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.

In this position the curator uses their knowledge in the history of textiles and costume in the United States and its territories to integrate varied subdisciplines into her/his broader field, furthering the knowledge of the collection’s holdings, and fostering its stewardship. Working under the general direction of the Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs and the direct supervision of the division Chair or other division-level supervisor, the Museum Curator serves as a member of the curatorial staff with the following duties:

• Conducts research that results in publishable additions via multiple formats to the body of knowledge related to the history of textiles and costume and in public history work that supports the museum's mission, interpretive programs, and philosophy of public engagement.
  
  
• The curator deploys historical understanding, collections expertise, and imaginative commitment to collaboration within and beyond the museum’s walls to creatively engage public audiences and stakeholders with the power of the past and to engage our contemporary moment.
  
  
• Researches collections, provides interpretation and analysis of textiles and costume history,, and participates in collaborative teamwork towards creative public engagement that generates public history scholarship, exhibitions, programs, digital outputs, and other public-facing works.
  
  
• Serves as a team member on exhibitions, playing a role in the development of exhibitions, websites, media programs, or public- program activity and/or other outreach activity.
  
  
• Shapes the textile and costume collections, builds knowledge of the collection’s holdings, and fosters its stewardship.
  
  
• Reviews acquisitions, and engages in stewardship, research, and preservation of collections; and plays a part in the spirit of generous participation that nurtures collaboration (within and across departments) at the NMAH; buttresses public history as a profession and advances civic engagement at the national level.
  
  
• Research assignments are of limited scope with readily definable objectives that are expected to result in publicly engaged scholarship, exhibitions, public programs, digital outputs, and other public history works related to the field of costume and textile history.

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 by the closing date of the announcement.

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

Qualifications

All applicants must meet these Basic Requirements: (You must submit academic transcripts): 

1. Four-year Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field related to the history of textiles and/or costume; or 

2. Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education; or 

3. 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.

In addition to the basic qualification requirement above:

Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal Service.  For this position, specialized experience is defined as researching, collecting, and exhibiting American material culture and related items in historical context, particular to the history custom and textile.  Experience is demonstrated through a range of research products such as scholarly articles, teaching, lectures, oral histories, archival holding, museum or cultural institutions collections, exhibitions, and/or public programming.

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.

All applicants who meet or exceed minimum qualifications will receive a final rating within one of three category groups based on one or more stages of evaluation which measure 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, but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-veterans within each quality category. The Hiring Manager may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Category) provided no veteran in that category is passed over to select a non-veteran in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied. Veterans 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.

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 resume that will be used to evaluate your experience, education, and/or training for the job-related competencies below:

1. Requires skill, as demonstrated through experience, in researching and/or collecting objects related to historical field.
2. Skill is demonstrated through experience in developing public history products such as physical or virtual exhibitions or programs or publications.
3. Requires scholarly knowledge within the context and historiography of American history with emphasis on costume and textile history in the United States and its territories.
4. Ability to write, speak, and report on research topics in the field both for a scholarly audience and in a format that encourages public understanding.

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.