Description

Summary of Opportunity

The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium seeks qualified applicants for the position of Curator to oversee management of its scientific collection of shells and mollusks, contribute to the development of educational exhibits and programs, engage with the Museum’s constituencies and the malacological community, and demonstrate a commitment to building knowledge through research.

This is an exciting opportunity for the next Curator to influence the fields of natural history and malacology, and how they are communicated to the public. The scientific collection is fully catalogued, digitized, and publicly accessible, supported by grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Science Foundation. The Museum has also recently completed a full re-installation of all permanent exhibits.

The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of mollusks, collection management experience, enthusiasm for communicating natural history and science to the public, a record of research and publication, and a collaborative and collegial working style.  

Reporting to the Executive Director, this is a full-time position with a comprehensive benefits package and a salary range of $80,000 - $110,000, depending on depth and relevance of experience. 

About the Museum 

The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium is a natural history museum and aquarium in Sanibel, Florida, with a primary focus on shells, living mollusks, and conservation education. It is a non-profit, educational organization that is accredited by both the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The Museum’s permanent exhibits include the Great Hall of Shells, which displays thousands of shells from around the world; and the Living Gallery of Aquariums which exhibits about 60 species of mollusks and other marine life. Temporary exhibitions, publications, and educational offerings for all ages contribute to a dynamic year-round program.

The Museum’s collections include approximately 600,000 shells in over 135,000 lots, a wet collection of about 4,000 lots, the collection of living marine life (which is primarily managed by the Museum’s aquarists), and a small malacological library.  The scientific collection of specimens is global, though its largest subset is Florida and the Caribbean. It is one of the top dozen collections of its kind in the U.S.

The Museum welcomes over 70,000 visitors annually with tens of thousands more served by offsite and outreach programs. The Museum’s home of Sanibel Island and the surrounding Southwest Florida region are renowned as among the best beach and shelling destinations in the United States.

The Museum has a staff of 24, a Board of Trustees of 15, and an active and dedicated group of volunteers.

Primary Responsibility Areas 

Collection: 

       Oversee management and growth of the scientific collection of shells and specimens and maintain best-practice museum standards. 

       Oversee management of the collection’s cloud-based software (Specify).

       Nurture relationships with collectors and institutions to create opportunities for collections-based projects and growth of the Museum’s collection.

       Oversee management of the malacological library. 

       Manage collections support staff and volunteers. 

       Seek grant funding in support of collection care and access. 

       Consult with aquarium staff on the selection and interpretation of marine life in the aquariums. 

Program and Engagement: 

       In collaboration with the Executive Director and other staff, develop ideas for new exhibits and ensure their scientific accuracy.

       In collaboration with the Education Department, develop ideas for programs (such as lectures, classes, and community science). 

       Be a public advocate for mollusks, their conservation, the Museum, and the field through presentations, press appearances, and digital media. 

       Play an active role in professional networks and associations to help advance the study and appreciation of mollusks, create opportunities for partnerships, and maintain the Museum as a key presence and contributor to the field. 

       Participate in events and meetings with Museum constituents including the Board of Trustees, donors, Museum Members, institutional partners, shell clubs, and others. 

Research: 

       Conduct and support research on mollusks. 

       Seek grant funding in support of research. 

       Publish or contribute to peer-reviewed journals and/or general interest media. 

Requirements

Qualifications and Requirements 

       Strong knowledge of mollusks, ideally with expertise in mollusks of the western Atlantic. 

       A completed Ph.D. in Zoology, Marine Biology, Geology, Paleontology, Conservation Ecology, or a related field is strongly preferred. However, Ph.D. candidates and applicants with a Master’s in a related field, who also have strong knowledge of the material and collections experience, will be considered. 

       Experience in best-practice stewardship, cataloguing, and imaging of a natural history collection, preferably a mollusk collection, including experience with collections management software. 

       Strong interpersonal skills and enthusiasm to engage with a diversity of individuals including Museum staff, malacologists, shell enthusiasts, Museum constituents, and the public.  

       A record of research and publication. 

       Experience writing research grants is preferred but not required. 

       Experience supervising staff and/or volunteers is preferred but not required. 

       A sense of humor is a plus. 

Applications should include a cover letter, resume/CV, and list of three references.