Position title:  Collections Manager

Reports to:  Curator of Biology

Department:  Biology

Date:  September 1, 2007

Organization Description:
The Chicago Academy of Sciences was founded in 1857 as Chicago's first
science museum.  In 1999, the Academy opened the Peggy Notebaert Nature
Museum in Lincoln Park.  It has welcomed more than 1,000,000 visitors and is
a unique venue for the public, especially urban dwellers, to find new ways
to reconnect with the natural world. The Museum provides award-winning
exhibits and programs to 65,000 students annually and trains and provides
resources for more than 2,000 Chicago teachers. The Nature Museum is one of
the city's best examples of eco-friendly building technology, including a
green roof, solar panels, natural light sources and native landscaping. The
Academy and its Museum are engaged in important conservation and research
work, such as its Butterfly Restoration Project.

Summary of Position:
The Chicago Academy of Sciences, Notebaert Nature Museum seeks an
independently motivated person to work full-time to document, curate,
rehouse, and pursue funding for  the institution’s historically important
collections of natural history specimens and related ephemera.  The
Collections Manager oversees all aspects of collections care and use, with
assistance from staff specialists and a corps of volunteers and interns.

The Academy's collections include herpetology, ornithology, oology, botany,
mammalogy, malacology, entomology, paleontology, mineralogy, anthropology,
archives, photographs, library, historic scientific instruments, and animal
mounts.  The collections include specimens collected as early as 1857 but
are composed primarily of specimens collected from the late 1800's to the
mid 1900's by scientists including Robert Kennicott, Frank C. Baker, and
Howard Gloyd.  The archives and library cover a similar period and include
many significant documents.  The majority of work takes place at two
off-site collections storage facilities where the collections are stored.




Principle Duties and Responsibilities:
·	Collaborate with staff scientists and manage volunteers and interns to
carry
out curatorial work in the collections.
·	Update and implement collections management policies.
·	Implement the goals described in the Collections Management Assessment and
Emergency Management Assessment.
·	Inventory and electronically catalog all holdings and make the catalog
available on the World Wide Web.
·	Play a major role in the planning and execution of a major rehousing
effort that will include both new cabinetry and a new storage facility.
·	Participate in the search for upgraded storage facilities.
·	Promote the collections to the public and the institution through tours,
media interviews, and temporary exhibits.
·	Collaborate with the Development Department to prepare grant applications
for support of collections projects.
·	Coordinate with the Facilities Department to ensure adherence to IPM
standards.
·	Make the archival collections available for use by researchers.

Qualifications:
·	Five years experience in the museum sciences.
·	Demonstrated skill in registrarial techniques including record
digitization and databasing software.
·	Strong understanding and experience in collections housing and care
requirements.
·	Experience in rehousing and relocating collections.
·	Demonstrated ability to communicate with a wide range of audiences through
both oral and written communications.
·	Ability to manage volunteers, interns, and staff.
·	Ability to work independently in an offsite location
·	Ability to work within 32-inch aisles and lift 50 pounds.
·	Valid driver's license.
·	Preference will be given to individuals with experience in collections
relocation, registration, archival research and natural history.

Salary Range:  Competitive based on experience and qualifications.

Please forward resume, cover letter, and three letters of recommendation to:

Steve Sullivan, Collections Manager
Chicago Academy of Sciences, Notebaert Nature Museum
2430 North Cannon Drive
Chicago, IL 60614

Or email:  [log in to unmask]

No phone calls, please.

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