Supervisory Museum Curator (Assistant Director) - Smithsonian Institution

Summary The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is in the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). The National Museum of African American History and Culture is a national museum for the study and exhibition of African American history and culture. Responsibilities The Assistant Director serves as a member of the curatorial staff with duties relating to the research, collections, interpretation, teamwork, and creative public engagement that generates publicly engaged scholarship, research, and preservation of collections; and the spirit of generous participation that nurtures collaboration in NMAAHC, buttresses history as a profession, and advances civic engagement at the national level. In this position, you will: specialize in the specialty program of Culture, which includes diaspora, music and sports, black entrepreneurship and business, and curatorial culture (including dress, dolls, textiles, fashion). research which typically results in publications and exhibitions that make authoritative and original contribution to the field. Collaborate with colleagues across division as well as with specialist in collections management, design, production, writing/editing, education, public programs and project management. contribute to the long-term health of the collection through strategic acquisition and deaccession, collections documentation within a shared data management system and the advancement of public access. serve as a senior representative in discussions about policy and direction and is frequently called upon to promote public awareness of the projects and their content through presentations (orally or in writing) to funders, media contacts; publications; and through presentations to nonacademic and academic groups. oversee the establishment of goals, articulation of priorities, development of schedules and checklists, and the assignment of tasks, through subordinate supervisors, to enhance the Museum’s work aligned with its strategic pillars. 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. May be required to serve an 18-month probationary period for supervisors. Conditions of Employment Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions on OPM website. Qualifications Basic Education Requirement: Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field. or Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, as shown in 1 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. or Four years of experience that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study as shown in 1 above. In addition to the Basic Education Requirement above: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the grade 14 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience leading and/or supervising staff; conducting research in the field of culture (e.g., diaspora, music and sports, black entrepreneurship and business, and cultural culture (including dress, dolls, textiles, fashion); responding to queries relating to research, collections, exhibitions and public outreach; contributing to long-term health of the collection through strategic acquisition; and developing and implementing strategic collections plans. 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. Education Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field. or Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, as shown in 1 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. or Four years of experience that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study as shown in 1 above Additional Information This position is not 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. ATTENTION: Due to the large number of qualified applicants for positions of this type, this job announcement will close at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on either: (A) The closing date listed above or (B) The date that 250 applications are received; whichever occurs first. If the announcement closes on the date that 250 applications are received, all applications submitted by 11:59pm that day will be given consideration, including those in excess of 250. We encourage applicants to apply as soon as possible to ensure their applications are submitted before the announcement closes. We will not consider applications which are late due to the announcement closing once the above number of applications is reached.