OMI Collections Associate

As a nationally accredited program with a strong educational
mission within The University of New Mexico School of Medicine, the Office of
the Medical Investigator (OMI) investigates deaths occurring throughout New
Mexico that are sudden, violent, untimely, unexpected, or unexplained. As a
special program within the Department of Pathology, OMI determines the cause
and manner of death and provides formal death certification.

The Office of the Medical Investigator is
seeking a Collections Associate to support the management, research,
documentation, and repatriation of Native American human remains and associated
cultural materials subject to the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). This position serves a critical role in ensuring
compliance with federal regulations while supporting OMI's commitment to
ethical stewardship, historical accountability, Tribal consultation, and
respectful repatriation efforts.

The Collections Associate will work closely with Tribal
Nations, the Maxwell Museum, University partners, and federal agencies to
inventory collections, conduct provenance research, reconcile records, prepare
regulatory documentation, and coordinate repatriation activities.

Our ideal candidate is highly organized,
detail-oriented, and capable of managing complex research and documentation
projects independently. The successful candidate will demonstrate
professionalism, cultural sensitivity, sound judgement, and the ability to build
collaborative working relationships with Tribal representatives, University
partners, museum personnel, and regulatory agencies. This individual should be
comfortable working with historical records, human remains collections,
regulatory requirements, and sensitive cultural materials while maintaining the
highest standards of stewardship and accountability.

OMI is a 24/7 facility, work on holidays and weekends may
be required.

Position Responsibilities

• Inventory Native American human remains and associated cultural materials maintained under OMI authority.
• Reconcile physical collections with historical, paper, and electronic records.
• Conduct provenance, acquisition, and historical research to establish the origin and context of collections.
• Evaluate collections for NAGPRA applicability and assist with compliance determinations.
• Coordinate and participate in consultation activities with Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, Cultural Preservation Offices, and Tribal representatives.
• Develop and maintain professional relationships with Tribal Nations and external stakeholders.
• Draft inventories, consultation materials, notices, determinations, and repatriation documentation required under NAGPRA.
• Serve as a liaison with National NAGPRA staff and other regulatory partners.
• Coordinate repatriation activities, including documentation, logistics, records maintenance, and physical transfer of remains and cultural items when appropriate.
• Maintain accurate records, databases, chain-of-custody documentation, and compliance files.
• Collaborate with the Maxwell Museum Laboratory of Human Osteology regarding collection access and related repatriation activities.
• Identify collection discrepancies and coordinate corrective actions as necessary.

See the Position Description for additional information.

Bachelor's degree; at least 3 years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified.

Completed degree(s) from an accredited institution that are above the minimum education requirement may be substituted for experience on a year for year basis.

• Bachelor's degree in Anthropology, Archaeology, Museum Studies, History, Indigenous Studies, Cultural Resource
• Management, Forensic Anthropology, or a closely related field.
• Experience working with museum, academic, archival, archaeological, or anthropological collections.
• Knowledge of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and applicable federal regulations.
• Experience conducting historical, genealogical, archival, or provenance research.
• Experience collaborating with Tribal governments, cultural preservation offices, or Indigenous communities.
• Strong organizational, project management, documentation, and records management skills.
• Ability to manage sensitive information with professionalism, discretion, and cultural awareness.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Only applications submitted through
the official UNMJobs site will be accepted. If you are viewing this job
advertisement on a 3rd party site, please
visit UNMJobs to submit an application.

Positions posted with a Staff Type of Regular or Term are eligible for the Veteran Preference Program. See the Veteran Preference Program webpage for additional details.

The University of New Mexico is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

The University of New Mexico requires all regular staff positions successfully pass a pre-employment background check. This may include, but is not limited to, a criminal history background check, New Mexico Department of Health fingerprint screening, New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department fingerprint screening, verification of education credentials, and/or verification of prior employment. For more information about background checks, visit https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3280.html. Refer to https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3200.html for a definition of Regular Staff.