Human Remains Collections Specialist: Bioanthropologist for N. American Human Remains

As part of a 2016 IMLS National Leadership Grant, this full-time (35 hours per week), three-year term biological anthropology position will develop improved data access for North American human remains and a plan for improved standards of curation for these remains. Will also inventory, document, and individuate human remains from North America. Coordinates access to human remains and maintenance of storage facilities. This three-year initiative, entitled Collaborative Curation: Building a 21st Century Model for the Care of North American Human Remains, will generate essential, innovative approaches for museums to respectfully curate North American human remains.

Duties and Responsibilities
• Upgrades and maintains storage conditions for North American human remains utilizing preventative conservation methods. Organizes, inventories, handles, moves, and tracks relevant human remains and prepares them for rehousing.
• Monitors movement of human remains at all stages and is responsible for keeping the inventory database up-to-date. Consults with the Head Registrar regarding the database and the accuracy of its information including working with staff to solve cataloging problems in order to improve the veracity of data in the collections records and database.
• Assists Repatriation staff with tribal consultations as well as the documentation and repatriation of Native North American human remains.
• May assist with a two-day invited symposium to be held in fall of 2017, which will bring together leaders from Native North American communities, museum professionals, and scientists to identify challenging issues, discuss multiple perspectives, and develop potential solutions.
• Supervises other volunteers, interns, and visitors as required. Records visits to human remains.
• Performs other collections-related activities as assigned.

Qualifications
• PhD degree in Biological Anthropology with extensive experience preferred.
• At least five years of handling and caring for human remains required.
• Community engagement experience highly desirable.
• Demonstrated superb organizational skills, impeccable attention to detail, ability to focus on tasks, ability to communicate effectively, treatment of human remains with care and dignity, and skilled in negotiation and resolution of non-routine problems.
• Possess knowledge of physical anthropology, especially osteology, human skeletal biology, and paleopathology.
• An in-depth knowledge of accepted museum collections care practices and procedures expected including the legal and ethical treatment of human remains.
• Demonstrated computer proficiency with museum collections databases, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. Working knowledge of KE EMu highly desirable.
• Ability to work alone or in a team situation required. Must be able to work with collections and records for long hours. Examination of artifacts and human remains may demand stooping, kneeling, bending, and climbing a ladder.