NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF SCOTLAND jobs

Full time (35 hours), permanent post, based in Edinburgh
Salary £40,112 plus generous holiday entitlement, Civil Service pension and other benefits.

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a world leading centre for plant science and conservation, with a strong commitment to inclusion, sustainability, and collaboration. We are seeking a Herbarium Registrar to help steward our unique National Collections.

The Herbarium supports the breadth of research, education and public engagement at RBGE. Our vibrant user community includes RBGE staff, students, associates, and visiting researchers. The collection is internationally renowned, with over 3 million specimens of plants and fungi spanning four centuries. We hold exceptional collections for Scotland, Asia and the Arabian Peninsula, and systematic foci including cryptogams, fungi, Pteridophytes, and flowering plant families Zingiberaceae, Sapotaceae, Gesneriaceae, Begoniaceae and Solanaceae. You will join a team dedicated to preserving the collection while ensuring our collections remain accessible, relevant, and rigorously documented.

Reporting to the Plant Records Officer and working closely with the Deputy Director of Science (Collections), the Herbarium Registrar plays an essential role in the day-to-day running of the Herbarium. You will be responsible for the documentation and movement of our botanical specimens, ensuring RBGE policies are implemented, and maintaining the accuracy and integrity of our digital and physical records using the collections management system. You will manage specimen accessions, loans, and sampling requests, working with the curation team and external colleagues to process specimens through incoming and outgoing collections management workflows. Your role will include facilitating visitor access, ensuring Herbarium users have the information they need; coordinating tours; and handling other requests for access to the Herbarium. You will assist with research projects in the collections, helping to gather and analyse data, and write written reports which may contribute to peer-reviewed publications.

This is a rare opportunity to work with a busy National Collection used by a wide range of scientists and other researchers. We are looking for a highly motivated individual with knowledge of natural science or museum collections and the ability to translate technical information into practical advice. You are meticulous and well organised, with the management skills to prioritise your workload and deliver at pace, excellent communication skills and experience of working collaboratively. We welcome applicants who can demonstrate relevant experience and transferable skills, and who are motivated to make a difference in an organisation dedicated to nature.

To apply, please email recruitment@rbge.org.uk with the following:

• Your CV
• A covering letter outlining the skills, knowledge and experience you would bring to the post

Closing date: Midday (BST) on Tuesday 30 June 2026
Interview date: Week commencing 20 July 2026

If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been shortlisted. No recruitment agencies please.

Contact our recruitment team

If you have any questions, or require any documents in an accessible format, please email recruitment@rbge.org.uk or by using the enquiry form.