Clarification from the agency

Current Smithsonian Institution Internal Employees/Agency Employees Only may apply including current Smithsonian Institution employees with Federal career/career-conditional status or eligibility. More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

As a Conservator (Works on Paper and Photographs), the incumbent would perform the following duties:

• Performs technical examination of works of art to determine their condition, including the kind and extent of deterioration and treatment needed, if any.
• Examines works considered for purchase and/or loan to determine state of preservation and treatment that would be required to make the artwork exhibitable.
• Works with living artists or artists’ studios, galleries, and/or artists’ estates to document fabrication methods and materials and to explore the long-term preservation considerations of the individual artworks.
• Initiates reports on variations in temperature and humidity that could be detrimental to works of art in the building, and follows through to ensure appropriate corrective actions are taken.

Conditions of employment

• Requires career/career-conditional status or eligibility.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.

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.

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 have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-X level in the Federal Service or comparable pay band system.  For this position Specialized experience is defined as monitoring the condition of the works of art; creating and maintaining documentation relating to art condition, installation, display, and conservation treatments; and providing instructions on climate control, light exposure, storage, and handling.

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.

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 conservation methods and techniques in order to implement procedures for the conservation and preservation of works of art.
2. Knowledge of treatments on contemporary works on paper and familiarity with treating works on paper and a wide range of art making materials from the late 20th and early 21st century.
3. Ability to communicate orally to consult and advise on conservation issues, give lab tours, carry out artist interviews, and develop and present educational materials.
4. Ability to communicate in writing in order to prepare written reports, treatment proposals, policies and guidelines related to handling art collections.

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 detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.