Project Officer

PESI project

Fixed-term appointment, 22 months full-time.

Based at the Natural History Museum, South Kensington, Salary £28,000 p.a.

The Natural History Museum is leading a Work Package within a project funded through the EU Framework 7 Capacities Work Programme, entitled “A Pan-European Species-directories Infrastructure” (http://www.eu-nomen.eu/pesi). This 3-year project, which commenced in May 2008, is led by the University of Amsterdam and involves 40 partner organisations from 26 countries. PESI will integrate the infrastructural components of four major community networks on taxonomic indexing, namely those of marine life, terrestrial plants, fungi and animals, into a joint work programme. In addition, PESI will set up networks of both taxonomic experts and regional focal points and will work to address the issues of pooling resources, standardisation, sustainability, accessibility and international cooperation.

Work Package 4, led by the NHM deals with the development, integration and application of taxonomic standards. We shall be working closely with relevant standards organisations and nomenclators (such as GBIF, ZooBank, IPNI, Index Fungorum and Algaebase). Work will include development of management classification schemes, a controlled terminology for species status and utilisation of globally unique identifiers for names (GUIDs). Required deliverables will take the form of four reports to the EU Commission.

You will be working under the direction of the Work Package Leader and will have responsibility for undertaking the NHM programme of work. You will be liaising closely with the five other partners in the work package and with other work packages. There will be a small amount of foreign travel to attend meetings.

You will be expected to have the ability both to work on your own initiative and as part of a collaborative team. You will be good at assessing facts and making reasoned judgements. A working knowledge of databases (preferably to do with biodiversity informatics), and of a European language, would be useful. You will have experience of producing technical reports. You will be able to demonstrate a familiarity with biological nomenclature and taxonomic classification. You must have a degree in a biological science or a computing discipline, preferably at PhD level, together with substantial experience as a professional or academic natural scientist or computer scientist.

For a full job description and to apply online please visit the Natural History Museum website at www.nhm.ac.uk/jobs

Closing date: Sunday 16 November 2008.

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