Job Description

Assistant Collection Manager, Frozen Collections

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) seeks an Assistant Collections Manager for Frozen Collections. This is a three-year temporary, full-time, non-exempt position funded through a National Science Foundation grant. The Assistant Collections Manager will work with collections and curatorial staff to transition frozen tissue collections and operations from conventional to vapor-phase nitrogen storage. Priorities include rehousing samples, reconfiguring the NHMLAC freezer room, installing equipment, updating database records, and developing procedures. The Assistant Collections Manager will coordinate daily operations in the freezer room, including training users, installing newly acquired samples, assisting with tissue subsampling for research loans, maintaining supplies, and ensuring safe operations. This position reports to the Associate Vice President for Collections and is available in September 2026.

The Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County include the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park and La Brea Tar Pits in Hancock Park. They operate under the collective vision to inspire wonder, discovery, and responsibility for our natural and cultural worlds. The museums hold one of the world’s most extensive and valuable collections of natural and cultural history—more than 35 million objects—used for groundbreaking scientific and historical research, and community engagement. From NHM’s opening in 1913 as the very first museum in Los Angeles, the organization has entered an exciting new era of transformation with building projects and campaigns, exhibitions, community outreach and impactful audience engagement.

NHMLAC’s values—adventurous, inclusive, authentic, and intentional—guide our work and visitor experience, committing us to foster a welcoming, safe and respectful workplace environment where innovation and collaboration thrive and every team member can contribute their unique perspectives to advance our mission. NHMLAC seeks candidates who are aligned with our values and priorities, and are passionate about connecting science with the vibrant and diverse communities we serve throughout Los Angeles.

PRIMARY DUTIES

1. Collections Care: Participates in curation and collection management activities including transfer, tracking, rehousing, labeling, and cataloguing samples. Exercises independent judgement in the handling of frozen samples under the general direction of individual collections managers, curators, and the AVP for Collections.
2. Collections Documentation: Maintains sample records and supplies data for reports and inquiries. Works with the project data technician, database administrator, and collection managers to document location and condition of tissue samples in the EMu database
3. Collection Work Space Maintenance: Participates in the routine monitoring and maintenance of the freezer room, maintains an orderly and organized facility, and coordinates maintenance needs with Operations. Prepares supply orders and manages supply inventory.
4. Procedure Management: Develops and maintains facility procedures and workflows in collaboration with the Frozen Collections Working Group. Keeps procedure documents updated and accessible.
5. Safety and Training: Provides safety training to facility users, and maintains training records, safety data sheets (SDSs), and other required documentation. Enforces safety rules with the support of other museum staff.
6. Project Coordination: Tracks grant project milestones, reports progress, and provides information as needed to supervisors, the Frozen Collections Working Group, and the Director of Grants and Sponsored Programs.

SECONDARY DUTIES

1. Public Programs Support: Participates in public programming activities related to the grant, such as assisting with exhibitions, presenting public programs and activities, and participating in educational programs. Conducts facility tours as needed.
2. Research Support: Assists collections staff by retrieving tissue samples and/or subsampling for tissue loans that have been approved by the relevant Curator.
3. Staff and Volunteer Coordination: Provides training, operational coordination, and functional supervision to staff, volunteers, work study students, interns, and contractors as needed.

ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The incumbent is in a non-confined office- and lab-type setting in which he or she is free to move about at will. The environment for this position is mostly clean and comfortable but may include some minor annoyances such as noise, odors, drafts, etc. In the course of performing this work, the incumbent:

• Will work with cryogenic storage equipment containing liquid and vapor-phase nitrogen, such as freezers, dewars, dry shippers, pressurized vessels, and transport pods.
• Will work with samples, supplies, and equipment at very low temperatures.
• Must use personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, face shield, lab coat, and foot coverings.
• Must climb steps and stepladders.
• Will spend substantial time sitting, utilizing the computer.
• Must travel via personal vehicle or public transport to off-site meetings.
• May lift up to 25 lbs. periodically.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in biology, environmental science, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated excellent and meticulous attention to detail and completeness working with small physical samples, written records, and computerized information.
• Demonstrated ability to follow detailed protocols and procedures.
• Professional-level writing skills, including technical procedures, workflows, emails, and reports.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience working with natural history collections.
• Working knowledge of the use of computer databases in natural history collections.
• Experience with techniques to prevent cross-contamination in molecular biology, DNA sequencing, or similar fields.

OTHER INFORMATION

Hourly wage for this position is $26.00 plus excellent benefits. This is a full-time, temporary (3-year term), non-exempt position. Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States.

The primary location for this job is at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, in Exposition Park in Los Angeles, California. Some offsite travel may be required.

NHMLAC is a nonprofit organization committed to fostering a workplace and public environment that uplifts Kindness, Fairness, Openness and Dignity. These values extend not only to our employees, but to our guests, local community, and organizational partners. If you are interested in this position, we encourage you to apply!

HOW TO APPLY

The application deadline is September 8, 2026. Submit a current resume, a cover letter describing how your experience, knowledge, and interest qualify you for this position, and the names and contact information for three professional references using the link on the Museum’s employment site or by following the link from https://nhm.org/careers-our-museums/careers-natural-history-museum.

Applicants and employees are invited to identify reasonable accommodations that can be made to assist them to perform the essential functions of the position they seek or occupy. The incumbent must be able to perform this job safely, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health or safety of him/herself or others.

Please contact jobs@nhm.org for any application inquiries.