Clarification from the agency

This position is open to all U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals. More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

As an IT Specialist (Customer Support) the incumbent will perform the following duties but not limited to:

• Serves as a Project Manager for enterprise-wide mass digitization projects to Smithsonian units (museums, archives and libraries and research centers). The incumbent performs a wide range of project management functions, including system and process analysis, requirements definition, workflow development, assistance to units Institution wide with digital asset processing, system administration, maintenance, and customer training, troubleshooting, and reporting activities in support of the Institution’s digitization functions.
• Uses digital equipment, programs and software to create digital images of museum collections in a cultural heritage or scientific collections environment. This includes digital cameras (Single Lens Reflex (SLRs), medium format, etc.), flatbed and overhead scanners, photo stands, advanced continuous and strobe lighting environments, Adobe’s Photoshop and related programs; Phocus, Phase One’s Capture One, as well as open source software such as ImageMagick with substantial imaging responsibilities photographing museum collections of various sizes and materials.
• Documents, in detail, the imaging workflow process to include image quality specifications, i.e. spatial frequency response (SFR; aka image resolution), deltaE limits for color reproduction, tonal response, as well as other imaging characteristics; and image processing parameters, i.e. camera and lighting settings, color space, bit depth, gamma, file type, file naming conventions, and metadata specs. Uses FADGI based standards, Golden Thread standardized imaging targets, and the Digital Image Conformance Evaluation (DICE)/Golden Thread software suite to assess resolution, color accuracy, tonal response and other digital imaging characteristics. These issues vary with every project as they must be analyzed to adjust to the requirements for the specific type of image being digitized. 
• Uses colorimeters or spectrocolorimeters to measure object/specimen color, uses inspection microscopes to measure object detail size, and uses light meters to measure proper exposure level.
• Creates High Level Architecture diagrams documenting digital image and data workflow through various Collection Information Systems (CIS), (including Gallery Systems’ The Museum System (TMS), Axiell’s Electronic Museum (EMu) and/or MIMSY-XG Collections Information Systems as applied to Digital Asset Management System (DAMS), Transcription Services, and other enterprise IT infrastructure systems and services, ensuring that proper connections are in place between systems of records. These are presented to the team that will implement the architectural changes. 

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.

Conditions of Employment

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS:

For the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccination requirements and its impact on your application, click on Smithsonian Institution’s Frequently Asked Questions. 

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 on OPM website.

Qualifications

GS-11 Experience: You qualify for this position if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal Service or comparable pay band system.  For this position Specialized experience is defined as managing short term IT digitization projects in one of the following organizations: library, archive, museum, research center; or a similar scientific, historical, or cultural institution setting.  This experience includes serving as either a digital photographer or digital imaging specialist using digital equipment, programs, and software to create digital images for the organization.

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.

Or Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

In addition to meeting the Specialized Experience for all positions individuals must have related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below:

1. Attention to Detail:  Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
2. Customer Service: Anticipates and meets the needs of both internal and external business partners and customers (any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unity produces including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government).  Provides information or assistance. Delivers high-quality products and services; is committed to continuous improvement.  Effectively manages customer relationships.
3. Oral Communication:  Makes clear and convincing oral presentations to individuals and groups. Listens effectively; clarifies information, as needed.  Speaks and writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner that is appropriate to the audience.  Facilitates an open exchange of ideas to ensure all group input is considered.  Handles technical, sensitive, or controversial topics with agility involving executives/managers as appropriate.
4. Problem Solving: Identifies and analyzes problems, weighs relevance and accuracy of information, generates and evaluates alternative solutions, and makes sound recommendations.

The employing agency is responsible for identifying the specific level of proficiency required for each competency at each grade level based on the requirements of the position being filled.

In the Basic requirement questions section below you will have an opportunity to prepare narrative relating to your IT experience which demonstrates each of the four competencies (Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Oral Communication, and Problem Solving).

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application will be evaluated first for the basic qualifications described above. The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria:

• Ability to manage short and long term, multi-phase IT digitization projects in a library, archive, museum or research center; or similar historical or cultural institution setting.
• Ability as a digital photographer or digital imaging specialist to use digital equipment, programs and software to create digital images of museum collections in a cultural heritage or scientific collections environment.
• Ability to apply FADGI based standards, Golden Thread standardized imaging targets, and the DICE/Golden Thread software suite to assess resolution, color accuracy, tonal response and other digital imaging characteristics, gained through work experience.
• Ability to use colorimeters or spectrocolorimeters to measure object/specimen color, using inspection microscopes to measure object detail size, and using light meters to measure proper exposure level, gained through work experience.
• Knowledge of museum collections management and Collection Information Systems: Gallery Systems’ The Museum System, Axiell’s Electronic Museum, MIMSY-XG, and an enterprise Digital Asset Management System, gained through work experience

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.