Curatorial Assistant Boston – Harvard Arboretum Job Boston area,Massachusetts USA,Research/Development

Position: Curatorial Assistant Job Boston – Harvard Arboretum

Curatorial Assistant Job Boston – Harvard Arboretum

Harvard University is one of the world’s most prestigious academic institutions, operating a vast ecosystem of museums, research centers, libraries, and administrative units. Its Central Administration (CADM) supports the operational, academic, and infrastructural needs of the university’s schools and affiliated institutions through large-scale coordination, technical expertise, and public-facing services.

Within this structure, the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University functions as both a public landscape and a scientific research center. Established in 1872 and designed in collaboration with Frederick Law Olmsted, it is the oldest public arboretum in North America and a globally recognized site for botanical research, living plant collections, and herbarium-based scientific documentation.

The Arboretum integrates public education, landscape conservation, and academic research, maintaining one of the world’s most significant living and archival plant collections. It is also deeply embedded in Harvard’s broader mission of scientific advancement, environmental stewardship, and interdisciplinary knowledge production.

Title & Description Curatorial Assistant II – Herbarium & Living Collections

This is a full-time job opportunity within the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, focused on curatorial work in botanical collections, herbarium management, and living plant inventories.

The position supports the stewardship, documentation, and preservation of one of the world’s most important botanical collections, including both dried herbarium specimens and living plant records. The Curatorial Assistant operates within a research-driven environment that combines curatorial, scientific classification, fieldwork, and data management.

The role is designed for individuals interested in botanical science, museum collections, plant taxonomy, and archival research within a leading academic institution. It offers hands‑on engagement with plant documentation systems, specimen preservation, and field-based inventory work across outdoor and controlled environments.

The Role Overview

Contract Type: Full-time, non-exempt employment
Schedule: 35 hours per week, Monday–Friday
Work Format: Fully on-site
Salary Grade: 051 (Harvard University scale)
Reporting Structure: Under the supervision of the Manager of Plant Records
Work Environment: Outdoor + laboratory + herbarium collections

This is a technical museum and research support role combining scientific documentation, field operations, and curatorial maintenance.

Position & Tasks

The Curatorial Assistant II is responsible for maintaining and supporting both herbarium and living plant collections through scientific and operational workflows:

Maintaining and expanding herbarium collections (over 120,000 specimens)
Preparing, mounting, and labeling plant vouchers
Data entry, databasing, and digitization of specimens
Barcode integration and archival documentation
Pest monitoring and specimen preservation protocols
Repairing and restoring damaged botanical materials
Managing specimen loans and assisting visiting researchers

Living Collections Inventory

Conducting systematic inventories of living plant collections
Updating records in BG-BASE plant database systems
Supporting accessioning and plant documentation workflows
Producing and maintaining plant display labels and records
Assisting with greenhouse and nursery inventory operations
Assisting staff, scholars, and students with collection access
Field-based plant documentation and environmental surveying

This role requires strong attention to detail, scientific rigor, and physical engagement with outdoor and laboratory environments.