Bryony Smart

Experience

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  Massey University

  Aug 2010 - Aug 2012

  Project Manager (Research)

  I was promoted into this role with the Social & Health Outcomes Research & Evaluation unit while doing temporary work as a Data Entry Clerk in the final semester of my BSc.I was tasked with planning, setting up, and then managing two major government-funded research projects on drug use and crime - the Illicit Drug Monitoring System project (IDMS), and the New Zealand Arrestee Drug Use Monitoring project (NZ-ADUM). This included tendering for, and managing, a three year budget of about $1.2M per project along with two other managers. I was responsible for recruiting and managing almost 40 people simultaneously across four cities, and also worked with a number of external stakeholders, including the NZ Police, throughout the projects.Running these projects required me to efficiently manage the large data sets that were collected, and to undertake robust data analysis. I interpreted the statistics to determine whether the results were significant, creating graphs and converting the results into formats that were easily understood by non-scientists. I presented the results, and my interpretations and conclusions in large 500+ page annual reports, as required. These reports were used to inform government policies around drug use and control. I left this position to start my MSc. Show less

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  Traydec NZ Ltd

  Jan 2014 - May 2015

  Office administrator & accountant (part-time)

  Traydec NZ Ltd is a building company specialising in steel composite flooring systems.In my role here I managed the day-to-day finances of the company. My responsibilities included running the factory stock inventory, invoicing clients, paying bills on schedule, reconciling the accounts, and managing the staff payroll and annual leave. I managed all of this through the use of the MYOB (Mind Your Own Business) software in combination with Microsoft Excel and paper records.

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  Auckland War Memorial Museum

  Mar 2014 - May 2015

  Assistant Curator ( part-time volunteer)

  I volunteered part-time at the Auckland Herbarium (housed at Auckland war Memorial Museum) to assist with curation work.This role required the use of my botanical skills to perform a variety of tasks. I undertook specimen classification, using botanical literature and keys as necessary. This was primarily of New Zealand material, but included working with specimens from Australia and the Pacific. A major task was the reorganisation of the genus Kunzea over a four month period, which required painstaking analysis of more than 40 boxes of specimens.I used the Vernon database system to create more than 1,100 records of new specimens. I also updated the records of numerous existing specimens so they conformed to current best practice and reflected changes in nomenclature and classification. Show less

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  Society for General Microbiology

  Jul 2015 - Oct 2015

  Database Administrator
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  Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

  Oct 2015 - Mar 2016

  Digitisation Officer, Reflora Project

  As a member of the digitisation team, I was responsible for selecting, barcoding and imaging Brazilian herbarium specimens. My botanical training and herbarium experience allowed me to capture images and data to the highest standard. This role involved working with professional photographic equipment, botanical databases and programmes such as Photoshop.

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  Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden

  Jun 2016 - Nov 2018

  Head Botanist

  As the Head Botanist at Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden (PTK) I was responsible for all the scientific work undertaken at the garden.I created scientific and education projects, applied for grants to fund them and then ran the projects until complete. I regularly undertook field surveys in remote parts of Laos, cataloguing the flora of the area and collecting specimens. All the collections at the gardens are entered into a plant record database, and I managed the staff responsible for this, and made decisions on how the information was retained. This also involved botanical photography for the records and future plant identification.Writing top quality scientific reports and papers based on the project work and scientific research done at PTK was part of this job. My responsibilities included creating educational material as well. This ranged from writing all the information boards for public engagement in the gardens to creating and teaching short botany and ecology courses for local students. On a day-to-day basis I worked with the garden staff to improve their botanical, management and English skills. I travelled regularly for scientific conferences and project meetings in Asia. I represented PTK in the South East Asia Botanic Gardens network and met with regional and international partners regarding joint projects (such as conservation of rare plant species) and future collaborations. I also consulted on IUCN Red Listing for Laos and various other programmes including CITES and the Nagoya Protocol. Show less

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  GIZ

  Aug 2018 - Oct 2018

  Consultant (part-time)

  Worked on a short contract (3 months) creating and implementing a sustainable tourism incentive system (business to customer) to increase sustainable behaviour in tourists visiting Luang Prabang. Included website creation and staff training.

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  The University of Auckland

  Aug 2019 - Aug 2021

  Technical Team Leader for the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology group within the School of Biological Sciences. Promoted into this role from 'Senior Technician - Ecology' position.Manage a technical team of 7-9 staff to:- deliver undergrad teaching (field trips and labs) to thousands of students- provide research support- manage multiple busy laboratories- ensure field work health and safety in teaching and researchManage the school's facilities, equipment and budgets, recruit new technical staff, manage all CITES for the facility. Ensure all facilities comply with MPI Physical Containment requirements (PC1 & 2).Critical part of the school's covid-19 planning and response, ensuring essential research can continue safely during lockdowns. Show less

  • Technical Team Lead

    Jan 2020 - Aug 2021

  • Senior Technician - Ecology

    Aug 2019 - Jan 2020
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  Auckland Council

  Aug 2021 - now

  Senior Biosecurity Advisor - Pest Plants