Jobs, Internships, Volunteering

Summary of Position:

The Nature Museum prides itself on original, creative, educational exhibits and programming that inspire our visitors to learn more about the world around them. Critical to this is creating and maintaining a safe, clean, and fun environment that our visitors can enjoy. The Building Operations Manager will act as the main contact for all building-related needs including the facilities maintenance, security contractor, and building technical services. The role will also provide critical oversight and support of special events concerning the planning of facilities' porter functions and security personnel. This position will work collaboratively across various departments, with internal and external teams, as well as independently. The candidate will possess excellent communication, planning, and organizational skills. Must be able to work weekend hours as needed.

Primary Responsibilities:

Contractor Oversight and Management

• Serve as the primary contact for building maintenance and repair contractors, supervising their work to ensure quality and compliance. Oversee preventive maintenance, emergency repairs, and vendor coordination (elevator services, HVAC, security, custodial maintenance, roofing, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing contractors).
• Onboard and supervise maintenance and security contractors.
• Coordinate staff coverage for facilities and security operations.

Regulatory Compliance

• Act as the main liaison with the City of Chicago building inspectors and Chicago Park District personnel.
• Ensure building-related emergency systems are up to code.

Facility Oversight:

• Manage and maintain storage areas, including mechanical/electrical/plumbing storage, facilities storage, and the paint room.
• Perform light electrical, plumbing, drywall, lighting, and painting tasks as needed.
• Ensure cleanliness and organization of the loading dock and paver lot.
• Coordinate and assist with snow removal as necessary.
• Conduct annual building envelope inspections and address any identified issues.

Administrative Duties:

• Process purchase orders and invoices for contractors and vendors.
• Maintain inventory and order facility maintenance supplies.
• Log technical activities in Building Report Entries.

Event Coordination:

• Act as the main point of contact for building-related internal and external special event needs, including room setup, AV coordination, and staffing.
• Attend meetings related to internal and special events to ensure operational readiness.

Cross-Department Collaboration:

• Partner with IT to monitor non-exhibit AV equipment functionality.
• Collaborate with Exhibits, Collections & Archives, and Biology teams to maintain proper environmental conditions in exhibit galleries and other key areas.

Pest Management:

• Work closely with the museum’s pest management group and relevant staff to address pest issues at the museum building.
• Ensure vendor compliance with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policies.

Working Conditions:

• Lift and carry up to 50 lbs. regularly.
• Split time between on-site floor work (70%) and desk-based tasks (30%).
• Frequent ladder use (4’, 6’, and 10’) and physical movements such as bending, crouching, and reaching.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Assist with facilities projects at the museum's offsite collections facility as required.
• Other duties as assigned.

This description outlines a dynamic role requiring a blend of technical expertise, organizational skills, and the ability to collaborate across departments to ensure smooth building operations and support museum objectives.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental + Vision Plans
• Life + Disability Benefits
• EAP + Work/Life Program Services
• 401(k) Savings Plan
• Paid Time Off

Pay

$58,000-$64,000 per year

Please send cover letter and resume to hr@naturemuseum.org

It is the policy of the Chicago Academy of Sciences/Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum to not discriminate against any applicant for employment, or any employee because of age, color, sex, disability, national origin, race, religion, or veteran status.

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences is hiring independent contractors to install and dismantle temporary exhibitions in the Special Exhibitions Gallery and for other events during the year on a temporary basis- generally winter, late spring, and early fall.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Requirements vary for each exhibition. Most contractors will be required, under direction of the Exhibit Production Supervisor and/or the Lead Exhibit Fabricator to:

• Assist in preparing the gallery (including new construction, and repainting).
• Assist the forklift operator loading and unloading trucks at the dock.
• Handle crates to and from the dock, the freight elevator and the 2^nd floor gallery.
• Pack and unpack exhibit components and move empty crates to and from storage.
• Distribute and assemble or disassemble components per provided instructions and drawings.
• Assist in hanging, moving, and focusing lighting instruments in the gallery.
• Clear and clean the gallery and the exhibition in preparation for opening.
• Ability to lift and hold up to 60 lbs.
• Familiarity with the safe use of hand and power tools, dock equipment and personal protective gear, and general carpentry/assembly experience are preferred.
• A positive attitude toward the work and the exhibition team, pleasant and professional conduct toward all museum staff and visitors, and self-motivation to complete assigned tasks are required.

