Museum Specialist (Anthropology) Jobs

Summary The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, consisting of 21 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, nine research facilities and the Smithsonian Libraries. The National Museum of African Art (NMAfA) is the only national museum in the United States dedicated to the collection, exhibition, conservation, and study of the arts of Africa. Responsibilities As a Museum Specialist, you will conserve traditional and contemporary African collections and be responsible for all aspects of the examination, analysis, preventative maintenance, and conservation treatment for all museum related activities. In this position, you will: Participate in setting long- and short-term goals, plans and projects for conservation, considering exhibition, loan requests, research and other programs and projects of the department. Provide advice and assistance concerning the proper storage, monitoring, mounting, display, and repair of borrowed items which affect preservation of a wide variety of valuable items from varied sources throughout the world; and assess collections; test materials; and examine collections to identify the nature and extent of actions required for stabilization, preservation and /or repair or treatment. Assist with developing conservation guidelines and participates with teams involved with collections regarding collections issues and consult/advise on collections space, workspace, and exhibits, including the proper storage, monitoring, mounting, display, and repair of borrowed items; and participate in disaster planning and recovery. Advise departmental administration on department-wide collections preservation issues, including building maintenance procedures, and collaborates with them to prevent and resolve problems. Requirements Conditions of Employment Requires career/career-conditional status or eligibility. 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 by the closing date of the announcement. See the 'Required Documents' section for additional information. For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on OPM Website. Qualifications Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as applying conservation and museum practices to conserve anthropological, biological or geological and archival items; providing specifications for exhibits; determining the condition of materials; developing or performing conversation or treatment plans; mold or pest remediation; and advising on display or lighting requirements. 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 This position does not have a positive education requirement. 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.