaging.
• It is critical that the person in this position have excellent eyesight, equally strong optimotor capacity, and patience for detailed tasks for preparation, dissection, collecting, curation, and packing.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• The principal responsibility and essential function of this position is to provide world-class curatorial and specimen-related services to one of the world’s largest research collections of Lepidoptera and extends to the main collection in its entirety for pest-control measures.
• This involves all aspects of specimen-based actions for research purposes.... from field-pinning, papering, spreading, labeling, repair, renovation, dissection, special preparations for larvae, eggs, and pupae, and assistance with curation and incorporation of specimens into the collection.
• This position maintains the physical integrity and organization of CMNH’s largest ordinal collection of organisms to ensure its long-term preservation according to the scientific and educational objectives of the Section and the standards of the field.
• The position is involved with training and critiquing student, volunteer, and temporary preparators for tasks related to the collection, its curation, and programs.
• The position has modest and non-exclusive supervisory duties, mostly involving sub-curatorial employees as listed in direct reports above.
• The position maintains contact within the community of preparators and illustrators to ensure effective transmittal of appropriate information and to maintain the stature of the Section in preparation and curation-related activities.
• Time allocation is approximately 60% specimen related (preparation and related tasks, as well as some field-related collecting), 20% pest-control freezing, and 20% program support duties.
• All external activities should promote public welfare, foster education and awareness, and contribute to the common good.

This is a Union Position

The following PA Act 153 clearances, or proof of application of clearances, are required beginning employment and as a condition of continued employment: Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check FBI Fingerprint Criminal Background Check Obtaining the required clearances is completed as part of the new hire process.

Carnegie Museums is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action Employer – Minorities / Females / Veterans / Individuals with Disabilities / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity

The above job description reflects the essential functions and qualifications for the position identified, and shall not be construed as a detailed description of all the work requirements that may be inherent in the position. The job description does not constitute an employment contract and does not alter the at-will relationship between CMP and the employee.

• GUIDANCE ON ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) requires employers to consider and accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities. An individual is qualified if he or she can perform the essential functions of a job with or without reasonable accommodation. An essential job function is any task that is a fundamental part of the job. When considering essentiality, one must focus upon whether the function is essential to this particular job and not to the department as a whole. Some additional guidance on essential functions follows below. Please note that the following guidelines are non-exhaustive. If you have any questions or need additional guidance, please contact Human Resources. A. Is the function required to be performed on a regular basis? If the function is rarely performed, it may not be essential. B. Is the function highly specialized? Is the incumbent hired for his/her expertise or ability to perform the function? The need for special expertise is an indication of an essential function. C. Does the position exist, at least in part, to perform the function? If so, the function is more likely to be essential. D. How much time is spent performing the function and how often? Note that even functions performed 10% of the time could be essential if they are required on a regular basis. E. Would elimination of the function fundamentally alter the job? If so, the function is more likely to be essential. F. What are the consequences of not requiring the incumbent to perform the function? If they are significant, the function is more likely to be essential. G. Are there a limited number of employees among whom the performance of the function could be distributed if the incumbent could not perform it? If so, it is more likely to be essential.

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