Compensation: Compensation starts at $15 per hour working 6-10 hours per day.

Some evenings and/or weekends are required.

How to Apply:

Please send resume to CAScontractor@naturemuseum.org

No phone calls please. Only qualified candidates will be contacted.

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in all areas of the organization. We strongly encourage applications from people of color and members of underrepresented groups.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the US. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visa at this time.

Location: Lake County, Illinois

Job Description: Two ecological monitoring technician positions are available to assist the Lake County Forest Preserve District with its Ecological Monitoring Program from late April through October 2025 (approximate dates). As part of a partnership between the Chicago Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Lake County Forest Preserve District (LCFPD), each organization will hire two ecological monitoring technicians, who will cross-train and work as a team of four. (Please note that there will be a separate posting for the two LCFPD technician positions.) Lake County is located north of Chicago, IL and boasts 65 preserves managed for biodiversity and natural resources, set within a suburban landscape. Technicians will conduct a variety of wildlife and vegetation surveys including: coverboard and live-trap surveys for fish, amphibians, and reptiles, observational invertebrate surveys, herbaceous plant monitoring, tree and shrub monitoring, plant-pollinator network monitoring, and may have an opportunity for involvement in telemetry/nest monitoring for endangered Blanding’s turtles, or smooth greensnake nest monitoring/egg incubation. One of the technician positions will be more involved with wildlife monitoring and the other with vegetation monitoring. Both technicians will be trained in wildlife and vegetation monitoring and equipment will be provided for all essential job duties. Technicians will work with CAS Biologists and LCFPD Ecologists, and will be expected to work independently depending on scheduling and survey type. 

*This position is ideal for recent graduates looking to develop proficiency in a wide variety of wildlife and vegetation survey techniques*.

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in all areas of the organization. We strongly encourage applications from people of color and members of underrepresented groups.

Qualifications: Ideal candidates will be comfortable independently working long hours in the outdoors with little shade and with abundant biting insects, ticks, and poison ivy. Familiarity with field sampling techniques across taxa. The most important qualification is an enthusiasm for fieldwork and wildlife biology.

Additional Requirements Include:

• B.S./B.A. in wildlife, ecology, botany/plant ecology, environmental biology, natural resources, biology or related field with relevant coursework

• Valid driver’s license and insurance

• Familiarity with or *ability to learn* regional vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant species and ability to safely handle large and potentially aggressive animals (e.g. snapping turtles)

• Ability to read maps and navigate to survey points with GPS

• Adherence to safety and animal handling protocols

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

• Ability to think critically and troubleshoot problems

• Ability to communicate effectively with forest preserve agency personnel and the public regarding project details

• Flexibility regarding work schedule and conditions

• Ability to work outdoors in a variety of weather conditions and habitats

• Physical strength, stamina, and endurance sufficient for full days of strenuous field work (several miles of hiking in waders while carrying heavy (35 lbs) equipment in hot weather)

• Commitment to a safe, equitable, and inclusive work environment

• Sense of humor. Everyone floods their waders, but it doesn’t have to ruin your day.

Essential Job Functions:

• Capturing, handling, and identifying, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and invertebrates

• Safely marking and measuring reptiles and small mammals

• Setting, baiting, checking, and cleaning aquatic and mammal traps

• Deploying and maintaining camera traps

• Conducting vegetation surveys for herbaceous plants, trees, and shrubs

• Following disinfection procedures and biosecurity

• Traveling among field sampling sites and wildlife facilities

• Maintaining accurate notes/reliable data entry, data entry into database

• Basic data summarization for end-of-year reports

• Working without direct supervision

Salary: Range: $17.75-$19.75/hr (depending on qualifications), 37.5 hr per week; bunkhouse style lodging available first come first serve~$217/month; work vehicle provided for trap deployment/removal, but personal vehicles may be required for daily sampling activities (with mileage reimbursement).

How to Apply: Those interested should submit their application to hr-biofieldtech@naturemuseum.org as a single document (PDF) containing a brief cover letter, resume/CV, and contact information for 3 references. Please indicate within the cover letter which position you are more interested in (wildlife or vegetation focused), but all applications will be considered for both. The email subject should read: "LastName_EMPTech_Application_2025" and the document filename should be: "LastName_EMPTech_Application_2025". 

Applications received by January 24th, 2025 are guaranteed consideration. However, applications will be reviewed as they are received.