Museum Curator (Art)

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current federal employees and special hiring authorities under merit procedures. More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.

The Division of Prints and Drawings at the National Gallery of Art is responsible for the care, study, display, and expansion of a world-class collection of some 120,000 works—prints, drawings, artists’ books, and ephemera from the United States, Europe, and other parts of the world from the medieval period to the present day. Through exhibitions, publications, and collaborations across the National Gallery and with international partners, the Department advances understanding of artists’ working methods and ensures the long-term preservation of these light-sensitive works. This position is for an emerging scholar with expertise in prints and drawings post-1860, with an emphasis on the graphic arts of outside of Europe and the United States, i.e. Latin America, Asia, or the broader Global South, who will assist the department in thoughtful stewardship, augmentation, and interpretation of the graphics collection to facilitate expansive storytelling and new perspectives.

Applicants selected will be titled as either GS-1015-11 Assistant Curator or GS-1015-12 Associate Curator

Duties for this position include;

• Ensure accurate documentation of and reliable access to the Gallery's collection of modern and contemporary prints and drawings

• Perform scholarly research to ensure scholarly cataloguing of works on paper post-1860

• Participate in the evaluation of options for conservation treatment for the prints and drawings collection.

• Develop research and publish projects related to the collection of modern and contemporary prints and drawings

• Work collaboratively with Gallery colleagues and counterparts in other institutions.

•  Develop or execute concepts for loan exhibitions or installations of selections from the permanent collection on a regular basis. Coordinates with the departments of Exhibitions, Conservation, Registrar, and Design and Installation to meet exhibition production schedule deadlines

•  Participates in the thoughtful augmentation of the post-1860 prints and drawings collection through judicious proposals for acquisitions

Conditions of employment

• You must be a United States Citizen.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
• See "Other Information" section regarding Selective Service requirements.
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period

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 viewable on OPM Website. It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit appropriate documentation prior to the closing date. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant experience as it relates to this job announcement. Be clear and specific when describing your work history since human resources cannot make assumptions regarding your experience.

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). Your resume must include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

A. Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

OR

C. 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 A above

GS-11 Specialized Experience Statement: Candidates must possess at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent in responsibility to the GS-09 level in the Federal service or private sector working with modern and contemporary prints and drawings in a curatorial capacity in a fine arts museum; AND demonstrated expertise in the history of modern and contemporary graphic arts outside of Europe and the United States, i.e. Latin America, Asia, or the broader Global South for a art museum.

GS-12 Specialized Experience Statement: Candidates must possess at least one year of documented specialized experience, equivalent in responsibility to the GS-11 level in the Federal service or private sector working with modern and contemporary prints and drawings in a curatorial capacity in a fine arts museum; AND demonstrated experience researching, curating, and proposing acquisitions of modern and contemporary prints drawings fromoutside of Europe and the United States, i.e. Latin America, Asia, or the broader Global South for a art museum. 

Individual Occupational Requirements: Museum Curator Series 1015  Associated Group standard:  General Schedule Qualification Standards

Other Relevant Eligibility Criteria: May be required to submit a writing sample. 

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Merit promotion applicants must meet the time-in-grade requirement as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. 

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

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.

Note: Applicants who are referred to the hiring office for selection consideration may be required to submit writing and/or work samples as part of the interview/selection process. If the hiring office decides to request a writing and/or work sample as part of its selection process, the vacancy contact will reach out to you by email to: (1) inform you of this requirement; and (2) provide further instructions.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): 

• Knowledge of prints and drawings post-1860, works on paper collection care, and familiarity with art museum procedures and practices
• Ability to research, write, and develop interpretive art programs for all audience levels
• Ability to communicate with a broad range of audiences and collaborate effectively across departments 
• Knowledge of the modern and contemporary prints and drawings international art market, including sources, values, and informed discrimination about quality of works of art (connoisseurship)

All qualified non-competitive applicants and all qualified Merit applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

The National Gallery of Art uses an application tracking system to evaluate the responses you provide in the applicant assessment questionnaire to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements of this position. Then, the HR Office and/or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will conduct a quality review of your application and supporting documentation to determine if your qualifications meet the criteria for referral to the selecting official.

• Your resume should include relevant work experience, applicable education and your contact information. For current or previous federal employees, include the pay plan, series and grade.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your Resume (no more than 2 pages)showing the applicant's name, email address, work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed to include pay plan, series, and grade level for relevant federal experience. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications.

• Do not include the following types of information in your resume:
  • Classified or government sensitive information
  • Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Photos of yourself
  • Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
  • Encrypted and digitally signed documents

2. Other supporting documents:
   • Cover Letter, strongly preferred 
   • Most recent Performance Appraisal, optional
   • SF-50 Your most recent Promotion, Within Grade Increase (WRI/WGI), or Appointment/Conversion SF-50 - Notification of Personnel Action showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held. Current National Gallery employees will have the correct SF-50 retrieved from eOPF. 
   • Veterans Employment Opportunity Act, Veterans Recruitment Appointment, and 30% Disabled Veteran Eligible: DD-214, SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days.
   • Schedule A, Persons with Disabilities Appointment Eligibles: Schedule A letter from a physician, local, state, or federal rehabilitation office citing your eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u).
   • Certain Military Spouses Eligible under E.O. 13832: Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders; OR verification of the member's 100% disability (VA Letter); and/or verification of the member's death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate) AND verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage).
   • 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.

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Next steps