Museum Specialist (History)

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current INTERNAL USHMM permanent federal employees and Agency Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) applicants ONLY.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a federally chartered, nonpartisan institution that was created by the US Congress to serve as America’s national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust and an educational institution dedicated to the history and lessons of the Holocaust. The Museum seeks to educate Americans from all 50 states and all walks of life as well as international audiences. The Museum has three areas of expertise: Holocaust remembrance, Holocaust scholarship and education, and genocide prevention.

In carrying out its important memorial and educational mission, the Museum is guided by its institutional values for our workplace: Honor the memory of the victims; carry out our work with dignity, humility, integrity and respect for others; and strive for excellence through teamwork, rigor, and a culture of continuous learning. Consistent respect for others is the foundation for trust, collegiality and inclusion.

Duties include: 

Assists the conservators by assessing conditions and developing preservation plans for the collection items, including carrying out conservation treatments in conjunction with photographic and written documentation.

Designs and fabricates custom enclosures in consultation with the appropriate conservator for collection materials; makes recommendations for appropriate housing materials and techniques.

Participates in the installation, de-installation, maintenance, and preservation of artifacts for exhibition. Carries out Exhibition Collections Care [ECC] according to the procedures developed by conservators to protect and care for artifacts on display.

Ensures artifacts are mounted, supported, and handled according to Museum standards, and ensures that the necessary tools and equipment are available and ready when needed for major EEC treatment and care projects.

Carries out photographic documentation and other imaging of artifacts identified for conservation treatment, in coordination with conservators.
Participates in environmental monitoring program (monitoring temperature, relative humidity, and light) in areas containing collection materials including placement and collection of remote environmental data loggers and input of data into a computerized monitoring program.

Participates in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) activities including accompanying the IPM contractor to monitor pest incursions in collection areas. Responds to reports of the presence of pests or bugs, and reports findings.

Conditions of employment

On-line resumes must be submitted by 11:59pm EST of the closing date.

You must be a suitable for Federal employment.

You must be a U.S. citizen.

You must be registered for Selective Service if applicable (www.sss.gov).

Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date. 

A one year probationary period may be required.

Payment of relocation expenses is not authorized.

The USHMM is an equal opportunity employer.

This agency provides reasonable accommodations 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 granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.

As a condition of employment, all new hires must agree to direct deposit of their salary checks.  Employees will have up to two (2) pay periods from the date they enter on duty to arrange for their direct deposit transaction.

This is a Federal agency.  Former employees who received a voluntary separation incentive (“buyout”) must repay the full amount of it if reemployed under any type of appointment or under a personal service contract within five years after separation with a buyout.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards. 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.

Basic Requirement:

Specialized Experience: You qualify for the GS-9 grade level if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-7 (or equivalent) grade level in the federal government. Specialized Experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled.

The specialized experience for this position is assessing the condition, performing minor conservation treatment, and completing preventive care for items in the Museum’s collection; conducting photographic documentation and technical imaging artifacts; maintaining hardcopy and electronic conservation records for collection items in the Museum; assisting with the creation and implementation of documents to enforce the Museum’s procedures and practices.
OR
Education: 2 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or master's or equivalent graduate degree related to the position
OR
Combination of education and experience as listed above.

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to current employees applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. NOTE: All current or former Federal employees must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure (1 or 2), and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).

***Failure to submit required documentation will result in an ineligible rating.

How you will be evaluated

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

We will review your resume and supporting documentation (transcripts if applicable) to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume, and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire that you completed as part of the application. However, your resume must support your responses to the occupational questions, or your score will be lowered. The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for a structured  interview.

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

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (ex: resume and supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and the results of the online assessments required for this position. Be sure your resume includes enough detail to support your qualifications.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):  Conservation, Documentation, Initiative & Critical Thinking, Delivery Excellence & Flexibility, Teamwork. 

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment that measures critical general competencies needed to perform the job.

Optional Essay Questions
Applicants may choose to respond to four short essay questions (200 words max each) to help us better understand your alignment with the agency's mission. These responses are optional and will not affect the applicant's eligibility.

• Your DD-214 or Statement of Service shows if you qualify for Veterans' Preference, the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 or the Veterans Opportunity to Work to Hire Heros Act. We prefer the member 4 copy of your DD-214.
• If you qualify under the Schedule A appointing authority, include a disability letter.
• If you are a disabled veteran and want to claim preference, you must submit a letter on VA letterhead with your overall combined service-connected disability rating.
• 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.
• Your SF-50 shows a federal position you've held, grade level and duty location. Your SF-50 can support position changes, conversions or separation for employment eligibility.

A complete application consists of the following:

• Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must include information about your paid and nonpaid work experience related to this position including: job title, duration of employment (mm/dd/yy – mm/dd/yy), hours per week, duties and accomplishments, salary, and your education. For work in the Federal service, please include the grade level for the position/s. Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire.
• SF50: All current or former Federal employees must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure (1 or 2), and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).
• If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service or other valid proof of eligibility (i.e., statement of service that shows service dates AND character of service). If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference see http://www.opm.gov/staffingPortal/Vetguide.asp#VeteransEmploymentAct1998.
• Active Duty Service Members-- You must submit a statement of discharge/certification of release or an official written document from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions no later than 120 days from the date the announcement closes. Enlisted Record Briefs and military identification do NOT qualify as official documentation. If the appropriate information is not submitted to confirm the discharge status, dates of service, etc., you will not be considered for this job opportunity under Veteran Preference procedures. To gain access to your DD-214 online please visit http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records
• Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation if applicable (see additional information).
• Education. If this position requires proof of higher education, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website. You MUST provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation by the closing date of the announcement will result in lost consideration.

You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient. FAILURE TO SUBMIT (VIA FAX OR ATTACHMENT) THE APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS MAY EXCLUDE YOU FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION.

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