Supervisory Museum Specialist Job in Chantilly, VA

Vacancy No. 26R-ID-314483-MPA-NASM Department Smithsonian Institution
Salary $102,415.00 to $133,142.00 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/19/2026 Close Date 9/1/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Chantilly, VA


Supervisory Museum Specialist

Smithsonian Institution

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 National Air and Space Museums (NASM), Preservation Restoration Unit. NASM collects, preserves, studies, and exhibits artifacts, archival materials and works of art related to the history, culture and science of aviation and spaceflight and the study of the universe. 

More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

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

The Supervisory Museum Specialist is responsible for supervising and directing restoration and  preservation efforts on behalf of the NASM/Research Collections and Curatorial Affairs.

In this position, you will:

  • Apply technical understanding of aircraft and spacecraft preservation; and determines appropriate restoration techniques for treating wood, fabric, metal, and all types of modern materials.
  • Routinely schedules training or communicates safety procedures updates to subordinates and routinely monitors work activities ensuring compliance.
  • Develop work schedules and assigns tasks based on an approved project schedule, taking into account the individual and team skills of the staff. Reviews work in progress to ensure that assigned deadlines are met or adjusted and that completed work meets stated objectives of accuracy and timeliness. 
  • Perform all the major aspects of a supervisor which include interviewing and selecting candidates for positions; training and assigning work; conducting performance evaluations; recommended promotions, reassignments and other personnel actions; reviews the completeness and thoroughness of work assignments; counsels employees on problems related to work responsibilities; adjudicates complaints where applicable and necessary; and responds to technical inquiries from subordinates to facilitate the completion of work.
  • Resolve operational problems as encountered, with the consultation of other supervisory staff and senior managers, as appropriate and adjusts schedules to accommodate complex unplanned and emergency projects.
  • Consult frequently with curatorial staff to ensure that shifts in deadlines and technical needs are considered. 

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 able to lift 50 pounds
  • May be required to serve a supervisory probationary period
  • May require considerable bending, lifting, stooping, climbing, and walking

Conditions of Employment

Qualification requirements, including one year time-in-grade at the next lower grade level for promotion candidates, must be met within 30 days of the job announcement closing date. See the 'Required Documents' section for additional information.

For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on OPM Website.

Qualifications

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 leading maintenance, preservation, and/or restoration projects of large aviation, space, or industrial objects to include:

  • Disassembling, assembling, cradling, or creating mounts for artifacts/aerospace equipment.
  • Moving, conserving, preserving, and restoring industrial objects
  • Utilizing equipment such as forklifts, gantries, pallet jacks, dollies, and vehicle

Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual 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). 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

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

This position is not included in the bargaining unit.

Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position.  However, approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period.

Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid.

Selections may be made for vacancies across the Smithsonian Institution (SI). By applying to this position, you agree to allow your application and other personal information to be shared with one or more SI hiring officials for employment consideration for same/similar positions within the location(s) identified in this announcement.

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.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities:  The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority:

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application will be evaluated first for the basic qualifications described above.  The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria:

  1. Knowledge of collections management practices to include the handling, movement, preservation, and restoration of artifacts of varying sizes and compositions such as large aeronautical and space objects or small avionics components or flight materials.
  2. Skill to operate and ability to train and supervise others in the safe and effective operation of: powered material handling equipment, such as forklifts, aerial work platforms, scissor lifts; as well as hand and power tools.
  3. Ability to train subordinates in preservation and restoration tasks to include identifying skill gaps, and applying appropriate training techniques such as demonstrations, group classroom, or personalized hands-on instruction. 
  4. Knowledge of Federal personnel management practices in order to hire, evaluate, award and discipline employees to include regulations regarding time reporting, leave administration and records.
  5. Ability to analyze, organize and assign complex work for multiple project teams to ensure efficient completion of multiple projects within available schedule and resources. 
  6. Skill in oral communication to provide direction to teams, resolve conflicts, participate in cross departmental meetings and deliver presentations or training. 

BASIS OF RATING:  Once the announcement closes, your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of this position. If, after the Human Resources Specialist reviews your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that the score you have received is not a true reflection of your qualifications and/or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect the information you provided that support your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA):  If you are applying for a VEOA appointment, you must be a veteran and must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. ("Active Service" under this law means active duty in a uniformed service and includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, full-time National Guard duty, and attendance, while in the active service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary concerned.) A veteran who is released under honorable conditions shortly before completing a 3-year tour is also eligible.


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), and hours worked per week, 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 USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?
  • Current and former employees MUST submit a copy of their Standard Form (SF)-50, “Notice of Personnel Action,” that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. SI Trust employees are ineligible for Merit Promotion consideration unless you submit a Standard Form (SF) - 50, "Notice of Personnel Action", that indicates proof you previously held a 'status' position and proof of time-in-grade.  The SF-50 must include your position title, series, grade, step, salary, type of service (competitive or excepted in block 34), and tenure (1 or 2 in block 24). Please provide a SF-50 that shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade level.  Examples of appropriate SF50s include: Appointments, Reassignments, Within-grade/range increases or Promotion actions.  NOTE: Pay adjustments and award SF-50s do not include the length of time in your current position, therefore, they are NOT acceptable SF-50’s on their own. You may need to provide more than one SF-50. Failure to provide the appropriate SF-50(s) may prevent you from receiving consideration for this position.  

  • 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.
  • Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy) if you are requesting a special appointment authority, such as VRA or VEOA
  • Proof of severe disability if you are requesting special placement consideration.
  • Proof of eligibility for a military spouse appointment, such as a permanent change station military order.
  • Proof of eligibility for any other special appointing authority not specifically mentioned here.

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).
  • Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages.
  • 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.

Agency contact information

HR Specialist
Phone
202-633-6232
Email
DentIM@si.edu
Address
SMITHSONIAN
Office of Human Resources
600 Maryland Avenue SW
Suite 7001W, MRC 517
Washington, District of Columbia 20024
United States

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.
  • The Smithsonian Institution is an equal opportunity employer. Additional information can be found on our website at (www.si.edu/oeesd).

Smithsonian Institution

Join the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums, 14 education and research centers, and the National Zoo, in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."

Agency contact information

HR Specialist
Phone
202-633-6232
Email
DentIM@si.edu
Address
SMITHSONIAN
Office of Human Resources
600 Maryland Avenue SW
Suite 7001W, MRC 517
Washington, District of Columbia 20024
United States