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Exhibits Specialist

Smithsonian Institution
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, consisting of 21 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, nine research facilities and the Smithsonian Libraries. The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) is the nation’s first collection of American art it offers an unparalleled record of the American experience, capturing the aspirations, character and imagination of the American people throughout three centuries.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/06/2023 to 09/20/2023
Salary
$78,592 to - $102,166 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
Washington, DC
FEW vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Federal
Work schedule
Full-time - Full-Time, Permanent
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11 - This position is being announced at the full performance level.
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
23R-SK-309604-MPA-SAAM
Control number
747168500

Duties

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As an Exhibits Specialist, you will design and produce museum quality mounts and frames for a wide array of artworks and objects.

In this position, you will:

  • Make and install inconspicuous specimen mounting devices of wood, metal, plastic, or fabric as determined by the nature of the object and final installed position and install specimens on walls, panels, or in cases, ensuring their security.
  • Serve as an advanced fabricator/exhibits specialist and work with technical independence to produce a wide variety of historic and contemporary frames and other elements designed to enhance the museum exhibition of valuable artifacts.
  • Order and track supply and inventories of materials required for construction and mount making projects.

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.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

Note: Non-federal or status employees may also apply to Job Announcement # 23R-SK-309604-DEU-SAAM.

Conditions of Employment: Incumbent may be exposed to hazardous chemicals, loud noises, fumes, dust, falling objects, shop equipment, and other construction hazards. Incumbent may be required to wear protective gear. The position involves a combination of considerable walking, and physical work, as well as sedentary work, during all phases of exhibitions projects. Engages in lifting and carrying large art objects, pedestals, and vitrines. Additionally, may climb ladders, use electrical lifts and scaffolds for various reasons during installation or to determine the best construction methods to be used. The incumbent is required to be highly mobile to perform on-site inspections and overview of operations in the exhibit shops and in the exhibition galleries. Incumbent must be able to lift up to 50lbs unassisted. Incumbent will operate a wide range of construction and exhibit design tools that require adequate precaution and safety measures.

Qualification requirements, including one year time-in-grade at the next lower grade level for promotion candidates, must be met by the closing date of the announcement. See the 'Required Documents' section for additional information.

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

Qualifications

Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal Service.  For this position, specialized experience is defined as creating mounts for artifacts in a museum or similar setting; producing a variety of historic and contemporary frames and other elements; and ordering and tracking supplies and inventories related to exhibition projects.

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 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related in illustrative design, commercial art, fine arts, industrial design, architecture, drafting, interior design, or other fields related to the position.

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.

Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement.

Additional information

This position is included in the bargaining unit.

Current or Former Political Appointees: Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Office of Human Resources. Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:

  • Position title;
  • Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
  • Agency; and,
  • Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position.  However, approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period.

Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid.

Selections may be made for vacancies across the Smithsonian Institution (SI). By applying to this position, you agree to allow your application and other personal information to be shared with one or more SI hiring officials for employment consideration for same/similar positions within the location(s) identified in this announcement.

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:

  1. Ability to make specimen mounting devices including installing specimens to ensure their security.
  2. Ability to work with technical independence to produce a wide variety of historic and contemporary frames and other elements designed to enhance the exhibition of valuable artifacts.
  3. Ability to order and track supplies and inventories of materials required for construction and mount making projects.

BASIS OF RATING:  Once the announcement closes, your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of this position. If, after the Human Resources Specialist reviews your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that the score you have received is not a true reflection of your qualifications and/or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect the information you provided that support your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA):  If you are applying for a VEOA appointment, you must be a veteran and must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. ("Active Service" under this law means active duty in a uniformed service and includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, full-time National Guard duty, and attendance, while in the active service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary concerned.) A veteran who is released under honorable conditions shortly before completing a 3-year tour is also eligible.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities:  The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority:

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.


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