The National Museum of Natural History is seeking an experienced candidate to fill a position of Research Zoologist and Curator of Crustacea in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology. The IZ Crustacea collections consist of roughly 688,000 lots with 15.6 million specimens that include over 50% of the known species of the world. Increasingly, the IZ historical collections are being complemented with newly collected whole specimens as well as tissue samples preserved for use in molecular genetic studies. This enormous resource built over 150+ years of intense research represents a large investment by the Smithsonian, and is now in urgent need of dynamic, modern scholarly leadership to fulfill its immense potential to generate and diffuse knowledge about crustaceans. Because these arthropods exhibit tremendous diversity in body plans among the invertebrates, and are of considerable ecological and commercial importance, their study is critical to understanding evolutionary patterns as well as effects of global change on many ecosystems. Furthermore, modern research on crustaceans using genomic techniques is producing an intense demand on the IZ crustacean collections.
The purpose of this position is to perform scholarly scientific research and professional curation in the IZ Crustacea collections. The incumbent will serve as a Research Zoologist and Curator of Crustacea under the general administrative direction and professional counsel of the Department Chair. The incumbent is responsible for directing and performing independent scholarly scientific research and professional curation in the National Crustacea Collection. The incumbent develops and expands 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.
This is a full-time, 4-year appointment with full Smithsonian benefits to be filled at the IS-12 level with a starting salary of $102,415. This position would have access to existing endowment funds that exist for their taxonomic jurisdiction.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Independently initiates, develops, and participates in an integrative, specimen- or collections-based scientific research program in crustacean evolution and biodiversity (exclusive of hexapods), with focus on one or more of the following: phylogenetics, genetics, anatomy, development, genomics, biogeography, conservation, informatics, or related fields.
- Enhances and expands IZ crustacean collections. Through fieldwork and acquisition of specimens, maintains, develops, and improves the IZ crustacean collection and works with the IZ collection management team. Directs an active program of specimen/data exchange and cooperation with other museums, educational institutions, and scholars. Recommends approval or disapproval of requested loans from the Collection to other institutions. Prepares and oversees crustacean collections improvement projects.
- Regularly publishes peer-review publications such as technical papers, synthetic works of descriptive, analytical, theoretical, and/or applied nature based on own fieldwork, study of collections in this and other institutions, and on existing scholarly publications. Publications are significant contributions of substantial scope and impact within their own field.
- Serves as 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; on Museum exhibitions, taxonomic identifications, and reports on items and collections submitted to the Museum; data management; strategic planning; reviewing research proposals, manuscripts, and published materials; answering public enquiries; and lecturing professional associations, educational institutions, civic group, clubs and other organizations.
- Secures external funds in support of research program.
- Serves as supervisor or advisor to interns, students, fellows, short-term scholars, and to scientific institutions and museums. Develops performance plans for supervisees and evaluates performance. Gives advice, counsel, or instruction to employees on both work and administrative matters.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet these Basic Education Requirements:
- Degree: zoology; or a related discipline or field of science that included at least 20 semester hours in zoology and related animal sciences.
OR
- Combination of education and experience — courses equivalent to a major in zoology, or in a related discipline that included course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
In addition to the Basic Requirements above:
- Applicants MUST possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a relevant field of study from an accredited college or university; and/or related experience that demonstrates possession of the competencies described below; or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
Knowledge required for this position is as follows:
- Knowledge of and ability to conduct original, specimen- or collections-based scientific research on Crustacea (exclusive of hexapods), as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications. Highest ranked candidates will have a record of innovative, original, and independent research.
- Knowledge of and experience with curation practices and procedures for museum collections in specialty area.
- Requires thorough knowledge of collections management practices, gained through work experience in curation and research on crustacean/IZ collections, to develop and curate the IZ crustacean collection for which the incumbent is responsible through field work and the acquisition, maintenance, and management of collections.
- Must be able to communicate orally and in writing to articulate their research program to administrators, the scientific community, funding agencies, and the general public.
Salary range: $102,415 – $133,142 / year
Application deadline: June 19, 2026
Location: Washington, DC
