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 #23R-BN-308211-MPA-NMAAHC. More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

The Collections Specialist carries out collections management activities.

In this position, you will:

• Determine immediate and long-term storage requirements of individual artifacts or collections and prepare objects for storage by applying appropriate preservation and rehousing methods, which can range from simple actions to complex operations.
• Handle the movement of artifacts from storage for preservation, conservation, study, exhibit or loan.  Perform all types of specimen-handling operations, including those that require the operation of forklifts and other vehicles or equipment.
• Monitor environmental conditions of the collections storage areas, which includes the integrated pest management (IPM) program at NMAAHC storage locations and initiate action to correct conditions detrimental to objects.
• Instruct staff, interns and visitors in proper object handling techniques and assure that they follow correct procedures.

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.
• Must have a valid State or District of Columbia drivers’ license.

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 by the closing date of the announcement. 

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

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: Experience related to the operation or management of a museum or similar collection of valuable objects. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include collections management, registration, cataloging, research, preservation, restoration, or conservation of collections of museum material, or other experience related to the position to be filled. Most positions require a particular subject-matter specialization, e.g., aeronautics, anthropology, art, geology, history, natural science, technology, biology, or zoology.

In addition to the Basic Requirements above:

You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 level in the Federal Service or comparable pay band system.  For this position, specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience handling, inspecting, and creating storage solutions for a variety of objects; rehousing and packing objects for shipment; monitoring environmental conditions. 

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:  One full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement in a field related to this position may be
substituted to meet the experience requirement.

Superior Academic Achievement Provisions:
A Bachelor’s degree in any field, plus at least one of the following superior academic achievement provisions:

1. A grade-point average (GPA) of B (3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale) for all completed undergraduate courses, or courses completed in
the last two years of undergraduate curriculum;
or

2. A grade-point average (GPA) of B+ (3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale) for the required courses in your major field of study, or required
courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; or

3. Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university, or major completed in the last two years of  undergraduate study; or

4. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society, other than freshman honor societies.  Honor societies that have been
approved are listed in the American College of Honor Societies.  Booklet of Information (1992-95) and/or Baird’s Manual of American College Fraternities (1991). 

To verify your claim for this provision, please submit a college transcript(s) showing that you maintained a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 for all 4 years of undergraduate courses, or on all undergraduate courses completed during the final 2 years of your curriculum, including all transferred courses.

Note:  GPAs are to be rounded to one decimal place.  For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.  If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) was taken on a pass/fail or similar basis, your claim must be based on class standing or membership in an honor society.

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.

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:

1. Knowledge of procedures and methods used in the handling, storage, transport, care and preservation of museum collections, including the attendant record keeping.
2. Ability to perform all types of specimen-handling operations, including those that require the operation of forklifts and other vehicles or equipment.
3. Knowledge of integrated pest management.
4. Ability to communicate orally.

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.