Research Assistant, DToL Garfield Weston

We are a world-class visitor attraction and leading science research centre. We use the Museum's unique collections and our unrivalled expertise to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today. We care for more than 80 million objects spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million visitors annually and 16 million visits to our website.

Today the Museum is more relevant and influential than ever. By attracting people from a range of backgrounds to work for us, we can continue to look at the world with fresh eyes and find new ways of doing things.

We employ 1100 staff in a variety of roles, all united by our vision of a future where people and planet thrive. We need everyone to have the passion and drive to help us with our mission to create advocates for our planet and inspire millions to care about the natural world.

Our vision is of a future where both people and the planet thrive. Diversity is one of our core values and we strive to build a workplace where everyone feels a sense of belonging. All new staff who join us learn about the importance of diversity and inclusion to the Museum and how to contribute to creating an inclusive environment. We know we have more to do, but we are committed to ensuring that everyone who works at the Museum feels they can thrive and feel valued and respected.

The Natural History Museum is a lead partner in the Darwin Tree of Life (DToL) project, a collaboration of more than a dozen organisations sequencing the genomes of all UK eukaryote species. With new funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation, the project will also strengthen links with amateur natural history societies and promote modern identification techniques such as DNA barcoding. As the NHM Entomological Research Assistant, you will plan and deliver collecting for your assigned target taxa, mainly terrestrial and freshwater insects, working with colleagues at the Museum and partners  will identify specimens to species level, prepare tissue samples for DNA barcoding and whole genome sequencing, and curate and database the sampled material.

You will also coordinate volunteers and students and represent the project at society events and workshops. This is a full-time, fixed-term position until 30 September 2028.

About you

We are looking for an organised, field-experienced naturalist with significant experience of collecting and identifying UK invertebrates, particularly insects, to species level. You are skilled in handling and dissecting specimens and the accurate databasing of specimen data. You can plan and conduct fieldwork independently, balancing competing priorities against targets. You are a clear communicator who can explain technical methods to non-specialists and enjoys building relationships with societies and partner institutions, and you have experience of public engagement and supporting volunteers or students.

You hold a BSc in a biological science or equivalent experience, a current driving licence with recent experience of long-distance driving, and are happy to work in remote locations and at evenings and weekends.

We are proud to work at the Museum and have identified the qualities we all need to embody to reach our shared ambition. This sits alongside the Museum’s values and forms the framework for the way we work.

Find out more here

• 27.5 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays (full time equivalent)
• Generous defined contribution Natural History Museum Pension Scheme (employer contribution 4 - 10%)
• Season ticket, bicycle and rental loan
• Life insurance
• Free admission to our exhibitions and many other paid exhibitions at museums, galleries and…