Herbarium Registrar

Preserved Collections, Science

Job Description

Purpose

The Herbarium Registrar plays a central role in the stewardship of the Herbarium collection and operational management of the collection’s documentation, movement and care. Reporting to the Plant Records Officer and working closely with the Deputy Director of Science (Collections), the Herbarium Registrar implements and helps to develop processes that ensure the collections are accurately documented and compliant with RBGE policies to ensure legal compliance, while also enhancing accessibility to the Herbarium community to ensure specimens are used.

The role encompasses four elements:

• Manage incoming and outgoing specimens, including accessions, loans and sampling requests

• Implement RBGE policies aligned to international and national laws, with meticulous record keeping

• Facilitate access to the Herbarium by managing bookings, workspaces and requirements for Herbarium users

• Support research in the collections

Main Duties

Collections management

Process incoming specimens for accession to the Herbarium or return from loan, including contracts, documentation and permissions.

Manage the Herbarium Workroom facility, including equipment servicing schedules and repairs.

Manage outgoing loan requests from the Herbarium for research purposes or exhibition.

Manage sampling requests for Herbarium and ancillary collections, working with the Curator, curatorial and laboratory teams.

Manage and supervise the packing and postage or courier of specimens and samples, providing technical advice when required.

Liaise with RBGE staff and students to ensure that loans are given good curatorial care within the Herbarium and returned promptly.

• Conduct an annual loan review.

• Correspond with other Herbaria to recall loans and respond to loan recalls.

Manage procurement and purchase of specialist Herbarium materials for specimen preparation and curation.

Manage the Herbarium long-term storage facility, including prioritising unaccessioned specimens for mounting and coordinating backlog clearing with volunteers as appropriate.

• Manage the specimen preparation pipeline from arrival to mounting.

• Line manage three Herbarium technicians preparing specimens.

Compliance

Apply RBGE policies and procedures to ensure incoming and outgoing specimens and samples comply with international and national laws governing access and benefit sharing and plant health, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and CITES.

Support and participate in inspections, reviews and consultations by licensing agencies.

Maintain comprehensive records of permissions and restrictions of use for specimens.

• Support curators and users of RBGE collections with compliance queries.

• Maintain professional networks and undertake continuous professional development to maintain knowledge of laws and conventions.

Access and engagement

Manage bookings and allocate workstations and working cabinets to Herbarium users.

• Manage tour bookings and allocate tour leads.

• Provide inductions to new users and contribute to induction documentation.

• Oversee the general herbarium@rbge.org.uk email account and forward emails as appropriate to respond to enquiries.

Support Herbarium users with ad hoc queries as necessary.

Supporting research

Assist the Herbarium Curator with collections research, including locating and laying away specimens, gathering and analysing specimen data, managing data, and contributing to written reports.

Any other reasonable duties as required.

Person Specification

Essential Skills

Ability to distil detailed technical guidance documents and translate into practical advice

Ability to support the development and implementation of procedures, workflows and standards of collections management

• Excellent organisation and planning skills and close attention to detail

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to develop effective working relationships with colleagues across RBGE and our broad user community, persuade and influence

• Ability to prioritise a high workload and deliver to tight deadlines

• Experience of working with or using natural science or museum collections

• Knowledge of national and international museum standards, guidance and best practice relevant to collections registration

• A degree in a relevant subject

Desirable

• Experience of working with a collections management system

• Knowledge of UK biodiversity and nature law and policy

• Knowledge of international laws and conventions relating to biodiversity, access and benefit sharing such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species

• Knowledge of UK and international laws on plant health