Special Materials Crafter (Carpenter) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. NGA-26-015-MP Department National Gallery of Art
Salary $36.49 to $42.63 Grade 11 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 1/13/2026 Close Date 1/27/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The National Gallery of Art welcomes all people to explore art, creativity, and our shared humanity. Nearly four million people come through our doors each year—with millions more online—making us one of the most visited art museums in the world. Our renowned collection includes nearly 160,000 works of art, from the ancient world to today. Admission to the West and East Buildings, Sculpture Garden, special exhibitions, and public programs is always free.

This job is open to

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Land and base management

Current or former employees of a base management agency.

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.

Individuals with disabilities

Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

Family of overseas employees

Family members of a federal employee or uniformed service member who is or was, working overseas.

Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista

Individuals who have served at least 2 years with the Peace Corps or 1 year with AmeriCorps VISTA.

Special authorities

Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed in another hiring path.

Clarification from the agency

This Merit Promotion position is open to Current Federal Employees and Former Federal Employees with permanent status or reinstatement eligibility. Individuals who are eligible for a special appointing authority may also apply such as Individuals with Disabilities (Schedule A), former Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and Vista volunteers; certain Military Spouses, or individuals eligible under various programs for Veterans (VRA, VEOA, 30% disabled).

Duties

This position is in Facilities Management Division (AFM-MT), Maintenance Department, Carpenter shop of the National Gallery of Art. This position is responsible for making and repairing high-grade wood and non-wood items throughout the facilities, to include fine furniture and cabinetwork.

In this position you will:

  • Utilize knowledge of a wide variety of wood and non-wood items with intricate, interlocking parts that fit and join precisely.  Must be skilled in the use of accepted carpentry and woodworking trade methods and techniques and must have a working knowledge of shop mathematics to plan and compute complex and exacting projects.
  • Be responsible for cutting, machining, forming, cementing, cleaning, polishing, removing scratches, finishing, and annealing acrylic in various thicknesses and sizes to achieve final product.
  • Exercise ability to solve special problems of installations as well as structural and security problems concerning works of art and the historical building components. 
  • Be responsible for efficiently and effectively using unusual and specially ordered materials where possible error would result in great monetary and time loss.
  • Interpret scale detail AutoCAD, Sketchup and/or hand drawings; reading and understanding construction blueprints; and analyzing and changing construction details as necessary, with prior consultation and approval.
  • Use radial, band, panel, and table saws, tenoning and mortising machines, surface planers, jointers, shapers and lathes, drill press, disc and drum sanders and panel routers.
  • Determine the type of material, such as wood, metal, plastic, or glass required to fabricate cases, panels, graphics, and other complex exhibition components as well as historical building components. 
  • Estimate and determine quantity of materials to be ordered, time required for scheduling fabrication and installation of exhibition and building components and plans accordingly to accomplish the project.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
  • Subject to a background/suitability investigation.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. 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. Your resume must be no longer than 2 pages in length. 

Qualifications

Although a specific length of time and experience is not required for most trade and labor occupations, you must show through experience and training that you possess the quality level of knowledge and skill necessary to perform the duties of the position at the level for which you are applying. Qualification requirements emphasis is on quality of experience, not necessarily the length of time.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the job elements and screen out listed below.

This job has a screen-out element which will be used to determine minimum eligibility for this job. Applicants who do not receive a minimum of two points on the screen-out element(s) will be found ineligible.

SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements:

  1. 1. Ability to Do the Work of the Position Without More Than Normal Supervision**
  2. 25-E. Technical Practices.
  3. 75-A: Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc.
  4. 81-B. Ability to Use and Maintain Hand Tools.
  5. 82-A. Knowledge of Materials.

Other Relevant Eligibility Criteria:

Requires work indoors and outdoors in all-weather types.  Requires dexterity sufficient to design elements accurately and operate tools safely.  Requires ability to walk.  Requires safe use of dangerous equipment.  Requires work in loud and dusty spaces.  Requires ability to stand for long periods of time.  Requires work on scaffolds and at heights up to 80’ off the floor.  Must be able to lift and carry items weighing up to 50 pounds, without assistance.  Requires extended exposure to eye, skin, nose and lung irritation from glue, bonding chemicals and vapors.  Must be able to nail and saw lumber.  Requires availability for occasional duty time outside of normal work hours.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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. Your resume must be no longer than 2 pages in length. 

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



Education

This position does not have any basic education requirements.

Additional information

The National Gallery of Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.

Relocation expenses will not be paid.

Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year.

AN EXTERNAL SELECTED CANDIDATE MUST BE FINGERPRINTED AND RECEIVE A BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION, RESULTING IN A SATISFACTORY SUITABILITY DETERMINATION BEFORE BEING HIRED FOR THIS POSITION.

