Entomology Curator

Job summary

Part of the Forestry Commission family, Forest Research (FR) is a world leader in applied forest science, providing evidence and practical solutions to policy makers, forestry professionals, land managers and anyone with green space, across Great Britain. With climate and biodiversity in crisis, and an increasing number of pests and diseases, our research is more vital than ever before. We advise on how woodlands can help combat climate change. We’re identifying tree species that will thrive in the future and seeking ways to safeguard those species at risk. Our research supports UK timber production because fewer imports reduce carbon emissions. We provide robust data on forests in Scotland, Wales and England, and provide evidence of the societal benefits of woodland. We do all this utilising the latest technology while working collaboratively with academia, partners and industry, nationally and internationally.

FR’s entomology collections include pinned and ‘wet’ insect specimens, microscope slides, wood samples, photographs and books. We have been upgrading storage facilities, working to expand the taxonomic scope of the collections, and improving access and value to advisory staff, researchers, and visitors. The primary role of this post is to progress this range of improvements and assist in developing the collection and supporting facilities to a level of excellence consistent with that of FR’s Tree Health research, diagnostics and advisory services.

Job description

The post-holder will join a passionate team of entomologists tasked with providing applied research and expert advice upon forest pest insects threatening the health of British treescapes. The role will involve diverse tasks, such as curation and essential maintenance of the insect collections, overseeing the move of the wood and wet collections into new spaces, specimen inventory and digitisation, exploring opportunities for key specimen acquisition, and assisting with the identification and incorporation of new material. The post-holder will also help to train users to access and care for the insect collections, assist with a new collections outreach strategy, and prepare display materials for public and professional events.

Key Work Areas

• Provide essential curation, incorporation and conservation of dry pinned, wet, wood and microscope slide entomology collections as required.
• Oversee ongoing collection space renovations and improvements.
• Assist with and test an improved digital database for efficient data capture, access, and searching.
• Assist with providing staff training on specimen handling, and collections care and conservation. Support visitor / student access to the collections.
• Assist with condition / value assessments of the microscope slide and photograph collections, and with relocation into new facilities.
• Review and implement a new collections development strategy, and a routine care plan.
• Assist in preparation of new outreach materials to support FR's entomology knowledge exchange activities and represent FR at events as required.
• Set up new repository for insect DNA collection.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• A degree in a relevant subject area (e.g. biological sciences, museum studies), or equivalent relevant experience.
• Experience of curation and care of biological specimens and collections, with clear evidence of achieving an excellent standard of work.
• Experience in data capture / database construction.
• Clear understanding and experience of the importance of scientific collections, and the key risks which they face.
• Excellent communication skills, including written and spoken English, with experience of scientific presentations / provision of training, or knowledge exchange to others.

Desirable Criteria

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates.

• Experience of working with museum collections.
• Insect identification skills across a range of taxa, including familiarity with keys and terminology.
• Experience of collaboration with a range of stakeholders / partners.
• Good understanding of forest pest issues.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £33,854, Forestry Commission - Forest Research contributes £9,807 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Your career

• Excellent professional development opportunities which are tailored to your role, with paid professional membership subscriptions, mentoring, and Civil Service Learning available to all
• access to world class laboratory facilities, as well as state of the art buildings within forest or science park settings

Your work/life balance

• flexible working options such as: up to two days flexi leave per month, blended working, part-time working, paid special leave, career breaks, and unpaid leave. Parents and carers will be supported to enable you to manage work and family responsibilities
• A generous annual leave allowance of 25 days on entry increasing by 1 day each year to a maximum of 30 days (pro-rata for part-timers). Plus 2.5 days of additional leave and 8 days’ paid bank/public holidays

Your wellbeing

• A culture which promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment
• A range of wellbeing benefits including Employee Assistance Programme 24/7
• We want you to feel part of something bigger and we encourage a community feel in our workplaces, with everything from cookery competitions to Pilates and fell running, plus topical talks at Wellbeing Wednesdays and Feelgood Fridays
• Paid volunteering leave of 3 days per year so you can give back to your community and charitable causes by sharing your skills and time

Your benefits

• a highly competitive Civil Service Pension of 28.97% of your salary
• an employee benefits scheme offering discounts on groceries, gym memberships, holidays, days out, online retailers and high street shops
• Cycle to Work scheme and Interest free loans
• Free parking is offered on-site, alongside electric car charging ports
• With maternity, adoption, and/or shared parental leave there’s the flexibility to have up to 26 weeks full pay, followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid leave. Paternity leave of up to two weeks is available with full pay.

Any move to Forest Research from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at