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Chief of Design

National Gallery of Art
DID
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Chief of Design is responsible for a permanent staff of approximately forty employees, which includes personnel in the design office, the silkscreen shop, the exhibits production shop, the armature shop, the lighting shop, and the architectural services department; the incumbent also oversees the work of contract employees whose numbers range between five and twenty, as the exhibitions demand. 

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open date: 04/24/2020
Closed date: 05/15/2020
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$131,239 - $197,300 per year
Pay scale & grade
SL SL
Promotion potential
SL - salary determined for this position may be negotiable
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-Time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel may be required on an occasional basis.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
Yes
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
NGA-20-88
Control number
566362900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

US Citizens and Nationals

Duties

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The Chief of Design:

  1. Serves on an Exhibition Planning Committee which oversees the organization and production of temporary exhibitions that have been approved by the Exhibitions Steering Committee. 
  2. Designs or oversees all temporary exhibition installations and displays of the permanent collection at the Gallery and develops floor plans and case elevations. 

  3. Directly supervises draftspersons in their drafting of finished floor plans, elevations, and construction details. 
  4. Works collaboratively with curators to determine the design for exhibitions, including overall conceptualization and approach to display based on a full familiarity with the objects and the goals of the exhibition; the arrangement of the physical space; the arrangement of objects within the space; the design of exhibition furniture and mounts; the choice of color, fabric, and other materials; lighting; and the arrangement of visitor amenities such as gallery seating.
  5. Oversees any renovation of existing art areas (galleries) and construction of new art areas. 
  6. Recommends and presents installation proposals, plans, and budgets for approval by the Collections, Exhibitions, and Programs Officer. 

  7. Determines the display techniques to be used in the mounting of exhibitions regarding framing, matting, conservation, and lighting requirements. 
  8. Monitors all expenditures to assure that the budget is adhered to and that the installation will be completed without cost over-run.

  9. Supervises the lighting design of exhibitions and the permanent galleries.

  10. In coordination with the EEO officer, works to identify and eliminate barriers to underrepresented groups to improve diversity in the Gallery’s workforce on an ongoing basis. Communicates and consistently sets a positive example for staff in support of workforce diversity and a work environment that is free from discrimination and/or harassment on any unlawful basis.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a United States Citizen.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements
  • See "Other Information" section regarding Selective Service requirements.

Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. 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). Your resume must include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week.

Qualifications

All applicants must have at least 10 years of experience. Experience is directly related to the duties and responsibilities of this position, referenced in the technical qualifications, that equipped the candidate with the scope and level of knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the work. This level of responsibility is typically found at the GS-15 or equivalent level in the Federal Government. Eligibility will be based upon a clear showing that the applicant has had professional training and experience of the scope, level and quality sufficient to carry out the responsibilities of the position effectively. You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.

  1. The incumbent must have thorough knowledge and at least 10 years of experience in museum exhibition design, particularly in two-dimensional and three-dimensional spatial work.
  2. The incumbent must have demonstrated knowledge of space planning, museum display standards, exhibition lighting, fabrication of exhibition furniture, the production of design drawings and construction documents, skills, and techniques, and extensive knowledge of museum best practices; knowledge of ADA and all regulatory requirements; proficiency in AutoCAD (or equivalent software); and knowledge of TMS or similar collections management program. 

  3. The incumbent must be able to work collaboratively with others as well as possess strong organizational skills; must be creative, energetic, and flexible, with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. 

  4. The incumbent must have a broad working knowledge of construction materials, costs, methods, and principles to enable sound decision making related to budgeting for, execution, and installation of an exhibition.  

  5. The incumbent must have a strong knowledge of budgeting and computing.

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- Bachelor’s degree in design or studio arts or equivalent related experience. Master’s degree in fine arts or design preferred.

Note: Your experience must be detailed in your resume and cover letter to receive full credit.

Additional information

How you will be evaluated

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

Applications will be evaluated against the resume and mandatory qualifications requirements. The candidate's total background, including experience, education, awards, self-development and training will be reviewed in determining the degree to which he/she possesses each of the qualification requirements. You will not be considered for this position if you fail to submit qualification statements specifically addressing each mandatory technical qualifications requirement. Please do not say "see resume." Failure to meet any one of the mandatory qualifications requirements will eliminate a candidate from further consideration. A preliminary review will be made by NGA Human Resources. Candidates will be evaluated for this position by a screening panel composed of a diverse mix of senior level executives and/or equivalent selected for organizational and/or functional backgrounds relevant to this position. The panel discusses each application and reaches consensus as to the Best Qualified, Well Qualified, Qualified or Not Qualified candidates. Only the individuals in the Best Qualified category will be referred to the hiring official for interview.

If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly.


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National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art was conceived and given to the people of the United States by Andrew W. Mellon (1855–1937). Mellon was a financier and art collector from Pittsburgh who came to Washington in 1921 to serve as secretary of the treasury. During his years of public service he came to believe that the United States should have a national art museum equal to those of other great nations.

Agency contact information

Jamaal Carrington
Phone
202-842-6290
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
j-carrington@nga.gov
Address
National Gallery of Art
4th and Constitution Avenue NW,
Washington, District of Columbia 20565
United States

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