Employment Opportunities

Available Positions

We are striving to preserve this amazing place we call home through the work taking place in our building and out in the field. Whether you're brushing the dirt off your hands, sorting through collections, cracking your knuckles as you copy-edit, or making sure visitors are having a safe and wonderful experience, being a part of The Nat means being a voice for nature in our region.

That requires building an empowered team. We offer a variety of benefits and are actively working towards greater inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, which you can read about in our current statement and action plan. The San Diego Natural History Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Full-Time Openings

Position Summary:
The San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the Department of Conservation Biology.

The Postdoctoral Researcher will contribute to two related initiatives: (1) Urban Nature Alliance, and (2) Healthy Canyons.

Urban Nature Alliance– Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and San Diego are California’s major urban areas. These areas also have significant amounts of urban green space which creates a major opportunity to engage communities in scientific monitoring and conservation. The Urban Nature Alliance is a network of institutions in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego that will come together to share and unite ideas and best practices for research and community engagement focused on urban biodiversity.

Healthy Canyons– San Diego canyons are a primary type of greenspace throughout the county and provide important benefits for people and nature. This project aims to conduct multidisciplinary biological surveys to determine the current state of biodiversity in canyons, engage local communities to build conservation capacity and connect people with nature, increase the accessibility of data on canyons to researchers, decision makers, and local communities, and contribute to urban greenspace conservation policy and action.

The Postdoctoral Researcher will lead the Urban Nature Alliance and work closely with the Research Project Manager to coordinate the Healthy Canyons Initiative. They will collaborate closely with external partners and The Nat’s science and education staff.

Location:
The Postdoctoral Researcher will be based at The Nat in San Diego and work under the supervision of the Director of Conservation Biology. There is some flexibility for remote work. The position will involve some travel within California.

Responsibilities:
• Organize and lead quarterly Urban Nature Alliance meetings.
• Make significant contributions to Urban Nature Alliance goal development and tracking.
• Lead communications with Urban Nature Alliance partners.
• Develop and conduct research compatible with the goals of the Urban Nature Alliance and/or Healthy Canyons Initiative.
• In collaboration with the Research Project Manager, lead biological and/or socio-ecological surveys in San Diego urban greenspaces.
• Develop and conduct outreach efforts.
• Spearhead the dissemination of results to a diverse range of audiences.
• Lead data management, assuring reproducibility and open data practices.
• Lead manuscript and technical document writing, data analysis, and visualization.
• Mentor student interns.

Qualifications:
• A PhD degree obtained within the past six years focused on Ecology, Evolution (especially in Urban systems), Conservation, Environmental Studies, Environmental GIS , Environmental Justice, Human Dimensions of Conservation or a related biology or social science field. Soon-to-graduate PhDs may apply, but all formal requirements for a PhD must be completed before the start of the appointment.
• Demonstration of excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstration of excellent organizational and project management skills
• Experience working with local communities and other stakeholders (e.g., land managers, policy makers), especially in relation to research and conservation projects.
• Ability to lead collaborative efforts.
• Bilingual (Spanish) is not a requirement but is preferred.
• In compliance with the San Diego Natural History Museum’s mandatory vaccination policy, the Museum requires proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Accommodations based on medical and religious exemptions will be considered.

Compensation and Benefits:
Annual compensation is $66,560.

The appointment will be made for three years contingent on satisfactory progress in year one.

This is a full-time, exempt position with benefits such as health insurance, vacation, 15 paid holidays, reciprocal free admission to all of Balboa Park’s museums, as well as to the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.

To apply:
Applicants should submit a cover letter (1-2 pages), research statement (1-2 pages) detailing current work and research interests, curriculum vitae, a writing sample, and the names and contact information for three professional references.

Please submit materials to hr@sdnhm.org.  Review of applications will begin on January 5, 2024, and continue until the position is filled. Preferred start date is summer 2024 or earlier.

Part-Time Openings

The AV Department is seeking a self-motivated, technically knowledgeable person with a willingness to learn to support institutional audio/visual needs. The ideal candidate will be comfortable shifting roles and responsibilities throughout the day while continually maintaining a pleasant and professional demeanor.

This position requires at least partial weekend availability. Some holidays and evenings are required. The San Diego Natural History Museum is open daily, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Operate and maintain theater: 
  • Operate theater for daily films and events (lectures, film festivals, corporate events, etc…)
  • Basic maintenance and troubleshooting of theater system
Maintain Exhibits AV elements: 
  • Intermediate maintenance and troubleshooting of AV elements.
General AV support: 
  • Use and update SDNHM ticketing system for everyday support requests
  • Assist both internal and off-site users with any AV needs
  • Intermediate maintenance and troubleshooting of AV equipment.
Skills and Qualifications:
  • At least 2 years of AV experience
  • High School Diploma or GED and 2+ years experience in a related field.