All males born after December 31st 1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register. If you are not registered and don't have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The National Gallery of Art does not discriminate against any employee or any applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), age (40 and older), disability (mental or physical), or genetic information, or in retaliation for opposing discrimination or participating in the EEO process.    For more information, visit https://www.nga.gov/employment-opportunities/equal-employment-opportunity

Reasonable Accommodation

The National Gallery of Art provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities.  If you need an accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the contact person listed in this announcement.  The decision on granting a reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. 

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

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.

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.

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.

All qualified Non-Competitive applicants and the best-qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for 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.

                                                                            


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

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

  1. Your Resume 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. Your resume must not be more than 2 pages in length. 
  • 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
  1. Other supporting documents:
    • Cover Letter, optional
    • Most recent Performance Appraisal, optional
    • 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.
    • Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
    • Disability Annuity Termination: Notification of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
    • 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).

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.

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

To be considered for this position, you must submit your complete application, including all required supporting documentation (see "Required Documentation" section) no later than 11:59pm DST on the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to submit a complete application prior to the closing time (regardless of when you started) the application system will not allow you to finish! Requests for extensions will not be granted, so please begin the application process allowing yourself enough time to finish and submit your application before the deadline. Our application system displays a countdown timer in the top-left corner of the screen for your reference.

Steps to submit a complete application:

  1. You must have an active USAJOBS account and be logged in.
  2. You must have a completed resume associated with your USAJOBS account.
  3. Once you are logged in and all of your application materials are ready, click on the 'Apply Online' button to get started.
  4. You will be given the option to include your resume, documents, and demographic information from your USAJOBS profile. You will then be transferred to the National Gallery of Art's application tracking system. If you select documents from your USAJOBS account, you MUST complete the download process in a later step or your USAJOBS documentation WILL NOT be transferred! See Step 6.
  5. You must respond to all applicant assessment questions, carefully following all instructions provided.
  6. You will then be asked to upload additional supporting documentation. If you selected documents from USAJOBS prior to being transferred to our application system (Step 4), you will need to click the "USAJOBS" link to complete the transfer process. These documents ARE NOT automatically transferred! It is ultimately your responsibility to make sure that all required documents are either faxed, uploaded, or transferred from USAJOBS successfully. If you are unsure whether your documents went through, please contact the Agency Contact listed on the announcement BEFORE the vacancy closes.
  7. IMPORTANT: In the final step of the application process you will be shown a copy of your resume and all the information you entered during the application process. You must click the 'Finish' button at the bottom of this final page and receive confirmation that your application has been received.If you do not click 'Finish', your application will not be received!
If your resume does not support the responses in your application questionnaire, or if you fail to submit required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your evaluation rating may be adjusted accordingly.

Steps to modify or withdraw your application:
  1. Return to USAJOBS and log in to your account.
  2. In the "My Account" screen, click "Application Status" in the left-hand column.
  3. You will see a table list of all the jobs you've applied to, click on the title of the application you want to modify.
  4. If the announcement is still open the button which normally says "Apply Online" will instead say "Edit Application", click that button. (If you wish to withdraw your application from consideration after the closing date, contact the HR Specialist listed on the announcement.)
  5. You will be directed back to NGA's application tracking system where you can make changes, or you can click "Withdraw Application" to remove your application from being considered.
NEED HELP?
  • If you experience any difficulties with the application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Apply Online' button), please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement during normal business hours. If you are receiving any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or at a minimum, the error message text and number.
  • If you are having trouble with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder help, please visit the USAJOBS Resource Center or contact USAJOBS HELP. Regretfully, NGA cannot resolve issues with your USAJOBS account. We regret that we are unable to support any issue with USAJOBS, as this service is maintained by the Office of Personnel Management exclusively.
  • If you are experiencing a significant hardship which hinders your ability to apply online please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement during normal business hours to discuss your situation. Resumes and/or supporting documentation alone will not be considered without the inclusion of a hard copy application packet. The complete package is due no later than 5:30 PM EST on the closing date of this announcement.

Agency contact information

Staffing
Phone
202-842-6814
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
staffing@nga.gov
Address
National Gallery of Art
4th and Constitution Avenue NW,
Washington, District of Columbia 20565
United States

Next steps

After each step in the recruitment process, your status will be updated in our application tracking system. Once this happens, if you have elected to receive e-mail updates, you will be notified through your USAJOBS registered e-mail address. If you have not elected e-mail updates, you can review your current application status in USAJOBS at any time. Please check that your USAJOBS profile contact information is current and correct each time you apply to a job--this will ensure we are able to contact you as quickly as possible.

In addition to changing your status online, we will send you e-mail notifications at each major step in the process, to include: application received, eligible or not eligible, referred or not referred, selected or not selected.

We expect to make a selection within 30 to 90 days of the closing date of this announcement.


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