Job posting for position at the Encyclopedia of Life, Smithsonian Institution

Wed, 11/09/2011 - 2:25pm -- admin

The EOL, headquartered at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, is an unprecedented global initiative to develop an online reference source and database for all known plant, animal and microorganismal species. It is a collaborative effort headed by a steering committee of senior officers in academia, museums, libraries and foundations. The Species Pages Group is at the heart of the project. Its Director will have broad responsibility for conferring with taxon-oriented scientific societies, individual taxonomists, and other international projects to identify and implement strategies for preparing species pages and authenticating the information on them.

The successful applicant will have a PhD in a biological science with expertise in taxonomy. The position requires excellent interpersonal skills and experience working across national borders. A good understanding of biodiversity informatics is required, and the individual must be fluent in written and spoken English, with a working knowledge of another language a plus. The Species Pages Director will be a member of the EOL Secretariat and will be based at, and employed by, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.

This is a one-year temporary position, with the distinct possibility of subsequent extensions. The position is supported by grant funding and is eligible for the Smithsonian’s trust benefit program. For more information on EOL please go to eol.org. Questions about the EOL and the position can be addressed to James Edwards, Executive Director of the EOL, at secretariat at eol.org.

The official announcement of the position is available at sihr.si.edu

To apply: e-mail your CV and a cover letter outlining your qualifications for the position to Tom Lawrence at lawrencet at si.edu. Mr. Lawrence can be reached by phone at 202-633-6319. The Smithsonian is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and applications are encouraged from both US and non-US citizens.