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 the Collections Management Unit, Collections Department, Division of Public History, National Museum of American History (NMAH), Smithsonian Institution (SI).
More than one selection may be made from this announcement.
Duties
As a Museum Specialist you will perform a blend of physical and administrative work for the care, handling, housing, documentation, internal movement, shipping, receiving, packing, unpacking, and storing of collections.
The duties of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Selects appropriate space and applies appropriate methods, materials and equipment to move, house and store objects.
- Reorganizes collections for more efficient use of space and accessibility.
- Oversees object preparation for shipments into and out from Offsite, including construction of containers, housings, and object supports as necessary for safe and secure movement. Assures appropriate access to collection by museum staff and visitors and responds to public inquiries.
- Gathers, records, reconciles, and updates collections information. Searches a variety of acquisition and Offsite files, and Divisional catalog records, and applies expertise in the use of museum collections management systems, such as Mimsy XG.
- Documents condition of collections and carries out minor object treatment to stabilize collections.
- Assists Program Manager in planning and implementation of offsite activities, including short- and long-term project planning and serving as team leader (ad hoc and for both staff and contract resources) for specialized projects.
- Responsible for the security and safety of assigned storage spaces and collections. Monitors building structure and systems for temperature, relative humidity, light and air quality, and scans collections for evidence of damage, deterioration, or pest activity.
- Documents, preserves, stores, and moves objects with hazardous material components. Performs tasks with additional obligations to monitor, record, and authorize clearance for hazardous objects.
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.
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.
Physical Requirements
Employee may need to lift up to 40 Ibs, unassisted.
Employee will be required to obtain and maintain forklift operation upon hire.
Must be able to operate manual and automated equipment.
Must be able to work at heights of up to 12 feet from the floor from a ladder, personnel lift or secure shelving.
Must be able to walk, stand, bend and reach for up to 100% of duty time.
Must be able to wear personal protective equipment.
Must undergo physical examination at management’s request.
Must be able to work in extremes of temperature and in the presence of dust, dirt, asbestos and low-grade radioactive and other potentially hazardous.
Must be able to work in constricted spaces.
Must be able to work under long periods of relative isolation.
Qualifications
Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal Service. For this position specialized experience is defined as: 1) providing collections management work for a collection in a historical museum or cultural setting including managing and preserving collections; 2) using and maintaining collections information components of museum or cultural collections and conservation, using collection information system and database; and 3) conducting directed research in support of historical museums or cultural collections, exhibitions, and other museum related projects.
OR
You qualify with Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree;
OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR LL.B. or J.D., if related
OR You may qualify by a combination of experience and education.
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.
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
See above education can be substituted for this grade level.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants for this position may be evaluated in multiple stages. The first stage is an evaluation of your responses to the online multiple-choice questions that assess your experience, education, and/or training for the job related competencies below:
Thorough knowledge of collections management procedures.
- Thorough knowledge of collections management procedures.
- Skill in the use of client server applications such as Mimsy XG to manage museum collections data.
- Skill to lead on special projects, working with other internal staff, high-level donors, history aficionados, government agencies, and public officials.
- Knowledge of collections and program management policies and methods; object preservation standards and the American Institute for Conservation Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice; and OSHA and EPA regulations and guides on safety and health.
- Skill in operating forklifts, pallet jacks, and lifts to move large objects and/or collections without affecting object collection.
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:
Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume 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.
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 https://www.si.edu/OHR/howtoapply.
- The Smithsonian does not pay relocation expenses but recruitment incentives may be authorized.
- The Smithsonian Institution is an equal opportunity employer. Additional information can be found on our website at (www.si.edu/oeesd).