Kenneth C. Griffin Postdoctoral Fellow for Paleontology

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s preeminent scientific and cultural institutions, and has as its mission to discover, interpret and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education and exhibition.

The Vertebrate Paleontology department is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to design and complete original research projects under the guidance of Museum scientists/professionals for the purpose of scholarly impact, including through publication in refereed literature and presentation at conferences, workshops and seminars. The postdoctoral position is a period of mentored advanced training, scientific research and/or pedagogical contributions designed to enhance the incumbent’s professional, research and scholarly proficiency.

This position will last for 36 months. It consists of conducting original research in fields related to stegosaurs: their biology, taxonomy and evolution; descriptive and comparative osteology; osteohistology; CT scanning; and structured light scanning and statistics, with a focus on the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation of North America.

Job duties include, but are not limited to:

• Carry out original scientific research.
• Write and publish peer-reviewed papers and other scholarly material on the results of the research.
• Present scientific results at professional meetings, scientific institutions and when appropriate to the media and popular audiences.
• Share expertise and insights to cultivate a collaborative research environment.
• Other duties as assigned, including public education and outreach or other activities related to engagement of broad audience with Museum research

The expected salary for the Postdoctoral Fellow is $69,108/annual. The AMNH offers an extensive benefits package designed to meet the needs of our dedicated and diverse community.

Pay will be determined based on several factors. The hiring range for the position at commencement is based on the type of work and the scope of responsibilities. The salary and placement offered is based on a number of individualized factors, including, but not limited to, skills, knowledge, training, education, credentials, areas of specialization and depth and scope of experience.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Defended PhD in vertebrate paleontology or a related field, with confirmation that all graduation requirements have been completed by start of employment.
• Prior research experience with evidence of scientific research outcomes resulting from or following obtaining a PhD.
• Experience with processes, methods, equipment, computer programming, etc., required to conduct the proposed researching, including.
• Descriptive, taxonomic or systematics experience with vertebrate skeletal anatomy.
• Demonstrated understanding of and interest in the biology and evolution of extinct vertebrates.

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position (sitting or standing) for prolonged periods.
• Must be able to occasionally lift up to 20 pounds.
• Must be able to move about the Museum campus.
• Positioning/change of positioning: Must be able to frequently position oneself/body to accomplish job duties.
• Climbing: Ascending or descending physical structures.
• Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and up to 20 pounds of force frequently. May include any of the following.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to drag, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position.