Clarification from the agency

Open to current and former Federal employees with permanent status or reinstatement eligibility or individuals who are eligible for a special appointing authority. Also advertised as 22R-TL-306342-DEU-NASM for U.S. Citizens, nationals, or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.. To be considered for each vacancy, apply to BOTH jobs. More than one selection may be made from this job opportunity announcement.

Duties of the GS-11, GS-12 and GS-13 are the same.  At the GS-11 and GS-12 level positions have closer supervision of the work completed, and less research and curatorial responsibilities.

• Conduct independent technical research on the history of contemporary spaceflight in a global framework resulting in publications in peer-reviewed journals or books
• Serve as a curator to include managing and interpreting artifacts associated with the history of contemporary spaceflight in a global framework.
• Develop exhibits, especially as related to the history of contemporary spaceflight in a global framework.
• Prepare technical reports in writing as well as oral presentations to the staff and public and digital outreach on the Museum and its collection.
• Foster relationships across the organization to enhance attention to the history of contemporary spaceflight in a global framework.

Conditions of employment

• The Smithsonian Institution has a mandate requiring all employees (federal and trust), affiliated staff (including volunteers, interns, and fellows), and the contractors who work with us to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee’s duty location or work arrangement (e.g., onsite, telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination by November 22, 2021 or before appointment or onboarding with the Smithsonian Institution, if after November 22. The Smithsonian Institution will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required exemption from this requirement. This requirement applies to employees, affiliated staff, contractors who are working on-site, and those teleworking in whole or in part. Limited exemptions to the Smithsonian Institution’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate will be considered on a case-by-case basis for selected candidates who inform the Smithsonian that they cannot be vaccinated because of a disability, including certain medical conditions the Center for Disease Control (CDC) considers contraindications to the vaccine, or because of a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance. Additional information and instructions regarding Smithsonian’s COVID-19 mandate will be provided at the time of selection.
• Qualification requirements must be met within 30 days of the job opportunity 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.
• 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.

Qualifications

BASIC Qualification Requirements:

• Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field.

                OR 

• Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

                 OR

• Four years of experience that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study as shown in A above.

In addition to meeting the basic qualifications applicant must also meet specialized experience.

Specialized Experience: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation. Applicants who have the 1 year of appropriate specialized experience, are not required to have general experience, education above the high school level, or any additional specialized experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements.

For this position at the GS-11 level, applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-09, in the Federal Service or equivalent.

For this position at the GS-12 level, applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-11, in the Federal Service or equivalent.

For this position at the GS-13 level, applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-12, in the Federal Service or equivalent.

For this position, specialized experience is defined as:

GS-11: researching the history of contemporary spaceflight in a global framework

GS-12: developing, implementing and/or coordinating independent research related to the history of contemporary spaceflight in a global framework.  

GS-13: systematic independent research on an area of considerable scope related to the history of contemporary spaceflight in a global framework.  

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid work on the same basis as for paid experience.  Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. To receive credit for such experience you must indicate clearly the nature of the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the average number of hours per week spent in such employment on your online resume.

Note:  Your specialized experience must have been in a position(s) equivalent to duties for the occupation at the next lower grade level for the position being filled as defined by applicable Federal standards. 

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:

• Ability to perform historical research and present conference papers.
• Knowledge of museum standards related to collections management practices applied to an artifact collection.
• Knowledge of the development of public exhibits related to the history of contemporary spaceflight.
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing in order to prepare email, correspondence, exhibit scripts, proposals, plans, reports, books, reviews, documents, and publications to include writing succinct informational style and synthesizing and interpreting ideas clearly.
• Ability to communicate orally in a variety of settings (e.g., community and public forums) as a historian.

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.