The incumbent of this position serves as Curator and Head of the Department of Old Master Prints, reporting to the Senior Curator of the Prints and Drawings division. The incumbent is an established scholar and recognized connoisseur and is responsible for the permanent collection of European prints and illustrated books before 1900; collection care and loan administration; supervising the East Building prints and drawings study room; pursuing and securing acquisitions by gift and purchase; carrying out scholarly research; interpretation; organizing exhibitions; publishing; departmental administration and supervision; and public service.
This position is also being advertised under job announcement NGA-17-102A to all U.S. citizens and nationals under competitive examining procedures. Persons wishing to be considered under both announcements must apply separately to each.
Summary
The incumbent of this position serves as Curator and Head of the Department of Old Master Prints, reporting to the Senior Curator of the Prints and Drawings division. The incumbent is an established scholar and recognized connoisseur and is responsible for the permanent collection of European prints and illustrated books before 1900; collection care and loan administration; supervising the East Building prints and drawings study room; pursuing and securing acquisitions by gift and purchase; carrying out scholarly research; interpretation; organizing exhibitions; publishing; departmental administration and supervision; and public service.
This position is also being advertised under job announcement NGA-17-102A to all U.S. citizens and nationals under competitive examining procedures. Persons wishing to be considered under both announcements must apply separately to each.
Expands and deepens the Gallery’s collections through the acquisition of works of art of the highest quality and relevance. Closely follows the art market, maintains cooperative contacts with dealers, and cultivates close relationships with collectors, and ensures that subordinate curators do the same. In consultation with the Senior curator, proposes discretionary purchases to the Director and Chief Curator, and major purchases in writing to the Board. Attracts single objects and collections as gifts, as well as funds for acquisitions, from private sources.
Ensures the safety, physical organization, up-to-date documentation, and reliable access to the collection of European prints and illustrated books before 1900. Advises on conservation treatment. Collaborates with other division staff on housing. Performs and/or delegates scholarly work to ensure proper identification and cataloguing of works of art. Ensures timely and accurate maintenance of database entries. Sets priorities for documenting the collection. Evaluates loan requests from other institutions.
Develops concepts and themes for special exhibitions and installations of permanent collections. Organizes or coordinates exhibitions on a regular basis; initiates, selects, negotiates loans, performs research, and writes catalogues and other publications for exhibitions. Researches and selects relevant didactic photographic materials. Researches, writes, or reviews accompanying scholarly texts. Writes or consults on the preparation of brochures, leaflets, wall texts, essays, catalogue entries, films, web features, and other interpretive programs for collections and exhibitions.
Initiates and/or oversees development of research and publishing projects. Writes, lectures, and consults on scholarly matters. Writes or reviews texts for the website, brochures, leaflets, and other Gallery publications or scholarly studies. Researches, writes, or reviews scholarly texts related to collections, acquisitions, and loans. Writes or consults on the preparation of brochures, leaflets, wall texts, essays, catalogue entries, films, web features, and other interpretive programs, and other Gallery publications or scholarly studies.
Is responsible for formulating and implementing the department’s strategic plan for acquisitions, research, exhibitions, and other programs, in consultation with the Senior Curator. Manages the financial and personnel resources of the department, including acquisition funds, travel budgets, exhibition grants, and exhibition budgets. Schedules and coordinates the in-house activities of the department. Supervises associate and assistant curators as well as fellows in the department. Assigns routine and special projects, provides direction, monitors progress, and evaluates results. Writes job descriptions, performance plans, and award recommendations; conducts informal and formal performance appraisals annually. Hires new subordinate staff as vacancies occur.
Responds to, or directs staff to respond to, public, scholarly and other professional inquiries. Attends professional meetings and lectures, participates in symposia. Accepts or initiates opportunities to collaborate with Gallery colleagues and counterparts in other institutions. Speaks to visiting groups and the press.
Only U.S. citizens or nationals may apply for employment consideration.
Subject to a background/suitability investigation.
Designated and/or random drug testing may be required.
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after12/31/59.
Must have advanced reading ability in at least two of the following languages: German, French, and Italian.
Physical Requirements: Conducting research within the Gallery is somewhat sedentary, but installation and exhibition activity as well as field research, visits to other museums, collections, galleries, other museums, collections, archives, libraries and other scholarly institutions may be strenuous and physically demanding. The incumbent works desk and around a study table and walks in the Gallery visiting gallery space. The incumbent is not expected to lift items weighing more than approximately twenty-five pounds.
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.
Qualifications
BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelors' or higher degree that included a major field of study or specific course requirements generally as stated in paragraph A in the individual occupational requirements. Where specific course requirements are not indicated in paragraph A, the number of semester hours required to constitute a major field of study is the amount specified by the college or university attended. If this number cannot be obtained, 24 semester hours will be considered as equivalent to major field of study. The nature and quality of this required course work must have been such that it would serve as a prerequisite for more advanced study in the field or subject-matter area. Related course work generally refers to course that may be accepted as part of the program major.
Appropriate combination of education and experience that is typically specified in paragraph B of the individual occupational requirements. the "paragraph B" method generally requires that an applicant possess a core of educational credit, such as described in paragraph A above, plus additional education and/or experience. The method of determine the number of semester hours required to constitute a major field of study is the same as described in paragraph A. The quality of the combination of education and experience must be sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation, and is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4 year course of study with a major in the appropriate field. In addition to courses in the major and related fields, a typical college degree would have included courses that involved analysis, writing, critical thinking, research, etc. These course should have provided an applicant with skills and abilities sufficient to perform progressively more responsible work in the occupation. Therefore, creditable experience should have demonstrated similarly appropriate skills or abilities needed to perform the work of the occupation.
