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Digitization Project Manager

Temporary Full-Time Professional

Los Angeles, CA, US

Requisition ID: 1348

Salary Range: $65,000.00 To $70,000.00 Annually

Digitization Project Manager

The Natural History Museum of LA County (NHMLA) seeks a Project Manager for the NSF-funded

Thematic Collections Network grant: Documenting Marine Biodiversity Through Digitization of

Invertebrate Collections (DigIn). The aim of this project is to digitize, aggregate, and make accessible

online specimen metadata for 835,000 lots, representing 7.5 million marine invertebrates at nineteen U.S.

research museums. Together this vast diversity of specimens will provide an essential guide to the

diversity of ocean life across the globe.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County values and endeavors to support diversity, equity,

inclusion, and access within its organization and communities. Candidates who identify as Black,

Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC), neurodiverse, a woman, a person with a disability, a veteran,

and/or a part of the LGBTQAI+ community are welcome and encouraged to apply.

NHMLA is especially interested in candidates whose background and experience have prepared them to

contribute to our commitment to engage and include culturally diverse audiences in museums and in

science.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Works directly with the network of museum researchers from 19 collaborating institutions to

provide or find assistance to catalog, digitize, aggregate, and make accessible specimen

information and resources for marine invertebrate specimens housed at each institution, including

technical support and training.

• Coordinates the development and implementation of online portal (InvertEBase) for specimen

data aggregation and data repatriation between institutions and digitization endpoints (e.g.

Symbiota, Notes from Nature, GEOLocate) and publishing to data aggregators (e.g. iDigBio,

GBIF).

• Maintains collective resources for the project, and communicates regularly across all institutions

to maintain project progress, including progress tracking.

• Identifies and coordinates contracted project-wide personnel, including those working on

technical aspects such as georeferencing.

• Serves as project liaison to iDigBio and coordinates communication with national and

international biodiversity informatics initiatives, including Global Biodiversity Information

Facility (GBIF), Catalog of Life, World Register of Marine Species, and others as appropriate,

and in collaboration with content providers at the participating institutions, coordinates outreach

efforts including social media, exhibits, and educational outreach programs, and maintains the

project website.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Knowledge of biodiversity informatics, digital resource management, and georeferencing in natural

history museums, equivalent to 3 years professional experience, gained through any combination

of work history and graduate-level training.

• Familiarity and working knowledge of methods and tools for designing and managing database

systems, data processing, and data refinement (e.g., SQL, R, Python, OpenRefine); experience

working with standard natural history specimen database systems (e.g., Specify, Axiell EMu,

Symbiota, Arctos) preferred.

• Knowledge of geospatial information systems (QGIS, PostGIS etc.) and the CoGe collaborative

georeferencing platform preferred familiarity with established best practices in georeferencing

helpful.

• Experience with web development standards and tools, including HTML, CSS & JavaScript.

• Extensive knowledge and experience in biodiversity data science, standards (Darwin Core,

Audubon Core, etc), digitization best practices, specimen imaging, image processing and

submission, access and use of SQL databases, comprehensive management and quality control for

images, occurrence data, workflows, interfaces, and publishing occurrence data.

• Highly motivated, well-organized, and creative independent problem-solver with experience

in project management, budgeting, and coordination.

• Successful track record of providing leadership and training, able to implement effective changes

to achieve program goals; experience supervising staff, volunteers, or students preferred.

• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written. Must be outgoing and personable with the

ability to interact effectively with and inspire museum staff, project researchers, and the public.

Applicants and employees are invited to identify reasonable accommodations that can be made to assist

them to perform the essential functions of the position they seek or occupy. The incumbent must be able

to perform this job safely, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health or

safety of him/herself or others.

This is a full-time temporary position with a salary range of $65,000 to $70,000 with excellent

benefits. The job will start as soon as possible, preferably in Summer or early Fall 2021. This is a grant funded

position expected to last four years.

The application deadline is July 20, 2021. Submit a current CV, a cover letter describing how your

experience, knowledge, and interest qualify you for this position, and the names and contact information

of three professional references through the Museum’s employment site at https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=2fc0a355-012e-4bef-9c85-724ae074a06a&ccId=19000101_000001&jobId=415722

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Please, no

phone calls and no faxes.