Museum Preparator

Full job description

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years of college in studio arts and/or natural sciences; or a combination of education and relevant field or museum experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of botanical museum principles, practices, and procedures.
• Evidence of leadership, sound reasoning, analytical thought, attention to detail, creativity, high levels of organization, and innovation in solving problems.
• Proficiency with computer software and database management, as well as the ability to learn new programs, as needed.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

The primary purpose of this position is to serve as an assistant to the herbarium director in the Olga Lakela Herbarium (DUL) at the University of Minnesota Duluth. The herbarium develops and maintains collections explicitly for use in research and education, benefiting society and the university at large. The scientific role of the herbarium is to train students and to engage in systematic biology and biodiversity studies.


Job Duties

• Contribute to specimen curation, record keeping, and monitoring of loans in/out of DUL.
• Contribute to training, scheduling, and supervising members of the public as herbarium volunteers and undergraduate student curation technicians to carry out tasks such as mounting, filing, updating the specimen database, and georeferencing specimens.
• Incorporate digital specimen data into the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas online database.
• Assist in responding to inquiries from members of the university community, visiting scientific researchers, governmental and consulting agencies, and members of the public.
• Assist with the preparation of funding/grant proposals related to herbarium infrastructure, personnel, and specimen-based research, including but not limited to: data mining, leveraging digital infrastructure for scientific studies of the northland flora, and building inter- and intra-institutional collaborations related to innovation, conservation, and museum collections.

Physical/Environmental Demands: Specific physical requirements or environmental exposures includes exposure to hazardous materials (mercuric chloride contaminated specimens); some lifting of specimens and boxes is required (usually less than 30 lbs).

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail or call .

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U:

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMD)

The University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMD) consistently ranks among the top Midwestern, regional universities in U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges" issue.

Overlooking Lake Superior, UMD provides an alternative to both large research and small liberal arts environments and attracts students looking for a personalized learning experience on a medium-sized campus of a major university. A firm liberal arts foundation anchors a variety of traditional degree programs, as well as professional and graduate students that draw on UMD's many research institutes and labs.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America’s Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).