Archivist Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. CUR-2025-260 Department Architect of the Capitol
Salary $84,601.00 to $109,975.00 Grade 11 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 5/7/2025 Close Date 5/22/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

This position is assigned to the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (OCAO), Curator Division, Records Management and Archives Branch. The incumbent serves as an Archivist and performs duties involving archival description, projects, operations and services. 

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to all U.S. Citizens. Please be advised that federal retired annuitant candidates may only be considered as temporary employees if the role can be filled in that capacity.

Duties

The incumbent serves as an Archivist and accessions, arranges, describes, preserves, manages and provides reference services to the permanent record collection of the Architect of the Capitol. Additionally, the Archivist provides support for the agency records management program.

The preferred candidate will have experience working with architectural drawings, construction records and an understanding of the built environment.

This is a career ladder position requiring the incumbent to perform progressively more complex duties and responsibilities leading to the full performance level.

MAJOR DUTIES:

Archival Description

The incumbent contributes to the maintenance and update of archival finding aids and collection management systems.

Assigns records to record groups, series, and subseries. Contributes research to support determining the provenance of ambiguous records collections. Suggests where finding aids may be needed and contributes to efforts to identify and develop needed finding aids. 

With guidance, trains and develops archival description and collection management systems training content for the branch staff. Provides technical support for the collection managing systems. Contributes to the development of the archival description work plan, priorities, and metrics. Advises the supervisor of progress, trends and issues.

Archival Projects and Records Management 

The incumbent performs assigned archival projects and activities, such as but not limited to archival accessioning, appraisal, arrangement, holdings maintenance, preservation, and reformatting according to archival principles and best practices to increase accessibility and ensure the safe handling of archival records.

Assists in the planning, scoping, prioritizing, management, and tracking of archival projects. Contributes to the development of internal archival procedures, quality controls, and metrics.

Assists with archival space and physical collection planning, management, environmental monitoring and integrated pest management. Supports the Curator Division emergency response team during an event.

Supports the identification, planning, and coordination to achieve the transfer of eligible permanent records. Provides input for records appraisals for records management schedule.

Provides basic technical direction for junior archival staff and archivist aides (student interns). Provides outreach and helps generate outreach content to promote the archival collection, records management and branch services to agency staff.

Reference and Research Services 

The incumbent provides comprehensive references and research to support agency leadership and employees with official research needs related to the archival collection and agency history. Assists with identifying and capturing historical agency information from non-AOC repositories and sources that contribute to the documentation and understanding of historical agency subject matter. Maintains access safeguards.

Works with higher graded team members in establishing goals and creates priorities for archival and research projects. Assists in performing research on the administrative history of the agency in response to requests from the Architect and senior staff and in facilitating planning.

Research is inclusive and is performed in the records of the Architect of the Capitol and other repositories holding materials related to the Capitol complex. Prepares summaries of findings. Contributes to the collection of oral histories with agency leadership and staff.

The incumbent must follow all relevant safety rules, regulations, and standard operating procedures. The incumbent must utilize knowledge of and must comply with all OSHA safety rules and regulations to ensure that work progresses in a safe manner. Provides or receives training, either on-the-job or through classroom training, to ensure that all safety practices and equipment are fully utilized. 

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • You must be able to pass a drug test.
  • Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience.

Candidates must have a focus on architectural records and drawings.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at OPM qualification standards

1. Specialized Experience

Experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, candidates must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as having experience performing the following types of tasks on a regular and recurring basis: (1) Contributing data entry and quality controls for electronic archival collection management systems; (2) Generating archival finding aids; (3) Conducting archival accessioning and holdings maintenance; (4) Researching records and applying access restrictions to respond to records and information requests.

