[Gov] Plant Taxonomist

Plant Taxonomist is mainly responsible for –
(a) To conduct identification of medicinal plants and Chinese medicines (CM) for the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute;
(b) To draw up standard operating procedures for the collection and preservation of plant specimens;
(c) To provide advice on and formulate plans for the arrangement and storage of plant specimens;
(d) To assist in the preparation, cataloguing and data collection of various medicinal plant and CM specimens, as well as microscopic sections;
(e) To assist in the management and preservation of CM specimens;
(f) To assist in the management of the Medicinal Plant Garden;
(g) To liaise and collaborate with external herbaria;
(h) To provide training on plant taxonomy and morphological identification techniques for frontline or internal staff; and
(i) To perform any other duties as assigned by senior officers.

[Remark: May be required to work shift and irregular hours.]

Candidates should have –
(a) a Master degree or above in Plant Taxonomy, Botany, or a related subject from a university of Hong Kong, or equivalent Notes 1 and 2;
(b) at least four years' relevant full-time experience and possess in-depth professional knowledge in the identification and classification of herbarium specimens, plant biodiversity, classifications reflecting evolutionary relationships between different plant groups and species, and the authentication of Chinese Materia Medica varieties Note 3;
(c) excellent communication, interpersonal, analytical and organisation skills; and
(d) proficiency in written Chinese and English, and good command of spoken Cantonese, Putonghua and English.

Successful candidates will be appointed on non-civil service contract terms. Renewal of contract will be subject to the service need of the Department and the performance of the candidate.

Candidates appointed are eligible for 14 days’ paid annual leave per year. Other benefits such as rest days, statutory holidays (or substituted holidays), annual leave, maternity leave/ paternity leave and sickness allowance, where appropriate, will be granted in line with the Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57).

The application period for the position of Plant Taxonomist is from 2 October 2026 (Friday) to 15 October 2026 (Thursday). 

Applicants must apply online through the G.F. 340 Online Application System of the Civil Service Bureau (https://www.csb.gov.hk). Applications which are incomplete or submitted in person, by post, by fax or by e-mail will not be accepted. All applicants should provide relevant documents in support of their (a) qualification; and (b) working experiences to the designated e-mail address (appts_registry1@dh.gov.hk) within one week after the submission of on-line application. The title of the post being applied for and the on-line application number should be quoted in the e-mail and copies of the supporting documents.

If candidates fail to provide the supporting documents as required, their applications will not be considered. Applicants should provide their e-mail addresses on the application forms. Candidates who are selected for interview will normally receive an invitation by e-mail in about six to eight weeks after the application is received. Those who are not invited for interview may assume that their applications are unsuccessful.

(a) Candidates must be permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at the time of appointment unless specified otherwise.
(b) As an Equal Opportunities Employer, the Government is committed to eliminating discrimination in employment. The vacancy advertised is open to all candidates meeting the basic entry requirement irrespective of their disability, sex, marital status, pregnancy, age, family status, sexual orientation and race.
(c) Non-civil service vacancies are not posts on the civil service establishment. Candidates appointed are not on civil service terms of appointment and conditions of service. Candidates appointed are not civil servants and will not be eligible for posting, promotion or transfer to any posts in the Civil Service.
(d) The entry pay, terms of appointment and conditions of service to be offered are subject to the provisions prevailing at the time the offer of appointment is made.
(e) Where a large number of candidates meet the specified entry requirements, the recruiting department may devise shortlisting criteria to select the better qualified candidates for further processing. In these circumstances, only shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend recruitment examination and/or interview.
(f) It is Government policy to place people with a disability in appropriate jobs wherever possible. If a disabled candidate meets the entry requirements, he/she will be invited to attend the selection interview/written examination without being subject to further shortlisting. Applicants who have declared disabilities found suitable for appointment may be given an appropriate degree of preference over other applicants whose suitability for appointment is considered comparable to that of the former. The Government policy and other related measures on employment of persons with disabilities are set out in the booklet “Employ People Based on Their Abilities – Application for Government Jobs by Persons with Disabilities” which is available for reference on the Civil Service Bureau's website at http://www.csb.gov.hk under “Administration of the Civil Service – Appointments”.
(g) Holders of academic qualifications other than those obtained from Hong Kong institutions/Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority may also apply but their qualifications will be subject to assessments on equivalence with the required entry qualifications. They should submit copies of their official transcripts and certificates by e-mail (appts_registry1@dh.gov.hk).
(h) Non-civil service vacancies information contained in this column is also available on the “GovHK” on the Internet at http://www.gov.hk.
(i) Towards the application deadline, the on-line system would likely be overloaded due to large volume of applications. To ensure timely completion of your on-line application, it is advisable to submit the application as early as possible.