The NZ Indigenous Flora Seed Bank has secured funding for an 18 week Myrtle Rust seed bank coordinator position, starting with immediate effect (within +/- 2 weeks). Candidates for this post/ secondment will need to have the right to work in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

The Myrtaceae Seed Bank Coordinator will be responsible for the receipt, processing, quality assessment, banking of seed and accessioning of the herbarium specimens plus administering the data accompanying Myrtaceae collections arriving at the New Zealand Indigenous flora seed bank.

Specific tasks will include:

• coordinating receipt of samples and liaising with Myrtaceae seed collection coordinators plus trained NZIFSB seed collectors
• undertaking/overseeing arrival of collections and their transfer to the drying room (15% relative humidity (RH))
• managing collections through the drying process: undertaking processing and quality assessment (germination/tetrazolium testing) of collections and coordinating processing and quality assessment of collections by volunteers and others as appropriate.
• managing or undertaking final dry down to 15% RH and banking of the seed at -20°C.
• Transfer of accessions for safety duplicate storage
• accessioning of herbarium specimens into the Dame Ella Campbell herbarium and transferof duplicates to the Allan herbarium
• management of data associated with the collections and herbarium voucher specimens
• including entry of data in BRAHMS (Botanical Research and Herbarium Management
• System) and Margot Forde Forage Germplasm Centre databases.
• Responding to enquires relating to the banking of seed in consultation with the NZIFSB project leader, Ministry for Primary Industries or Department of Conservation as appropriate.

The position will be a full time fixed-term position of 18 weeks duration. The position will be based at Massey University in Palmerston North.

Applicants will need to have the ability to begin paid employment in New Zealand within the next two weeks. (early June 2017)

Anyone interested in taking up this offer is to please contact Craig McGill, project leader for the NZIFSB, based at Massey University, by email: C.R.McGill@massey.ac.nz, or on direct dial is ++64 6 951 7803.