Assistant/Associate Curator, Marine Mammals Vertebrate Studies Division Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the largest natural history museum in the western United States and a national leader in exhibitions, education and research, seeks a curator specializing in the study of marine mammals (living or fossil) to oversee its extensive collection of marine mammals. Currently the museum is undergoing a dramatic and exciting transformation involving a $135 million development of exciting new ground-breaking exhibitions, outside teaching-learning gardens and a nature lab. Foremost in the museum's mission is creating experiences embodied by the phrase 'where research and collections meet the visitor experience'. The desired candidate will have high level communication skills and an innate ability to engage and enthuse the public and stakeholders through his or her work. The museum houses and oversees a world-class collection of living and fossil marine mammals, ranked within the top 5 best collections in the world, with potential for a broad array of research and public programs both within and outside of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Research programs have in recent years focused on the description of many new types of fossil whales, seals, sea cows and extinct marine mammals, as well as documentation of modern cetacean strandings and whale systematics. A large collection of fossil whale material awaits preparation and description. The Museum maintains an extensive storage facility and laboratory specifically for research on modern marine mammals and a fully equipped vertebrate paleontology laboratory. The successful candidate will be responsible for carrying forward a dynamic and productive program of research to build a growing scientific and public profile, overseeing the development and curation of this important collection, maintaining and strengthening the museum's presence in key professional and governmental networks, and developing active collaborations with other sections of the museum-especially to advance its efforts in educating and communicating research to the general public. The successful candidate will have a strong track record of published research with strengths in the field of evolutionary biology of living and/or extinct marine mammals and will be expected to develop an active and publicly engaging research program, develop working relationships with local universities, mentor students, and maintain research through obtaining competitive grants and/or funding from other sources. The successful candidate will have a Ph.D and a demonstrated track-record of peer-reviewed papers; having general publications for wider readership would be an advantage. The candidate must have a vision and capability to build the marine mammal program and shape the collections and research in ways that increase both its scientific and public appeal. The candidate should also have collections management experience relevant to the role. The ability to effectively communicate and engage with a wide variety of audiences, including the public and the museum's various stakeholders is paramount. The successful candidate will be expected to participate in a broad range of museum activities, such as exhibits programs, educational outreach activities, and advancement activities and be involved with and maintain relationships with professional associations, educators and other relevant organizations within the scientific and general community. This is full-time position with a salary commensurate with experience, plus excellent benefits. The starting date is October 1st, 2011. Review of applications begins immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants should send a cover letter, resume, & salary history to the Human Resources Office, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007, via the museum web site at: http://www.nhm.org/site/about-our-museums/working-at-nhm/jobs-nhm The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is an Equal Opportunity Employer For further information contact John Long at jlong@nhm.org or 213/763-3367