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 #24R-TK-311022-MPA-NMNH More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

The Exhibits Specialist will work with, and learn about a wide variety of specimens, objects, anthropological artifacts from the NMNH collection and from outside sources and includes model work and exhibit fabrication.

In this position, you will:

• Fabricate mounts/brackets for permanent and temporary exhibitions at NMNH or for loans or photography and assists with installation and de-installation of museum exhibits.
• Design mounts/brackets for specified specimens and objects from approved drawings and/or verbal instruction from the designer, curator, and conservator.
• Produce accurate castings and lifelike models using accepted modeling techniques and a wide variety of materials.
• Analyze the protective and supportive properties of mounts and the fabrication of mounts/brackets using various materials including steel, aluminum, brass, copper, wood, plexiglass, and modeling epoxy.
• Assist with review of design plans for exhibits with curators, designers, conservators, photographers, and project managers to make appropriate mount making/bracketing decisions.
• Repair and finish fragile museum exhibit components and reproduce original exhibit parts that have been broken or damaged.
• Serve as an art handler in close cooperation with the exhibitions, conservation and collections departments with care and understanding for the safety of the objects for both regular moves and gallery installations/de-installations.

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.
• May be required to serve an 18-month probationary period for supervisors.

This position requires the physical ability to perform moderately heavy work including lifting and carrying heavy objects up to 50 lbs.; working within confined spaces; participating in the Smithsonian Institution's hearing and respiratory monitoring programs; lifting, bending, stooping and stretching for extended periods of time; operating all hand and power tools and all graphic production equipment; climbing ladders and scaffolds; working near eye irritants and hazardous substances and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

Satisfactory Pre-employment physical is required.

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions on OPM website.

Qualifications

Experience for GS-09: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal Service.  For this position, specialized experience is defined as (1) Fabricating mounts/brackets for permanent and/or temporary museum exhibits; using approved drawings and/or verbal instruction from a designer, curator, and conservator for specimens or objects; (2) Working with various materials including steel, aluminum, brass, copper, wood, plexiglass, and/or modeling epoxy; (2) Repairing and finishing fragile museum exhibit components and reproducing original exhibit parts that have been broken or damaged; (4) Properly caring for and using hand tools, power equipment, and safety devices; and producing accurate castings and lifelike models using accepted modeling techniques. 

Advanced training in a vocational school, technical institute, or art institute above the high school level in one of the fields listed above is creditable as general experience on a month-for-month basis.

Or Education:

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- illustrative design, commercial art, fine arts, industrial design, architecture, drafting, interior design, or other fields related to the position.

Grade 9: Two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master’s or equivalent degree related to this position may be substituted to meet the experience requirements.

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.

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.

Applicants for this position may be evaluated in multiple stages. The first stage is an evaluation of your responses to the online multiple-choice questions that assess your experience, education, and/or training for the job related competencies below:

• Knowledge of methods and techniques of mount making as applied to museum processes such as object handling, collections management, research, exhibition, photography, and conservation.
• Knowledge of various visual methods, techniques, and materials used in the design and fabrication of museum exhibits, displays.
• Knowledge of model making procedures that require the use of a wide variety of hand and power tools, shop machinery such as both metal and wood lathe, band saw, panel saw, table saw, drill press, radial arm saw, belt and disk sanders, and pneumatic grinders.
• Skill in working with a variety of art and construction media including plastics, epoxies, plaster, wood and metal, and the properties of a variety of adhesives, pigments, solvents, plastics, epoxies, rubbers, fiberglass, etc.

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.