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Museum Curator (Art) (Head of Product Design & Decorative Arts)

Smithsonian Institution
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Serves as Senior Museum Curator and Head of Product Design and Decorative Arts for the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. S/he is responsible for organizing national and international exhibitions, publications, and education programs, as well as overseeing the development of the department’s collection. Serves as Cooper Hewitt’s expert in the field of 17th-and 18th-century decorative and applied arts. Supervises associate curators as well as oversees interns, fellows and other volunteers.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open date: 04/23/2018
Closed date: 05/22/2018
Location
Work site options
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$99,927 - $109,920 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Promotion potential
13
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time - Full-Time, Permanent
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent - Federal
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Service
Announcement number
18A-LM-303679-DEU-CHSDM
Control number
497477600

This job is open to

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Duties

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  • Researches and conducts on-going scholarly and applied research on various aspects of the museum’s 17th and 18th century permanent collection, as well as on the historical influences of earlier works on that period and from that period on works of later date.
  • Conceives, initiates, and develops national and international exhibitions, based on one's expertise and knowledge of the museum’s collection of decorative arts, interior design, furniture, ornament, and other design fields.
  • Responsible for the continued expansion, development, and maintenance of a balanced collection.
  • Prepares lectures, talks and papers to be presented at local, national and international scholarly gatherings.
  • Oversees and supervises staff and fellows/interns.
  • Assists in soliciting outside support for exhibitions and collections.

Requirements

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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.

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.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: All applicants must meet the following education requirements: (You must submit unofficial school transcripts to show evidence of meeting this requirement)

Degree: museum work; or in Decorative Arts and Design, Art History, or Architectural History. OR Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, as shown 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 above.

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. For a full explanation of this option please see the Qualification Standards.

In addition to meeting the basic requirements above, all applicants must also meet the Selective Factor Requirements: (You application must show written evidence of meeting this requirement):

Selective Factor: Experience reading and writing in one of the following languages: French, Italian, or German in order to perform original exhibition research and for exhibition-related publications and special curatorial projects in the field of 17th-and 18th-century decorative and applied arts.

Specialized Experience: In addition to meeting the Selective Factor and the Basic Requirements above, you qualify for this position if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal Service or comparable pay band system. For this position Specialized experience is defined as senior curatorial experience in exhibition planning, performing original research/analysis and performing research-oriented duties in support of exhibitions, publications, acquisitions, and other projects in 17th-and 18th-century decorative and applied arts.

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.

Additional information

Flexible Spending Accounts - <a
href="http://www.fsafeds.com/fsafeds/index.asp">http://www.fsafeds.com/fsafeds/index.asp
Health Insurance - <a
href="http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp">http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp
Leave - <a
href="http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/index.asp">http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/index.asp
Life Insurance - <a
href="http://www.opm.gov/insure/life/index.asp">http://www.opm.gov/insure/life/index.asp
Long Term Care Insurance - <a
href="http://www.ltcfeds.com">http://www.ltcfeds.com
Retirement Program - <a
href="http://www.opm.gov/retire/index.asp">http://www.opm.gov/retire/index.asp

How you will be evaluated

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

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

  1. Ability to read and write in one of the following languages: French, Italian, or German in order to perform original exhibition research and for exhibition-related publications and special curatorial projects.
  2. Knowledge of curatorial functions, especially as they relate to exhibitions, publications and research in 17th & 18th-century decorative and applied arts.
  3. Knowledge of museum practices and procedures such as loans and acquisitions.
  4. Ability to communicate orally with a wide range of museum colleagues and curatorial staff on decorative & applied arts.
  5. Ability to lead, plan and manage a curatorial department.
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.

To preview questions please click here.

Smithsonian Institution

Agency contact information

Lily Mellor
Phone
202-633-6298
TDD
202-633-6409
Fax
571-258-4052
Email
mellorl@si.edu
Address
SMITHSONIAN
Office of Human Resources
POB 37012, 600 Maryland Avenue, MRC 517
Suite 5060
Washington, District of Columbia 20013-7012
United States

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