Job Opportunities

Grass Taxonomist

 

Ref: 220

Hours of work: 36 (41 hours gross)

Job status: Permanent, Band D

Salary per annum: £25,281

Department and location: Commelinids, Systematics - Herbarium, Library, Art & Archives

Job Details

Grasses (Poaceae) are the second largest monocot family with c.11,000 species. They include the world's most economically important plants, the cereals and they are a key component of many ecosystems. With their C 3 /C 4 photosynthetic capability, they are highly important indicators of vegetation shifts brought about by climate change, deforestation and other human activities.

RBG Kew has long tradition of excellence in taxonomic research on Grasses and our collections of Grasses are second-to-none. This role presents a great opportunity deliver Kew's mission and build on previous successes by managing GrassBase, our online world Flora of grasses, and undertaking taxonomic research on grasses as part the Commelinids Team within Kew's Herbarium, a globally significant resource for plant diversity research and conservation.

The postholder will be expected to:

•  manage GrassBase, including data entry and updates, integrity checks and development of the website;

•  undertake floristic and monographic research on the taxonomy of grasses primarily using the herbarium collections, writing up the research in high quality publications;

•  identify and name of dried and living material of grasses and related families;

•  undertake collaborative fieldwork to improve collections and obtain herbarium and DNA material for research;

•  undertake teaching on Kew courses and participate in international conferences;

•  line-manage staff.

In addition to a salary of £25,281 per annum and our stunning work environment, Kew offers a generous annual leave entitlement of 30 days per annum, a choice of defined benefit or stakeholder pension and a flexible benefits scheme.

 

Essentials:

•  MSc in plant science or minimum 2 years of equivalent experience.

•  Experience of managing and working with biological databases.

•  Experience in plant taxonomy/systematics.

 

Desirable are:

•  PhD in plant science.

•  Experience in the taxonomy/systematics of grasses or closely related groups.

 

CLOSING DATE: Friday 12th February 2010, 12 pm
INTERVIEW DATE: Week commencing 1 st March 2010

How To Apply

1. Download and read the information below.

2. Complete an application form:

3. Return your application ideally by email to jobs@kew.org or by post to: HR Recruitment, 47 Kew Green, Kew, Surrey. TW9 3AB

PLEASE NOTE:
 
We will only contact those candidates selected for interview. Therefore if you have not heard from us within 3 weeks of the closing date, you should presume that you will not be called for interview.

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to call the recruitment team on 020 8332 5150 (24hr) or 020 8332 5184 (office hours).

NO AGENCIES PLEASE