Zurich
3 weeks ago
Specialist in Vascular Plant Collection of the United Herbaria Zurich (m/f/d) 60%-80%
- Publication date:16 October 2025
- Workload:60 – 80%
- Place of work:Zurich
Job summary
Join the Vereinigten Herbarien Zürich as a specialist in vascular plants. Experience a unique opportunity in a collaborative environment.
Tasks
- Assist in managing the vascular plant collection effectively.
- Document and catalog nomenclatural types and protologues.
- Support data entry for taxonomic revisions into the database.
Skills
- A Master's degree in Biology or Environmental Sciences is required.
- Knowledge of systematic botany and taxonomic issues is essential.
- Fluent in German and English, with strong attention to detail.
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About the job
Specialist in Vascular Plant Collection of the United Herbaria Zurich (m/f/d)
60%-80%, Zurich, temporary
The United Herbaria of ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich are jointly operated by both universities. With around 2.8 million plant specimens (plus 1 million fungal specimens), this herbarium is one of the 15 largest scientific collections in the world. The vascular plants are managed by Dr. Alessia Guggisberg on behalf of ETH Zurich, who is affiliated with the Chair of Ecological Plant Genetics of Prof. Alex Widmer at the Department of Environmental Systems Science.
Job description
As a specialist, you will support the curator and her staff in managing and indexing the vascular plant collection of the United Herbaria Zurich.
Your responsibilities include:
- independently shelving returned loans and new acquisitions
- recording nomenclatural types including protologues of original descriptions
- transferring taxonomic revisions into the in-house database
- providing herbarium specimens for digitization
Through these activities, you will gain broad insight into the daily operations of a globally significant herbarium, expand your knowledge in botany, and travel through space and time by handling historical cultural assets. The position can be started from January 5, 2026, and is initially limited to 12 months.
Profile
You have at least a university master’s degree in biology, environmental sciences, or a comparable field. You possess knowledge in systematic botany, have already dealt with taxonomic and nomenclatural issues, and are familiar with scientific literature research. You have good German and English skills, both spoken and written, appreciate precise and careful work with natural history collections, and bring a quality-conscious and responsible attitude in handling cultural assets. You are an independent personality with an eye for detail, but also have the ability to work in a team and set priorities.
Workplace
Workplace
We offer
With us
- you are part of a small, cooperative team
- you receive a challenging and varied activity
- you can work independently and responsibly
- you take responsibility for a nationally and internationally significant scientific collection
Diversity and sustainability are important to us
Curious? So are we.
We look forward to receiving your online application by November 30, 2025, with the following documents:
- Motivation letter
- Curriculum vitae
- Diplomas and certificates
- Work references
- Names and contact details of two references
We will review all applications within approximately 10 days after the application deadline to inform you as soon as possible about the next steps in the selection process. Please apply exclusively via the online application portal. Applications by email or postal mail will not be considered.
Further information about the United Herbaria Zurich can be found on our website . For inquiries, the curator Dr. Alessia Guggisberg ( alessia.guggisberg@usys.ethz.ch ; no application documents) is happy to assist you.
We would like to point out that the pre-selection is carried out by the responsible recruiters and not by artificial intelligence.
For personnel placement, the Terms and Conditions of ETH Zurich apply.
