Duties
The Museum Specialist serves as curatorial assistant, working closely on special exhibitions with curators from across curatorial departments at CHSDM. The purpose of this position is to provide support on a full range of curatorial responsibilities that includes scholarly research, exhibition and publication planning/production, programmatic support, public service, and administrative duties to assist in the planning, organizing, documenting, and displaying of both historic and contemporary design at CHSDM and the larger Smithsonian.
In This Position, You Will
- Work collaboratively with various departments on content development, exhibition planning, and installation. Assist curators with all aspects of exhibitions.
- Conduct scholarly research to support curator(s) with exhibitions and publications.
- Assist curators in preparation of loan paperwork, assist with presentations, and maintain, update, and reconcile collection and exhibition records using TMS software.
- Collaborate with various departments in developing exhibition and publication-related content for digital platforms and public programs.
- Coordinate with the Exhibitions and Cross-Platform Publishing departments on the exhibition installation and catalog production schedule.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
- May need to complete a Probationary Period
- Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
- Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.
Conditions of Employment
Qualification requirements, including one year time-in-grade at the next lower grade level for promotion candidates, must be met within 30 days of the job announcement closing date. See the 'Required Documents' section for additional information.
For information on qualification requirements, see
Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on
Qualifications
Selective Placement Factor: This position has a Selective Placement Factor, which is a skill, knowledge, ability, or other characteristic essential for the job's satisfactory performance. The Selective Placement Factor represents the minimum requirements for this position and is a prerequisite for appointment. Applicants who do not meet the Selective Placement Factor are ineligible for further consideration.
Selective Placement Factor: You must demonstrate the ability to read and write in one of the following languages: French, Italian, or German, in order to perform original exhibition research and for exhibition-related publications and special curatorial projects.
Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the
GS-07 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as
assisting curators in exhibition planning, performing original research/analysis and performing research-oriented duties in support of exhibitions, publications, acquisitions, and other projects.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.
Or Education: 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education
or master's or equivalent graduate degree related to the position
Or a Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications. For a full explanation of this option please see the
Education
Education can be substituted for experience at this grade level, see above.
Additional information
- This position is included in the bargaining unit.
Current or Former Political Appointees: Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Office of Human Resources. Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
- Position title;
- Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
- Agency; and,
- Beginning and ending dates of appointment.
Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position. However, approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period.
Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid.
Selections may be made for vacancies across the Smithsonian Institution (SI). By applying to this position, you agree to allow your application and other personal information to be shared with one or more SI hiring officials for employment consideration for same/similar positions within the location(s) identified in this announcement.
- The Federal Government offers a comprehensive benefits package.
Please see Benefits at
Flexible Spending Accounts -
Health Insurance -
Leave -
Life Insurance -
Long Term Care Insurance -
Retirement Program -