Collections Technician

The University of New Mexico • Albuquerque, NM

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Collections Technician will work with the curatorial staff of the Museum of Southwestern Biology Division of Parasites to curate and database historical mollusc specimens from the New Mexico Aquatic Invertebrate Reference Collection. The collection includes dry mollusc shells and fluid-preserved whole molluscs. The position is paid at $15 per hour for up to 120 hours total from the time of hire through June 1, 2027, with the possibility of renewal.

Nice To Haves

• Proficiency operating a stereo microscope.
• Ability to work safely with ethanol, formalin, and other preservative reagents.
• Experience uploading data to the Arctos collaborative collection management platform, or willingness to learn.
• Experience with Microsoft Excel.
• Excellent note-taking abilities.
• Strong work ethic and ability to work independently with oversight.
• Proficiency in written and oral communication, including scientific writing.

Responsibilities

• Sort specimens by relevant metadata, including taxon, sampling locality, and sampling year.
• Move specimens into individual jars or archival boxes based on taxon.
• Connect specimens to data from historical field notes.
• Perform standard specimen curation, including replacing or refilling preservative reagents, changing broken or worn jar lids, and creating labels as needed.
• Use mollusc identification resources to update species identifications and higher classifications where appropriate.
• Barcode individual specimen lots and use the Arctos collaborative collection management platform to associate barcodes with specimen metadata, field notes, and updated identifications in the online database.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed