Plant Biology- Herbarium Digital Curator- CALS

The Opportunity

As a university founded to be a place where “…any person can find instruction in any study,” inclusion and belonging are at the core of our values and mission. We strive to be a welcoming, caring, healthy, and equitable community where students, faculty, and staff with different backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn, innovate, and work in an environment of respect, and feel empowered to engage in any community conversation. As a member of the Cornell University community, it is important to recognize our shared responsibility to each other to cultivate a culture of inclusion for all.  Cornell Core values 

As an individual contributor you will model and support a culture of inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing and continually seek to understand how your role, behaviors, and actions impact the success of this culture.    

While position responsibilities vary greatly, the Skills for Success and Leadership Skills for Success are foundational to what is expected of every employee and leader working at Cornell.  These skills are essential for individual and organizational success. Staff Skills for Success; Leadership Skills for Success

About the College

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is a pioneer of purpose-driven science and Cornell University’s second largest college. We work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through world-renowned research, education, and outreach. The questions we probe and the answers we seek focus on three overlapping concerns: We believe that achieving next-generation scientific breakthroughs requires an understanding of the world’s complex, interlocking systems. We believe that access to nutritious food and a healthy environment is a fundamental human right. We believe that ensuring a prosperous global future depends on the ability to support local people and communities everywhere. By working in and across multiple scientific areas, CALS can address challenges and opportunities of the greatest relevance, here in New York, across the nation, and around the world.

The L. H. Bailey Hortorium Herbarium (BH) at Cornell University is centrally located on main campus and contains over 950,000 dried plant specimens. It includes both native and cultivated material collected from around the world and other special collections associated with the Herbarium. It is one of the largest university-affiliated collections of preserved plant material in North America.

The L.H. Bailey Hortorium supports collection-based botanical and horticultural research, discovery, and education by preserving and celebrating its rich history while evolving and enhancing the collection for the future. Through these activities, the Herbarium provides unique learning opportunities for field and museum-based botany, enhancing scholarship and outcomes for undergraduate and graduate students at Cornell. Looking forward, the Herbarium is seeking new and creative ways to implement extended specimen models, to utilize its historical collections for research innovation, and to provide experiential learning for students and the community

The BH Herbarium Digital Curator position is located within the department of Plant Biology. This position plays a key role in the digitization, management, and accessibility of the BH collection, ensuring that specimens are properly documented and accessible to researchers, educators, and the public. The Digital Curator will leverage modern computational technologies to enhance our ability to preserve botanical collections and data extensions digitally, facilitate research and education, and engage in collaborative efforts to contribute to global biodiversity databases.

This is a part-time position at 50% FTE. This is a one-year term appointment that is contingent upon available work, funding, and performance.

There is the opportunity to work remotely within or outside New York State 5 days a week; an on-site presence  is not required.

While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.

Relocation assistance will not be provided for this position.

What We Need

Minimum Education and Experience Equivalency:

• A Master’s degree or equivalent in Botany, Biology, Information Science, Museum Studies, or a related field.
• Experience in botanical collections, herbarium management, or digital curation, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Key Qualifications:

• Familiarity with herbarium practices, taxonomy, and botanical data standards.
• Experience with herbarium specimen digitization techniques, such as imaging and data capture, is preferred.
• Experience with computational programing for biodiversity informatics.
• Ability to maintain a website.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain high standards of accuracy and consistency in data management.
• Proficiency in database management, including metadata entry, query generation, and data validation.
• Ability to troubleshoot technical issues related to imaging equipment, databases, and software tools.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse teams.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to handle multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members. 

 

If you have all those things, great! We have a few more things that we would prefer you to have, but it’s ok if you don’t.

• Experience using biodiversity databases and collections management software (e.g., Symbiota, Specify, Arctos).
• Knowledge of data standards and interoperability (e.g., Darwin Core, TDWG, GBIF).
• Experience with digital preservation methods and ethical considerations in the digitization of cultural and scientific collections.

Rewards and Benefits

• This position is based in Ithaca, New York, however, the successful applicant may perform this role remotely anywhere within the United States. Employees who work remotely may receive multiple W-2 Forms depending on their work location.The New York Convenience of employer guidelines require New York State individual tax reporting and withholding for this position. Additional individual state income tax filings may also be required if working temporarily outside of New York State.
• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: Understand Your Benefits | Working at Cornell.
• Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays. Learn more about our generous leave provisions: Holiday and Accrued Time Off | Working at Cornell
• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits: Education Benefits | Working at Cornell

Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell:

• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
•  Cornell is an equal opportunity employer. For more information, visit hr.cornell.edu/eeo.

University Job Title:

Collections Specialist II - SP

Job Family:

Library/Museum

Level:

E

Pay Rate Type:

Hourly

Pay Range:

$31.46 - $36.36

Remote Option Availability:

Remote

Company:

Contract College

Contact Name:

J'Frances White

Contact Email:

[email protected]

Job Titles and Pay Ranges:

Non-Union Positions

Noted pay ranges reflect the potential pay opportunity for each job profile. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience

• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position

• Unique applicable skills

• Academic Discipline

To learn more about Cornell’s non-union staff job titles and pay ranges, see Career Navigator.

Union Positions

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined in accordance with the rates in the respective collective bargaining agreement. To learn more about Cornell’s union wages, see Union Pay Rates.

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EEO Statement:

Cornell welcomes students, faculty, and staff with diverse backgrounds from across the globe to pursue world-class education and career opportunities, to further the founding principle of “... any person ... any study.” No person shall be denied employment on the basis of any legally protected status or subjected to prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Cornell University embraces diversity in its workforce and seeks job candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We hire based on merit, and encourage people from historically underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. Consistent with federal law, Cornell engages in affirmative action in employment for qualified protected veterans as defined in the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and qualified individuals with disabilities under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.

2026-09-21