In compliance with the San Diego Natural History Museum’s mandatory vaccination policy, the Museum requires proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Accommodations based on medical and religious exemptions will be considered.

Position pays $21/hr and will be about 16 hours per week (2, 8-hour shifts). Employees enjoy free admission into all of Balboa Park’s museums as well as free admission to the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.

This is a part-time, temporary role that is expected to run through September 2nd, 2024.

Please send resume and cover letter to hr@sdnhm.org. No phone calls or drop-ins please.

STEM APPRENTICESHIPS: The San Diego Natural History Museum science research apprenticeship program provides training and mentoring in curation, imaging, databasing protocols, and collections-based research to students, to prepare them for continued advancement in biological sciences, which can translate to career pathways in academia and research, as well as biological consulting.

BOTANY DEPARTMENT PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The apprentice will learn the steps from acquiring herbarium specimens through filing them into the collection. Apprentices will learn how to mount/prepare, accession, database, image, and file scientific specimens into the herbarium collection. Skills in pest management, taxonomic curation, and herbarium good practices will also be gained. Plus, depending upon the experience of the apprentice, the Curator may conduct specific collections-based research work with the successful candidate. Apprentices will receive daily instruction, guidance, and follow-up for all tasks assigned. Apprentice must create a report/presentation on their work at the end of the apprenticeship.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

-          Provide support to the Collections Manager of Botany on herbarium specimen protocols and collections management.
-          Provide assistance to the Curator of Botany on collections-based research.
-          Maintain a strong working knowledge of the flora of San Diego County.
-          Assist with herbarium collection processing, digital specimen imaging, specimen data entry.
-          Perform other duties assigned by department Curator and Collection Manager.

QUALIFICATIONS:
-          Interest in botany, natural history, and specimen collections research
-          Strong communication skills with attention to detail
-          Organizational skills
-          Technology skills
ELIGIBILITY: Applicants must:
  • Reside in San Diego County and attend a community college or university in San Diego County
  • A special emphasis is placed on recruiting students in San Diego County who are members of groups underrepresented in STEM careers: including, but not limited to, individuals of African American, Asian, Latinx/Hispanic, Native American, and Pacific Islander descent.
In compliance with the San Diego Natural History Museum’s mandatory vaccination policy, the Museum requires proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Accommodations based on medical and religious exemptions will be considered.

TERM: Spring or Summer 2024.

HOURS: Up to 250 hours total. Flexible schedule.

PAID/UNPAID: Paid, hourly. College and university students will be paid at $18/hr.

Employees enjoy free admission into all of Balboa Park’s museums as well as free admission to the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.

WORK TO BE DONE: On-Site. Some remote fieldwork may be possible.

HOW TO APPLY:
Please submit a CV or resume with three references and a Cover Letter. All materials should go to SDNHM Human Resources, hr@sdnhm.org. No phone calls or drop-ins, please.

The San Diego Natural History Museum is seeking intuitive, reliable, attentive, detail-oriented individuals with strong communication and customer service skills as part-time/as-needed Security Officers. Security Officers are expected to uphold Museum rules and regulations by patrolling, observing, and reporting to the Facilities Manager and Facilities Director. Security Officers are also expected to set the example for Museum safety and stellar customer service, and assist Museum guests, employees, and vendors during emergency situations.

Areas of responsibilities include:
  • Patrol, observe, and report to Facilities Manager and Facilities Director.
  • Provide a high level of customer service and assistance to all Museum guests, staff, volunteers, and vendors.
  • Maintain a strong working knowledge of Museum policies and procedures, enforcing them with guests, staff, volunteers, and vendors as needed.
  • Document daily actions and situations in a Daily Log.
  • Respond to complaints and/or requests for assistance and evaluate appropriate course of action.
  • Respond to emergency situations within and directly outside Museum (i.e. natural disasters, medical emergencies, etc.)
  • Assist with building access and receiving/deliveries.
  • Perform other duties assigned by Facilities Manager and Facilities Director.
Qualifications:
  • Previous security experience at a cultural institution is preferred
  • Excellent customer service skills with the ability to maintain a professional and calm demeanor in a challenging, dynamic environment with all types of guests, staff, volunteers, and vendors.
  • Strong communication skills with attention to detail.
  • Must be able stand for long periods of time, respond quickly and communicate verbally for the majority of each shift.
  • Ability to perform crowd control by providing clear guidance and direction
  • Current Guard Card certification through BSIS
  • Current CPR/AED/First Aid Certification
  • Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
  • Bilingual preferred

In compliance with the San Diego Natural History Museum’s mandatory vaccination policy, the Museum requires proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Accommodations based on medical and religious exemptions will be considered.

This is a part-time/as-needed position. Afternoon, evening and weekend availability are currently highly desired.

Position pays $18/hour. Employees enjoy free admission into all of Balboa Park’s museums as well as free admission to the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.

Please send resume and cover letter to hr@sdnhm.org.  No phone calls or drop-ins please.