Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Summary

The purpose of this position is to serve as an assistant within the Curatorial Office of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM).  The incumbent independently performs a variety of programmatic, research and administrative duties in support of the Chief or Deputy Chief Curator.

Overview

Help
Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
10/16/2019 to 10/30/2019
Salary
$47,016 to - $61,122 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 07
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
FEW vacancies
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Federal
Work schedule
Full-time - Full-Time, Permanent
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
07
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
20R-JW-305206-DEU-SAAM
Control number
548804200

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

This position is open to all U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals. Note: Federal employees with permanent status or individuals eligible for special appointing authorities may also apply to Job Announcement #20R-JW-304206-MPA-SAAM.

Duties

Help

  • Collects, organizes and prepares material related to the collections, exhibitions, publication or other projects, performing basic research such as biographic information, attribution, media, title, subject and date.

  • Responds to general public inquiries about the museum and its collections, researching basic information through curatorial files and collections database.
  • Drafts and prepares text, captions or other material in the proper format.
  • Generates reports and checklists and takes notes on meetings. 
  • Organizes and tracks curatorial projects, correspondence and reports and serves as liaison between Curatorial and other offices.
  • Maintains databases and files on artists and artworks. 

Requirements

Help

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 within 30 days of the job announcement closing date.

For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on the web at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.

Qualifications

Experience: You qualify for this position if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level in the Federal Service or comparable pay band system that is close to or similar to the operation or management of a museum or similar collection of valuable objects. For this position, specialized experience is defined as performing research on materials related to visual arts, art history, or American art; preparing written materials; organizing & coordinating processes; and using computer applications and software.

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.

Or Education: 1 full academic year of related graduate level education or superior academic achievement.

Or a Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications. 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.

Additional information

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:

  • Knowledge of art history, especially American art.
  • Ability to perform research in the visual arts.
  • Knowledge of museum operations.
  • Ability to prepare written materials.
  • Ability to organize & coordinate processes.

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.


To preview questions please click here.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.