Specialized Experience:
Applicants must have a minimum of one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility comparable to the next lower grade or comparable pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector
Examples of specialized experience are:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level or comparable pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector performing collections management; organizing exhibitions; collections development; research, interpretation and scholarly programs work.
Those applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be evaluated against these factors to determine the best-qualified candidates:
Knowledge of the field and art market, including sources, values and acute discrimination about individual works of art (connoisseurship)
Knowledge of prints and drawings collection care and management
Skill in organizing exhibitions, from small focus projects to major international loan shows
Ability to write and develop interpretative art programs for all audience levels
Skill in departmental and curatorial administration
Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with others
Education
INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL 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 thought the successful completion of the 4 year course of study as shown in A above.
Additional information
The National Gallery of Art fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
• More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
• 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.
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.
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 qualifications necessary for 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.
We will also verify that you are eligible for Merit Promotion positions by reviewing your previous Federal employment to ensure you meet Time-in-Grade requirements. If you are eligible to apply to Merit Promotion announcements based on Veteran or other non-competitive statuses, we will verify your supporting documentation prior to referral.
If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly.
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.
Please carefully review the following list to determine what documentation you need to submit.
Some documents may not apply to all applicants. If you are unsure, click the link for each document type to read more.
ALL APPLICANTS: You must submit a resume supporting your specialized experience and responses to the online questionnaire.
Your resume should list all work experience (paid and unpaid); you should list the full name and address of the each employer.
Your experience listing should show the start and end dates (include month, day, and year); you must also list the average number of hours per week that you worked.
Your resume should also include any education and training you have completed (list the program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
For more information about what to include in your resume, please view this USAJOBS Resume Tutorial video on YouTube.
It is important that your resume is complete and thorough. If any of the above information is not included in your resume, we may not be able to fully credit you for your experience.
If specific educational requirements are indicated for this vacancy:Documentation verifying your educational claims which can include unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned and final grade. Please see the Education section for more information.
Current and former Federal employees: Most recent SF-50 (Standard Form 50 - Notice of Personnel Action).
To properly verify status eligibility, your SF-50 must show the following. If you do not submit an appropriate SF-50, we cannot verify your status eligibility!
Full position title;
appointment type;
occupational series;
pay plan, grade, and step;
tenure code; and
service computation date (SCD).
Displaced Federal employees: To be considered CTAP/ICTAP eligible, you must submit documentation verifying your involuntary separation and CTAP/ICTAP status. Please see the OPM Guide to Career Transition for more information.
Persons with Disabilities: Individuals with intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities may apply for appointment through the Schedule A hiring authority. Certified verification of a disability from a licensed medical professional; a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist; or any Federal, state, or District of Columbia agency or U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits is required.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
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 U.S. Eastern Time 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:
You must have an active USAJOBS account and be logged in.
You must have a completed resume associated with your USAJOBS account.
Once you are logged in and all of your application materials are ready, click on the 'Apply Online' button to get started.
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.
You must respond to all applicant assessment questions, carefully following all instructions provided.
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.
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:
Return to USAJOBS and log in to your account.
In the "My Account" screen, click "Application Status" in the left-hand column.
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.
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.)
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 e-mail USAJOBS3.0@opm.gov. 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 Eastern Daylight Saving Time on the closing date of this announcement.
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.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Please carefully review the following list to determine what documentation you need to submit.
Some documents may not apply to all applicants. If you are unsure, click the link for each document type to read more.
ALL APPLICANTS: You must submit a resume supporting your specialized experience and responses to the online questionnaire.
Your resume should list all work experience (paid and unpaid); you should list the full name and address of the each employer.
Your experience listing should show the start and end dates (include month, day, and year); you must also list the average number of hours per week that you worked.
Your resume should also include any education and training you have completed (list the program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
For more information about what to include in your resume, please view this USAJOBS Resume Tutorial video on YouTube.
It is important that your resume is complete and thorough. If any of the above information is not included in your resume, we may not be able to fully credit you for your experience.
If specific educational requirements are indicated for this vacancy:Documentation verifying your educational claims which can include unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned and final grade. Please see the Education section for more information.
Current and former Federal employees: Most recent SF-50 (Standard Form 50 - Notice of Personnel Action).
To properly verify status eligibility, your SF-50 must show the following. If you do not submit an appropriate SF-50, we cannot verify your status eligibility!
Full position title;
appointment type;
occupational series;
pay plan, grade, and step;
tenure code; and
service computation date (SCD).
Displaced Federal employees: To be considered CTAP/ICTAP eligible, you must submit documentation verifying your involuntary separation and CTAP/ICTAP status. Please see the OPM Guide to Career Transition for more information.
Persons with Disabilities: Individuals with intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities may apply for appointment through the Schedule A hiring authority. Certified verification of a disability from a licensed medical professional; a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist; or any Federal, state, or District of Columbia agency or U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits is required.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
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 U.S. Eastern Time 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:
You must have an active USAJOBS account and be logged in.
You must have a completed resume associated with your USAJOBS account.
Once you are logged in and all of your application materials are ready, click on the 'Apply Online' button to get started.
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.
You must respond to all applicant assessment questions, carefully following all instructions provided.
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.
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:
Return to USAJOBS and log in to your account.
In the "My Account" screen, click "Application Status" in the left-hand column.
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.
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.)
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 e-mail USAJOBS3.0@opm.gov. 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 Eastern Daylight Saving Time on the closing date of this announcement.
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.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
