Collections Manager in Geology at the Natural History Museum Denmark

To join the museum team that has special management responsibilities for our Quaternary, Paleontology, Petrology, Mineralogy and Meteorite Collections.

The Natural History Museum Denmark (NHMD), University of Copenhagen, is seeking to appoint a permanent fulltime position as Collections Manager in the Geology Collections Unit, starting 1 October 2025 or as soon thereafter as possible. The candidate will be part of a diverse Collection Management Team across the museum and will refer to the Head of the Geology and Botany Collections Unit.

The Geology Collections Unit is responsible for the physical management of the relevant collections at NHMD on a day-to-day basis, covering the paleontology, petrology, mineralogy, Quaternary and meteorite collections. The collections managers are responsible for tasks such as registration, updating and maintaining storage information in databases, administration of material for loans, physical moving and organizing sub-collections, physical care, preservation, and keeping appropriate security of the collections. The collections manager position is a non-research position.

The candidate will have a special focus and responsibility on the Quaternary collections, which are comprised of vertebrate, invertebrate, plant and sediment specimens. In addition, the candidate will be allocated responsibility or shared responsibility for other parts of the geological collections, (e.g. crate storage and Stratigraphy collections), based on their experience and qualifications, and will, together with the colleagues in the Geology Collections Unit, share the overall responsibility for care and management of all geological collections.

The Collection Managers work closely with a team of curators, who have scientific responsibility for the relevant collections. The curator’s duties include, among other things, responsibilities for approval of loans, research visits and destructive sampling, contributing to collection growth and increasing scientific use of collections.

Ideal candidates will share a passion for nature, and the long-term preservation of natural history collections. Please note, however, that the position does not include opportunities for research.

The NHMD is currently working on a high-profile New Museum Project ,see below and here nyt.snm.ku.dk  which involves entirely new buildings and exhibit galleries. Therefore, the successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the processes of developing the new exhibitions and other upcoming major public exhibitions.

Responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to:

• Physical care, maintenance, preservation, and security of the collections.
• Improving and updating the physical organization of collections.
• Processing incoming and outgoing objects and/or materials, including donations, exchanges and loans, with appropriate permits and documentation.
• Documenting the collection through digitization, including entering and updating database records in the collection management system.
• Assisting in planning and overseeing digitization of collections.
• Allocate 20% of working hours to assist in the digitization of collections within the DaSSCo project.
• Planning and structuring the move of collections to a future main storage facility.
• Staying current in modern techniques in collections maintenance and database management.
• Working cooperatively with other collection management and museum staff, to achieve the highest level of collection care and productivity across organizational units.
• Provide service to scientific guests, supervise and train volunteers etc.
• Selecting archival materials to improve object storage conditions.
• Preparing guidelines for best practices in collections
• Implement and perform tasks in a prompt, timely, and effective manner. Adhere to deadlines.
• Supporting the planning and preparation of temporary and permanent exhibits.

We expect

• Knowledge of Earth Sciences equivalent to a master’s degree in geology, biology, natural sciences or a comparable field. An understanding of the biology, geological processes, and stratigraphy of the Quaternary Period would be a strong asset.  Other relevant expertise and knowledge about nature and natural history collections could also provide a suitable background.
• Work experience involves day-to-day management of geological, paleontological, Quaternary or similar natural history collections.
• Experience with and interest in field work and preparation techniques.
• Ability to work effectively independently as well as collaboratively.
• Ability and willingness to learn and develop new skills related to object and data management.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Good computer skills, especially regarding data management (databases, spreadsheets).
• Knowledge of Content Management Systems – the NHMD uses Specify: Specify Collections Consortium | Software for Biological Collections and Samples
• An understanding of relevant international compliance procedures regarding import, export, and shipping of scientific objects.
• That you can understand and speak English (spoken and/or written)
• That you can understand and speak Danish (spoken and/or written), or mastering another Nordic language (Norwegian, Swedish) on a working language level.
• Driver’s license, minimum category B and ability to drive in Denmark.
• Forklift license, or willingness to train for a license.

About the Natural History Museum of Denmark
Natural history museums have never been more important. The impact of climate change and anthropogenic forces on biodiversity has reached a critical point. We need action to build a more sustainable relationship with nature. The Natural History Museum of Denmark is the national museum for nature. We work to empower citizens to connect with nature with the aim of creating positive change for life on Earth. We want to inspire, engage and enable people to enjoy, understand, and care for the diversity of the natural world.

We are currently building a new Danish national museum for nature. One large museum site, in the Botanical Garden, in the centre of Copenhagen, will host state-of-the-art laboratories, some of our outstanding research collections, new public galleries, and combined facilities for programming, education, and citizen science. The main parts of the collections will be housed in a yet-to-be-built main collection facility outside Copenhagen. Over the next few years, the museum aims to change the way people think about and use natural history museums.

The geological/paleontological collections at NHMD are of worldwide importance, housing over 650.000 objects, with a primary focus on rocks, minerals, and fossils from Denmark, Greenland, Scandinavia, and the North Atlantic region https://samlinger.snm.ku.dk/en/

In addition, NHMD holds rich Quaternary collections of faunal remains, sediments and plant macrofossils, primarily from Denmark, Greenland and South America. More information on the Quaternary collections can be found here: https://samlinger.snm.ku.dk/en/dry-and-wet-collections/geology/

Terms of salary and employment
You will be employed as an academic employee in accordance with the Circular on the collective agreement for academics in the public sector between the Ministry of Taxation and the Academics or another relevant agreement. Salary is determined by seniority according to the AC agreement. There will be the possibility of negotiating additional allowances based on qualifications. The average weekly working time is 37 hours. We have flexible hours.

Applications
Applications should be written in English and submitted electronically with a CV, plus documentation for education and eventually letters of reference via the website employment.ku.dk The application should be submitted no later than 1 July 2025, 23:59 GMT+2. Only electronic applications are accepted.

The university wishes to reflect the surrounding community and encourages everyone, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position.

Additional information
More information about the position can be obtained from the Head of the Geology and Botany Collections Unit, Christian Lange, christianl@snm.ku.dk phone +45 21328795, or the Head of Geology Group, Laura Cotton, laura.cotton@snm.ku.dk phone +45 35322258.

More general information about the Natural History Museum of Denmark is available from our website www.snm.ku.dk