Summary
The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located in National Air and Space Museum (NASM), Aeronautics Department. The Aeronautics Department is responsible for all curatorial aspects in its field and it takes in such diverse duties as research, acquisitions and management of collections, exhibits, publications, public service and curatorial aspects of preservation and restoration.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
This position is open to all U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals .
Note: Federal employees with permanent status or individuals eligible for special appointing authorities may also apply to Job Announcement #
More than one selection may be made from this announcement.
Duties
The Museum Curator (Aeronautics) curates collections and exhibits with a focus on the cultural and social history of aviation.
In this position, you will:
- Conduct independent technical research on the social and cultural history of aviation resulting in publications in peer-reviewed journals or books.
- Serve as a curator to include managing and interpreting artifacts associated with the social and cultural history of aviation.
- Develop exhibits, especially as related to the social and cultural history of aviation.
- Prepare technical reports in writing for the staff and public on the Museum and its collection.
- Respond to the public and commercial media on topics related to the social and cultural history of aviation.
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.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen
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 Qualification Requirements: (Transcripts are required)
- Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field.
or
- Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, as shown 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 qualification requirement above you must also meet the specialized experience:
GS-11 Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as experience:
- Surveying the literature of the social and cultural history of aviation
- Identifying sources, and using the sources to conduct research to write and publish scholarly papers and articles, and present the research at history conferences
- Managing artifact collections according to museum standards; developing exhibitions as part of a team
Or
Education: Three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree
Or
Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications. For a full explanation of this option please see the Qualification Standards. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above, it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study. For instructions on where to fax these documents, see the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
GS-12 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 experience:
- Surveying the literature of the social and cultural history of aviation
- Identifying sources, and using the sources to conduct research to write and publish scholarly papers, articles, and chapters in scholarly books, and present the research at history conferences
- Working semi-independently to: manage artifact collections according to museum standards, and write and edit exhibit scripts; writing emails, correspondence, proposals and other documents
- Collaborating effectively with team members
*There is no education substitution for specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level.
GS-13 Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as experience:
- Conducting systematic independent research on an area of considerable scope related to the social and cultural history of aviation
- Identifying sources, and using the sources to write and publish scholarly papers, books, and present the research at history conferences
- Working systematically and independently to: manage artifact collections according to museum standards, and develop significant exhibitions including managing the writing and editing of exhibit scripts; writing emails, correspondence, proposals and other documents
- Collaborating effectively with team members and fostering effective collaboration across an organization
*There is no education substitution for specialized experience at the GS-13 grade level.
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
Please see the Specialized Experience at each grade level for the Education substitution requirements.
Benefits
The Smithsonian offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, vacation and sick leave, holidays, health/life insurance, accident insurance, and excellent retirement program options.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your resume will be used to evaluate your experience, education, and/or training that address the competencies below:
- Ability to perform historical research as evidenced by authorship of professional papers or other publications and presentations
- Knowledge of the development of collections, publications, exhibitions, and public and general programs related to the social and cultural history of aviation.
- Knowledge of museum standards related to collections management practices applied to artifact collection.
- Ability to communicate orally in a variety of settings (e.g., community, scholarly forums) as a professional historian
- Ability to communicate effectively in writing in order to prepare email, correspondence, exhibit scripts, proposals, plans, reports, book reviews, documents, and publications, to include writing in succinct informational style and synthesizing and interpreting ideas clearly
Applicants who meet or exceed minimum qualifications will be assigned to one of three category groups based on job-related criteria:
Best Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and excels in most of the job related competencies above.
Better Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and satisfies most of the job related competencies above.
Good Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but does not satisfy most of the job related competencies above to a substantive degree.
This category rating process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three", but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Category) provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied. Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher. Applicants who have not submitted a resume in the USAjobs system and/or have not answered all of the vacancy questions will not be considered for this position.
Important Note:
The review of your resume will determine your final rating and should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed. You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Required Documents
Your application package should include the following documents:
-
Resume - Your resume can be uploaded and attached to your application or created using the USA Jobs on-line resume builder. Ensure your resume contains the job title (including the occupational series and grade if it is Federal), job-related qualifications, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours worked per week, and salary for each employment period. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is submitted. Failure to include this information may result in disqualification for the position.
For assistance with creating a resume, please click here.
- Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy), if you are a veteran. Additionally, applicants claiming 10-point preference must complete Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, as well as additional documentation required by the SF-15, such as a VA letter.
- Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment.
- Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable.
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
Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page. Please Note:
- You must apply for this position online through the 'Apply Online' button and submit required supplemental documents (if they are relevant to you).
- You may submit required documents by uploading them online during the application process.
- The complete application package, including any required documents, is due in the Smithsonian Office of Human Resources on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
- If you are unable to apply online, paper applications may be accepted with prior approval of the Contact Person listed below.
Next steps
At the end of the application process you will be able to create and save a PDF file that contains your responses to the assessment questions. You may save this file as initial receipt of your application. After the job announcement closes, you will receive an email from the Smithsonian with confirmation of receipt. The Smithsonian receives many applications for each job. Each application is reviewed carefully which may take a few weeks. We will send you an e-mail to update you as we go through phases of the application review process. You may also check your application status by logging into www.usajobs.gov and selecting the tab "My USAJOBS;" e-mailing vacancy.info@si.edu; or by contacting the Office of Human Resources Representative listed. Additional Information:
- Tips on applying for Smithsonian jobs are available at www.sihr.si.edu/jobs.cfm.
- The Smithsonian does not pay relocation expenses but recruitment incentives may be authorized.
- The Smithsonian embraces diversity and equal employment opportunity (www.si.edu/oeema).
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