Director, William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, New York Botanical Garden
Reporting directly to the Dean of Science, the Herbarium Director will oversee the activities of the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium. The Director will be a champion of herbaria and must be able to lead the Herbarium on a global stage as well as within NYBG.
Priorities and Responsibilities
The Director will be expected to:
- Build on the strong foundation of NYBG’s global profile by leading the Herbarium in strategic new directions, including novel applications for biodiversity data and innovative uses of the collections.
- Lead the continued growth and development of the Herbarium and its programs.
- Develop robust funding, drawing on the Director’s international perspective and collaborations.
- Create a culture of inclusive excellence that advocates for Herbarium staff.
- Employ best practices for the curation and management of the collections, including sustaining and advancing Herbarium staff skills to ensure that NYBG remains a leader in the botanical collections community.
- Manage budgets and coordinate production of annual reports.
- Envision and implement activities for a wide range of audiences internally and externally, collaborating within NYBG as well as engaging the general public.
- Lead NYBG in collaborative projects with other institutions to advance biodiversity knowledge and leverage natural history collections to address issues of global importance, such as climate resilience.
- Participate in the development of policy standards in the natural history community relating to access and use of collections and their associated data.
- Hire, supervise, motivate, and evaluate staff in accordance with the NYBG’s policies and best practices in human resources, including the Garden’s IDEA goals
Requirements
The ideal candidate will possess the following strengths and experience:
- Advanced degree in Botany, Biology, Museum Studies, or a comparable field and/or at least five years of experience managing natural history collections.
- Recognized leader in the natural history collections community, with a worldwide network of collaborators.
- Demonstrated experience with and commitment to collections-based research, including a broad understanding of the use of biodiversity data for research.
- Demonstrated team-building abilities, as well as ability to innovate and drive programs, both within NYBG and externally.
- Demonstrated experience in administration, including personnel management, budgeting, and program development.
- Evidence of ability to secure financial support from public and private sources; track record of fundraising, including grant writing.
- Commitment to a collegial and supportive work environment, with strong interpersonal skills and an adaptable temperament.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills for engaging with scientific and lay audiences.
- Demonstrated advocacy for inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA).
- Familiarity with collections management systems and metadata standards.
- History of participation in natural history collections organizations desired.
Application Information
To apply, please go to http://www.nybg.org/employment and submit the following materials:
- Cover letter indicating interest in this position
- Curriculum Vitae
- Statement on experience with natural history collections and vision for the future of the Steere Herbarium (limit of 2 pages)
- Statement on inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, including overview of past accomplishments and vision for advancing IDEA in the Steere Herbarium (limit of 2 pages)
- Contact information for three references.
The New York Botanical Garden is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy and practice of NYBG to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants. NYBG does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, national origin, citizenship status, sexual orientation, sex (including pregnancy), disability, gender (including gender identity), veteran status, marital status, age, military status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, alienage and partnership status, prior record of arrest or conviction, or victim of domestic violence, stalking or sex offenses. The Garden will make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, for disabled veteran employees, and for bona fide religious beliefs and practices of employees.
Applicants from underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply.
Please be advised, as a term and condition of accepting a job offer the candidate for employment must submit proof of full vaccination. Candidates for employment unable to submit proof of full vaccination at the time of the offer will not be considered for employment.
This policy is subject to the reasonable accommodation provisions of Title VII and the American for Disabilities Act (ADA) and other EEO consideration. If you believe that because of a disability or a sincerely held religious belief that you may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation or exemption to this policy please contact HR@nybg.org.
If you require an accommodation for any part of the application process, please notify the Human Resources department at HR@nybg.org.
If you are interested in applying for a position at the New York Botanical Garden, please go to http://www.nybg.org/employment to submit your application or by emailing hr@nybg.org.
