Assistant Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology

Our Mission: Since the 1893 World Columbian Exposition, our organization has aimed to connect people to the natural environment and human history.

The Field Museum invites applications for an Assistant Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology. This term position has a probationary period of 3 + 3 years. After successful promotion to the Associate level, it is renewable every seven years, according to the Field Museum’s Policy Statement on the Curatorial Ranks. The Field Museum’s Earth Science Section has a record of scientific excellence in collections-based research, fieldwork, and exploration, with current strengths in phylogenetic systematics, comparative and functional morphology, paleoecology, paleoclimate, macroevolution, vertebrate paleontology, paleobotany, meteoritics, and cosmochemistry.

We are seeking a collegial individual with strong communication skills who conducts innovative, integrative, and collaborative research in Invertebrate Paleontology that will complement and expand the section’s strengths. Our Fossil Invertebrate collections are world-class and host an incredible diversity of specimens. The Field Museum’s two million–plus fossil invertebrate collection is focused on the Paleozoic of the Midwest and Great Lakes regions with significant collections of the Pennsylvanian Mazon Creek Lagerstätte, Devonian fossils from the Falls of the Ohio area, Silurian reef fossils from the Chicago area, and early Paleozoic echinoderms. Notable historical collections include those of the University of Chicago’s Walker Museum, S. Weller, J. Hall, A.W. Slocom, E.S. Richardson Jr., A. Schrammen, and W.F.E. Gurley, among others. The invertebrate collection also hosts many undescribed arthropods, mainly insects, from the Eocene Fossil Lake deposit from the Green River Formation, as well as over 3,500 fossilized insects in Dominican and Baltic amber.

Candidates who utilize state-of-the-art methodologies/technologies are encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will be envisioned to maintain an externally funded field and laboratory research program, oversee, build, and study the Invertebrate Paleontology collections, and participate in Museum exhibitions, public outreach and education, and programmatic efforts. Close relationships with local universities provide opportunities for participation in graduate and undergraduate training. A Ph.D. in a relevant discipline must be held by the start of employment, and the successful candidate would be expected to start the position during the 2025 calendar year.

To apply and for inquiries, please email: [email protected]

Applications Should Include

• A Curriculum Vitae
• A statement of research interests and career objectives (max. three pages)
• A statement on curatorial vision (max. two pages)
• A statement on diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility in a museum context (max. two pages)
• Names and contact information for three people from whom letters of recommendation may be sought
• Copies of up to 5 relevant publications in PDF format

The deadline to submit an application is March 31, 2024

Important Note: In order to protect the health and safety of our employees, guests and their families, the Field Museum is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Requests for exemptions from the vaccine will not be considered as given the nature of this position, we are unable to provide an accommodation for anyone who has not been vaccinated.

The Field Museum is an equal opportunity workplace and employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, Veteran status, or any other protected class. We strive to create a working environment that is free of all forms of discrimination and one that promotes human dignity and mutual respect among all staff. We believe every member of our organization enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, to identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions.

The Field Museum strives to ensure that our career website and recruiting process are accessible to all. If you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our online application, or if you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to [email protected]
Field Museum