Research Zoologist (Curator of Vertebrates)
What you'd do
The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is a major bureau of the Smithsonian Institution that is responsible for the acquisition, curation, and preservation of collections of objects and specimens of natural history, which tells the history of the planet and a record of human interaction with the environment and one another.
Major duties
The Research Zoologist will develop and expand an internationally recognized research program, making major contributions to the field of zoology through research, integrative scientific investigation, scholarly and public presentations, publications, and recognition within the scientific community. In this position you will: Initiate, develop, and participate in integrative scientific research, fieldwork, and collection growth and maintenance on Recent vertebrates (herpetology, ichthyology, and/or ornithology). Develop and curate portions of the National Collections in their own specialty area. This includes assuring proper documentation, identification, authenticity, and physical well-being of the collection. Serve as a consultant and expert advisor on professional matters in their area of expertise to colleagues, governmental agencies, other governments, institutions, foundations, organizations, and the general public. Achieve outreach via public lectures or publications, web sites, exhibit development, etc. Independently seek non-departmental funding from sources within and beyond the Smithsonian.
What you need to qualify
Basic Qualifications Individual Occupational Requirements 1. Degree: zoology; or a related discipline or field of science that included at least 20 semester hours in zoology and related sciences. or 2. Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in zoology, or in a related discipline that included at least 20 semester hours in zoology, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Graduate Education: To be qualifying, graduate study must have been in one of the major fields of zoology, or have followed a curriculum or pattern of training that placed major emphasis on one of these disciplines or subject-matter fields, such as nematology or parasitology. Graduate study in related fields of science such as microbiology, medicine, veterinary medicine, or plant pathology that involved cross-training in zoology or one of the fields of zoology may also be qualifying, provided there was a sufficient amount of emphasis on zoology. In addition to the basic qualification requirement above: Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as conducting natural history and scientific collections-based research in areas of systematic biology and Recent vertebrates (in the disciplines of herpetology, ichthyology, and/or ornithology), as evidenced by one or more peer-reviewed scientific publications in taxonomic specialization; and using collections for research or planning the maintenance of such collections. Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual experience. **To ensure that you receive proper consideration for this position, please upload the list of the Peer-Reviewed Publications required in the specialized experience statement under “Additional Documentation” within the Required Documents section of your application. Please secure your documentation before the closing date of this announcement. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week. Or Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a related field. Or a Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications. For a full explanation of this option please see the Qualification Standards. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above, it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study. For instructions on where to fax these documents, see the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
Before you apply
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