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Museum Curator

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Inflation Reduction Office
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in the Northeast Region, Resource Management & Science Division.

Open to the first 100 applicants or until 12/13/2023 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
11/28/2023 to 12/13/2023
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$80,769 to - $104,996 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Delaware Water Gap
Bushkill, PA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NPS-IRA-24-12217138-DE
Control number
762641300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens, Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP).

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Duties

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Major duties include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Maintains all record keeping and documentation for museum collections.
  • Maintains automated collections management data using National Park Service (NPS)-wide systems and according to NPS museum standards.
  • Develops reports.
  • Provides interpretive and reference services.
  • Maintains proper preservation, security and fire protection, and collection storage conditions.
  • Monitors, controls and maintains the environment for collections.
  • Manages museum housekeeping and an integrated pest management program.
  • Plans and implements proper curatorial procedures for onsite, external, and virtual exhibits, including implementation of loan paperwork.
  • Implements procedures to preserve and protect objects while on exhibit.
  • Coordinates with partners on planning and implementing contemporary art exhibits and exhibits using park collection materials, including multi-venue traveling exhibits.
  • Assists in the general visitor services program of the unit when called upon.
  • Develops interpretive and educational programs using the museum collections.
  • Conducts research necessary to identify and/or authenticate museum objects, to obtain necessary catalog data, to develop new techniques for collection preservation, and to determine legal status (e.g. copyright, provenance).
  • Assists researchers (both park staff and public) with collection inquiries and determines appropriateness of information release. Through primary source research, advances scholarship related to park themes and collections through publications and/or collaborations with academic professionals.
  • Develops programming priorities, project statements and funding proposals to support curatorial operations and cultural resource research and ensures that professionally recognized procedures are applied in all operations.
  • Provides technical advice, assistance, and training for staff, remote park curatorial personnel, and cooperators and frequently serves as team leader on curatorial projects.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 2 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
  • Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-12/13/2023-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience.

Museum Curator 1015 Series Individual Occupational Requirements

Basic 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 through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study as shown in A above.

In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: Collection management, assisting conservators with performing condition assessments of objects, interpreting and taking corrective actions to data collected from environmental monitoring devices and an Intergrated Pest Management program, performing preventive conservation on objects for exhibit or storage, developing museum exhibits in collaboration with interpretive staff, accounting for and tracking objects and performing quality assurance checks on data in a collections management information system, preparing documents for museum loans, shipping and receiving objects for exhibition, and preparing and submitting annual accountability reports. You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience. For example, an applicant with 6 months of appropriate experience equivalent to GS-9 (50 percent of the experience requirement for GS-11) and 45 semester hours of appropriate graduate education (50 percent of the education requirement for GS-11, in excess of that required for GS-9) would be qualified for a GS-11 position. If you are using education to qualify you must submit a copy of all your transcripts.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional information

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Physical Demands: The work requires mental alertness, better than average manual dexterity, and mobility. Although primarily sedentary, inspections and operations evaluations involve activities demanding a certain amount of exertion such as walking, climbing, crawling, lifting of heavy objects, bending, stooping, and reaching. Working with collections can involve prolonged exposure to hazardous materials and equipment. Working with lighting systems, environmental control systems, and alarm systems can involve exposure to electrical current and the use of power tools with physical hazards. The work entails the ability to concentrate for long periods of time.

Working Conditions: Most of the work is performed in an office and storage or laboratory facility. Frequent visits are made to the library, visitor center, and other museums in the park. The incumbent makes occasional field trips to the backcountry. Some travel to other facilities and museums, as well as to training and professional meetings is required.

The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
  • Decision Making
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Project Management
  • Technical Competence


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a panel resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

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