CALeDNA Curation Assistant
Position Description:
The University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) invites applications for the position of California Institute for Biodiversity (CIB) Curation Assistant. Under the direction of Rachel Meyer, the curation assistant will join the CALeDNA team, specifically supporting the CIB project. This role focuses on organizing and curating the museum archive of environmental DNA (eDNA) soil samples collected from across California.
This project is part of a statewide initiative to leverage eDNA in building biodiversity baselines for invertebrates, fungi, and microbes. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong organizational and curation skills, assisting lab technicians in cataloging, accessioning, and organizing samples for long-term storage at the Coastal Science Campus. The candidate will work closely with the CALeDNA team and a diverse network of statewide collaborators. Given the nature of this role, the incumbent must exhibit excellent organization and communication skills.
Duties:
- Receive, catalog, and accession soil eDNA samples using sterile techniques. (40%)
- Verify and manage metadata associated with eDNA collections. (10%)
- Label and print sample identifiers on 5 mL cryotubes using a TubeWriter 300. (10%)
- Assist with shipping soil sample kits to collaborators, ensuring accurate labeling and documentation. (10%)
- Assist in organizing and maintaining the CIB long-term storage facility at the Coastal Science Campus. (10%)
- Support administrative tasks related to the CIB project, including sample tracking and database management. (10%)
- Occasionally assist with lab work under the direct supervision of project leads, following established protocols. (10%)
Preferred Qualifications:
- Strong interest in biodiversity, molecular ecology, or environmental DNA techniques.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate records.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Prior experience with lab work, sample handling, sample curation, or database management is a plus but not required.
- Prior experience with maintaining and using Google Sheets and Excel for data entry, organization, and management is a plus but not required.
Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.
- “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC’s policies addressing some forms of misconduct: