Research Assistant (CCoIC)

Description

Title: Research Assistant (CCoIC)

Classification: Part Time, Temporary

Department: Anthropology

Reports To: Brian Barbier

Wage Band: Technical Skills Level 1

Pay Range: $20.80 - $22.70 per hour

Created: 1/9/2023

Revised: 5/10/2024

Mission: The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History inspires a thirst for discovery and a passion for the natural world.

Position Summary:

The Research Assistant reports to the Central Coast Information Center (CCoIC) Coordinator and works directly under the GIS and Database Manager and Assistant Coordinator, on-site at the Museum. Working under direct supervision with detailed instructions, the incumbent processes newly submitted historical and cultural resource reports and/or records into the CCoIC’s bibliographic and GIS database; assists in general office duties; and assists cultural and historical resources consultants conducting research at the CCoIC.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Assesses cultural resource record and report submissions to the CCIC and prepares documents for accession into the CCIC inventory.
• Assigns primary identifiers for each record and report, completes database records, digitizes source documents, and organizes paper archives, as needed.
• Plots cultural resources site record and survey report locational data into the CCoIC’s geographic information system (GIS) database.
• Performs quality control edits on legacy GIS data.
• Contributes to a positive guest experience by greeting and addressing any questions when encountering guests as they navigate through the Museum and Sea Center.
• Supports the Museum’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion for fellow staff, guests and the community.
• Other duties as assigned.

Essential Requirements:

• Completion of a high school program or its equivalent and some experience in an office environment.
• Coursework in any of the anthropology, archaeology, history, geography, or a related field (degree completion not required).
• Good oral and written communication skills.
• Basic proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel, and Adobe Acrobat Pro.
• Detail oriented.

Preferred Requirements:

• Bachelor of Arts degree or equivalent education and experience, and/or an internship at the CCoIC or other Information Center.
• Familiarity with CRM practices, historical and archaeological resource documentation and evaluation, through coursework, internship or professional experience.

Work Environment:

• General office environment; frequent use of a computer workstation, occasional use of scanning and copying equipment, including large-format scanners. 
• Close proximity to other staff and interns. The Research Assistant will occasionally assist staff with accessing archived records housed off-site and assist in transporting records between the office and off-site storage.
• Frequent sitting with occasional standing, walking, bending, and lifting of light to moderate loads (10-40 lbs.)

The incumbent must be able to perform each requirement of the position as outlined in the job description. Essential Requirements are representative and are essential for satisfactory job performance. The Work Environment characteristics are representative of those that may be encountered while on the job. The Museum will make reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

*The pay range above represents the lowest possible rate for the position and the highest possible rate. Factors that may be used to determine where newly hired employees will be placed in the pay range include the employee specific skills and qualifications, relevant years of experience and comparison to other employees already in this role. Most often, a newly hired employee will be placed below the midpoint of the range.

Salary : $21 - $23