Clarification from the agency

More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

As an Archives Technician (Rights & Reproduction Coordinator) you will be responsible for processing the Museum’s rights and reproduction activities, including developing guidelines, processes and policies, as well as processing the necessary creation and stewardship of digital assets and resources.

Will also perform the following duties: 

• With oversight from the Archival senior team, the incumbent processes all the rights and requests for permission to reproduce collections items in multiple formats and media in response to requests from internal and external patrons and constituents.

• Works with curatorial divisions to assist in developing guidelines, processes and policies for rights and reproductions, informed by current technological standards and capacities, as well as pertinent legal and intellectual property concerns.

• Promotes use of Museum collections material in publications, productions, exhibits, etc. In collaboration with Digital Program Office, responsible for making Museum digital assets available for research, online exhibits and commercial sales.

• Works with patrons and constituents, including Museum and SI staff, scholars and researchers, to identify and select materials pertinent to their project.

• Working with the Museum’s and the central SI procurement & other associated teams, ensures that the fees and conditions for granting permission to reproduce materials are clearly and accurately articulated on the Museum’s website and in communications with patrons and constituents.

• Processes the payment system, including paperwork and submission of payments through the SI system, monitoring the status of payments and dealing with declined credit card payments.

Conditions of employment

• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.
• May need to complete a Probationary Period.
• Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation.

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.

You must be fully vaccinated for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) with a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized or FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine.

OR

Have an approved Reasonable Accommodation granting an exemption from vaccine requirements. Please see additional information regarding reasonable accommodations below.  

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.   

Qualifications

You qualify for this GS-09 position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal Service or comparable pay band system. For this position Specialized experience as experience processing rights and reproductions for permission to reproduce collection items in multiple format and media for a museum or a major cultural heritage institution and experience processing payments and fees for reproduction permission and maintaining records.

OR

Master's or equivalent graduate degree;

OR

2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree;

OR

LL.B. or J.D., if related

OR

You may qualify by a combination of experience and education.

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.

Selective Factor:

The incumbent must have Knowledge of rights and reproduction functions, including evolving technologies and interpretations of IP rights, as they apply to cultural heritage institutions.

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.

All applicants who meet or exceed minimum qualifications will receive a final rating within one of three category groups based on one or more stages of evaluation which measure job-related criteria:

Your resume will be used to evaluate your experience, education, and/or training that address the competencies below:

1. Knowledge of Museum collections and the processes for determining their suitability and availability for reproduction.
   
   
2. Ability to communicate verbally with a variety of people, such as the general public, Museum and SI staff, publishers, producers, businesses, organizations and institutions, to explain policies and procedures, to coordinate roles and responsibilities and to sustain collaborations across the Museum and SI.
   
   
3. Ability to communicate in writing with a variety of people, such as the general public, Museum and SI staff, publishers, producers, businesses, organizations and institutions, to explain policies and procedures, to coordinate roles and responsibilities and to sustain collaborations across the Museum and SI.
   
   
4. Ability to develop and maintain records documenting the Museum’s rights and reproduction functions.
   
   
5. Knowledge of applicable technologies and applications, such as digital asset management systems and collections management systems, as well has hardware such as scanners, digital cameras, and A/V equipment.
   
   

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:

The review of your resume will determine your final rating and should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.