Evaluation of Experience: Professional experience for this position must have been in archival science, or in a directly related field of work such as history that involved the collection, appraisal, analysis, or synthesis of information having historical or archival values. The following are illustrative of kinds of experience that may be accepted as meeting the professional experience requirements: (1) experience as an archivist in Federal, state, religious institution, business, or other archives, or in manuscript depositories, and (2) experience of an archival nature that involved research in archival science, or in a directly related field such as history, government, economics, political science, international relations, or international law.

--OR—

2. Graduate Education Two (2) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Masters’ degree in archival science, history, American civilization, economics, political science, public administration, or government.

--OR--

3. Combination of Graduate Education and Professional Experience Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience may be used to meet total experience requirements. Only graduate-level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience.

Education

Basic Requirements:

1. Bachelor's degree in archival science or bachelor's degree with a major that includes 18 semester hours in archival science, history and/or in political science or government, and 12 semester hours in one or any combination of the following: archival science, history, American civilization, economics, political science, public administration, or government.

--OR--

2. Combination of education and experience - at least 30 semester hours that included courses as shown above.

Additional information

Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit OPM vet guide

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System.  If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC’s suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not a current AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide, and cover the cost for the drug test.
 
The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol.
 
The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm

The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, genetic information, sexual orientation and/or disability.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.
 
Moving expenses are not authorized.
 
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
 
Probationary Period- A newly hired selectee(s) is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol.

All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

A variety of health insurance plans; retirement system with investment options; paid holidays; paid sick and annual (vacation) leave; life insurance; incentive systems; subsidized transportation; training and development opportunities, etc.

The Architect of the Capitol offers eligible employees opportunity to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions.

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies:

-Archival Description

-Archival and Preservation Projects

-Reference and Research

-Communication

Your responses to the self assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions. Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or disqualification for further consideration.

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).
You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

The Architect of the Capitol's job application process is designed to ensure that we only ask you for the information that is absolutely needed to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position.

To apply for this position, you only need to submit online the following: a) your resume and 2) answer the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant supplemental information. No additional documentation or attachment is required at the time of application.

We ask that you prepare and submit a resume that best describes fully your background experience, skills, abilities, education, training and other relevant credentials. The resume should include dates of employment.

Nothing further is required until it is requested by the staff of the Human Capital Management Division. If additional documentation is required for a position, you will be asked to provide it during the selection process or upon selection. At that point, we may ask you to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume.

For example, we may ask you to provide documents such as college transcripts, copy of diploma or proof of Federal employment status. If the position requires a license or certification, we will ask candidate(s) to provide proof at the time of selection.

If you are claiming veterans' preference, we may ask you to submit proof of Veterans preference (DD-214, and, if claiming 10-point preference, the SF-15 plus proof required by that form).

If you fail to provide the required documents, we will withdraw a tentative job offer made and/or remove you from further consideration.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

You MUST apply online. FORMS RECEIVED BY FAX, EMAIL OR U.S. POSTAL SERVICE DELIVERY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

If you are a new user to the USAJobs Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying. You must be a registered USAJobs user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help setting up an account or for general help using USAJobs, go to USAJobs Help Page.

NEED HELP?
If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! If you have problems completing your on-line application, contact the Monster Hiring Management Help Desk at 1-866-656-6831 or by e-mail at MGSHELP@monster.com. The help desk is available Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. You may call and leave a voice mail message at all other times.

All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJobs “Saved Documents” feature.

If you are unable to apply on-line, you may visit our Employment Center for technical assistance in entering your application. The Employment Center is located at 441 Second & D Streets S.W., Washington, D.C., Room H2-178, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You may call (202) 226-7000 for directions.

Agency contact information

Nyika Humphries
Address
Architect of the Capitol
United States Capitol
Washington, District of Columbia 20515
United States

Next steps

You will receive a notice generated by the USAJobs System when you have successfully submitted your application. After all application packages have been received, we will review your application and transcript(s) (if you are qualifying based on education) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.

You can check the status of your application by logging into http://www.usajobs.gov. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJobs Account, editing your profile and changing the ‘Notification Settings’ to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within 2 weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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