Clarification from the agency

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS POSITION IS OPEN TO ALL CANDIDATES ELIGIBLE TO WORK IN THE UNITED STATES.

The Assistant Director serves as a member of the curatorial staff with duties relating to:  the research, collections, interpretation, teamwork, and creative public engagement that generates publicly engaged scholarship, research, and preservation of collections; and the spirit of generous participation that nurtures collaboration in NMAAHC, buttresses history as a profession, and advances civic engagement at the national level.

In this position, you will:

• specialize in the specialty program of Arts, which includes African American art history, contemporary art, visual art, photography, literary, pottery, sculpture, media art, design, performance art, and conservation, notably the Johnson Publishing Company collection and archive.
• research which typically results in publications and exhibitions that make authoritative and original contribution to the field. Collaborate with colleagues across division as well as with specialist in collections management, design, production, writing/editing, education, public programs and project management.
• contribute to the long-term health of the collection through strategic acquisition and deaccession, collections documentation within a shared data management system and the advancement of public access.
• serve as a senior representative in discussions about policy and direction and is frequently called upon to promote public awareness of the projects and their content through presentations (orally or in writing) to funders, media contacts; publications; and through presentations to nonacademic and academic groups.
• oversee the establishment of goals, articulation of priorities, development of schedules and checklists, and the assignment of tasks, through subordinate supervisors, to enhance the Museum’s work aligned with its strategic pillars.

Conditions of employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
• Complete a Probationary Period
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
• May be required to serve an 18-month probationary period for supervisors.

Conditions of Employment

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Qualifications

Basic Education Requirement:

1. Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field. or
2. Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, as shown in 1 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 in 1 above.

In addition to the Basic Education Requirement above:

You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the grade 14 level in the Federal Service.  For this position, specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience leading and/or supervising staff; conducting research in the field of arts (e.g., African American art history, contemporary art, visual art, photography, literary, pottery, sculpture, media art, design, performance art, and conservation); responding to queries relating to research, collections, exhibitions and public outreach; contributing to long-term health of the collection through strategic acquisition; and developing and implementing strategic collections plans.

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.

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. Skill in conducting research for and about African American art.
2. Skill in written communication.
3. Ability to organize, develop, maintain and refine collections of artifacts illustrating and documenting arts by and about African Americans.
4. Skill in oral communication.
5. Ability to supervise staff.

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 detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.