National Museums Scotland is one of the leading museum groups in Europe with one of the largest and most diverse collections in the world.
As an organisation our values are Creative, Inclusive, Collaborative and Forward-thinking.
We are looking for enthusiastic, passionate, honest, service-driven individuals to join our Natural Sciences team as Assistant Curator (Entomology).
National Museums Scotland offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the care, development, and preparation of one of the UK’s most significant entomological collections for digitisation.
As Assistant Curator (Entomology), you will support the curation of a globally important insect collection comprising approximately 2 million specimens, preserved in both dry and fluid formats. The collection is particularly strong in British—especially Scottish—insects, with major holdings in Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and parasitic Hymenoptera. It includes historically important material from collectors such as Dufresne, Wilson, Balfour-Browne, and Pelham-Clinton, and spans over 250 years of entomological history. The collection continues to grow through strategic acquisitions, international and national fieldwork, and contributions to major initiatives such as the Darwin Tree of Life (DToL), BIOSCAN, and UK Barcode of Life (UKBoL) projects. It is housed at the National Museums Collection Centre. This role is a two year post, funded by the NMS Charitable Trust (Pelham Cinton Fund)
As an Assistant Curator (Entomology) at National Museums Scotland you will:
Re-house and re-curate entomology collections in preparation for digitisation
Integrate new acquisitions into the main collection and improve documentation
Contribute to collections care and the loans programme, including courier duties
Host scientific visitors and answer public enquiries
Apply specialist knowledge to facilitate public access to the collection
Skills and experience we’re looking for in our Assistant Curator (Entomology):
A degree in Zoology, Entomology or a relevant subject
Knowledge of and enthusiasm for entomology and principles of taxonomy and zoological nomenclature
Knowledge of best practices in entomological collections management
Experience working (paid or unpaid) with natural history collections
Excellent ICT and data entry skills, including Microsoft Office and collections management databases
Hiring the right person for the right job is everything to us. We want to encourage you to apply if you think this is the role for you.
Please be sure to view our recruitment pack for this role (available on our careers website: careers.nms.ac.uk) for full details of the position that may help with your application.