Love nature? Then you’re going to love The Nat.    

The San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) was founded by amateur naturalists in 1874 and has played a major role in the conversation of our region. The Museum recently celebrated its 150th anniversary and completed a strategic plan focused on encouraging a love for nature, levering science and collections for conservation, and using our own voice to be here for nature.

For more than 150 years the San Diego Natural History Museum has been dedicated to studying and conserving Southern California and the Baja California Peninsula. The Jacobs Center for Science and Conservation (JCSC) conducts field exploration and collections-based research in the study region with a global scientific perspective; preserving specimens and associated information that document our region's natural history and biodiversity; providing scientific knowledge about the natural history of our region; and supporting the Museum's mission by laying the scientific foundation for its operation and programs. We are seeking a candidate interested in building a long-term career at the JCSC and contributing to the institution’s strategic goals over time.

The Curator of Ornithology directs ornithological research and collections, helping lead, inspire, and steer research and conservation at the Museum. Candidates should maintain an independent research program, and also work with other curators on interdisciplinary studies and collaborate with the region’s biologists. The Curator of Ornithology will be expected to generate data that highlight the Museum’s regional biodiversity and contribute to its conservation. In addition to serving as intellectual leaders of biodiversity research at the Museum, curators serve as the Museum’s face for science, so candidates must be comfortable in all types of public relations and communications. In this capacity, the Curator of Ornithology will act as a knowledgeable representative of the Museum within the local, regional, and global scientific community. The Curator will actively oversee and manage multiple staff, the collections and their associated databases, collection use, and promote their utility to the greater museum community. The Curator of Ornithology will be a skilled and creative science communicator, generate and co-create inspired outreach, and serve as a content expert for internal and external stakeholders. Through work with students, volunteers and others the Curator will actively train and help diversify the next generation of ornithologists.

The Ornithology collection consists of over 52,000 bird specimens, comprising about 47,000 skins and nearly 10,000 skeletons (some overlap because of preservation of both skin and skeleton from many specimens). It serves as an indispensable resource for our region’s natural history, documenting environmental change since 1874. It is especially strong in specimens from the western United States and northwestern Mexico, but includes representation from around the world, in large part because of its role for over 60 years as a repository for specimens from the San Diego Zoo. Since 1999, the department has archived over 6600 tissue samples, representing 632 species of birds, at San Diego State University. 

Areas of Responsibilities Include:  

• Research and Collections  
  • Curate department collections and their associated databases, including long-range strategic planning for space, storage, and infrastructure needs  
  • Maintain and enhance access to the collections through new technologies and digitization
  • Conduct and disseminate research in peer-reviewed publications, reports, and scientific meetings 
  • Participate and collaborate with other departments in interdisciplinary research and contracts  
  • Obtain, conduct, and manage grant- and contract-funded projects, and participate in Museum-wide fundraising through talks, tours and proposal writing.  
  • Acquire and oversee preparation of museum specimens  
  • Obtain, conduct, and manage grant- and contract-funded projects  
  • Participate and collaborate with other departments in interdisciplinary research and contracts  
  • Apply collections data toward conservation, biodiversity and geographic analyses, or other appropriate research projects 
  • Maintain collecting permits as appropriate 
  • Recruit, supervise, and mentor staff, interns, and volunteers
• Education and Outreach  
  • Science communication: speaking and writing for the public, students, policymakers and other stakeholders  
  • Engage in fundraising activities, including leading behind-the-scenes tours, attending events, and interacting with donors and key community partners.
  • Participate in trainings of various Museum volunteer groups, students at local universities and the general public
  • Present lectures for NatTalks, seminars, and special events 
• Administration  
  • Supervise staff, interns, and science volunteers  
  • Prepare and manage department budget and track expenditures  
  • Manage contract and grant-funded work 
  • Seek external funding through grants and partnerships to support collections care and research. 

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities  

• Demonstrated experience in taxonomy, systematics, phylogenetics, biogeography, organismal biology, ecology, conservation biology, and/or other related fields of research with birds 
• Knowledge of collections care, specimen preparation, and bird identification  
• Interest in the conservation of avian diversity of the Museum’s mission region 
• Interest in furthering the understanding of environmental change in the Museum’s mission region 
• Experience in data synthesis, project management, and use of community science platforms are desired 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills  
• Ability and willingness to work with colleagues in collaborative and team environments    
• Leadership skills to inspire and steer the research strategy at the Museum  
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and ability to work effectively with a diverse range of people  
• Experience in outreach and personnel supervision
• Skills in project management with an attention to detail and accuracy  
• Ability to learn processes, procedures, and information quickly  
• Proficiency in relevant computer programs and database management, or demonstrated ability to learn applications based on proficiency in similar programs  
• Professional demeanor, reliable, punctual, and hardworking  
• A doctorate (Ph.D.) in Ornithology or biology (or similar field) from an accredited university degree program  
• Experience with grant writing and project management
• Must be eligible to work in the U.S.  
• Bilingual in English/Spanish is desirable  

This is a full-time, exempt position with benefits such as health insurance, vacation, sick-time, 15 paid holidays, free admission into all of Balboa Park’s museums, and more. Weekend and evening availability is sometimes required. While the majority of work falls within regular business hours, field projects often extend through weekend and evening hours.  

Pay: Starting salary for this position is $90,000 annually.