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Museum Curator

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Gettysburg National Military Park
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The incumbent serves as a museum curator for one or more parks or offices. The purpose of this position is to provide direction over extensive museum collections and carry out responsibilities in the four museum functions of collections, exhibits, research, and education. Professional fields of studies and expertise must be pertinent to the park's resources and themes.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open date: 03/07/2024
Closed date: 03/21/2024
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$68,405 - $88,925 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Term - NTE 13 months, may be extended up to 4 years
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
NE-1612-GETT-24-12343056-DE
Control number
780403100

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Duties

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  • Provides overall museum registration guidance and oversight for diverse museum collections.
  • Performs duties related to accessions, deaccessions, inventory, loans, transfers of property, and artifact cataloging/registration, verifying the accuracy of all associated information.
  • Oversees and undertakes maintenance of all records and documentation for museum collections using traditional and automated systems.
  • Provides physical storage and intellectual control over extensive museum collections and carries out responsibilities in the four museum functions of collections, exhibits, research, and education.
  • Supports museum exhibit exhibition through the management of incoming and outgoing loans, coordination of artifact conservation treatments, contributing to exhibit development, and assisting with the installation and removal of exhibits.
Term Position: This is a term position (more than 1 year) with an initial appointment expecting to last at least 13 months but may be extended up to a total of four years, or more based on any changes to regulations governing the number of years term appointments may last, without further competition. Term positions do not convey permanent status in the Federal service.

The National Park Service retains the right to extend the duration of this appointment after selection and/or appointment, based on changes to the regulation governing the number of years term appointments may last. This change, which may be made at the agency's sole discretion and without further competition, shall not be construed or interpreted as the granting of a right to a selectee or employee to such an extension. No extension to a term appointment shall be granted to a selectee/employee to an amount of time that exceeds the maximum number of years authorized under any present or current regulation, unless such regulation expressly allows such action.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Direct Deposit: Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • Incidental Driving: You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
  • Term-Trial Period: You will be required to complete a one-year trial period.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-03/21/2024-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience.

BASIC EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE REQUIEMENT FOR CURATOR (1015 JOB SERIES): Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position.

Possess a 4-year degree in museum work, or in an applicable subject-matter field (i.e., museum studies, curatorial studies, museum exhibit design, art history, museum object conservation, archival studies, cultural resource management, archeology). You must provide transcripts.
-OR-
Possess a combination of education and experience with courses equivalent to a major as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The quality of the combination demonstrates that you possess the knowledge, skill and ability required to perform the work of this position and is comparable to that normally acquired through the completion of a full four-year course of study with a major as described above. You must provide transcripts.
-OR-
Possess four years of experience that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through successful completion of the 4-year course of study as shown above. Experience would include museum collections management, archival management, cataloging, art history, or exhibit development.

- AND-

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION: To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one-year specialized experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-07 level in the Federal service performing the following duties: contributing to museum collections program and carrying out responsibilities in any of the four museum functions: collections, exhibits, research, and education. Experience includes comprehensive knowledge and application of professional museum management policy; skill and ability in short and long range strategic and financial planning to meet requirements for collection management; proficiency with database management including ICMS/Re: Discovery or similar programs such as, (PastPerfect, Argus, TMS, etc.); experience with exhibit planning and design with focus on preservation of objects; or ability to lead teams through strategic thinking and innovative practices in management of museum exhibits, programs and key partnerships . You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in a directly related field of study that has provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work (i.e. museum studies, curatorial studies, museum exhibit design, art history, museum object conservation, archival studies, cultural resource management, archeology). You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of specialized experience and graduate level education that when combined equal at least 100% of the minimum qualification requirement for the GS-9 level. For example, 1.5 years of progressively higher level graduate education (50% of the Education) and 6 months of specialized experience. You must include transcripts.

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional information

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

Recruitment Incentive: A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorizedfor a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR ยง575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive.

A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another.

Additional Selections: This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Physical Demands: The work requires mental alertness, better than average manual dexterity, and mobility. Although primarily sedentary, inspections and operations evaluations involve activities demanding a certain amount of exertion such as walking, climbing, crawling, lifting of heavy objects, bending, stooping, and reaching. Working with collections can involve prolonged exposure to hazardous materials and equipment. Working with lighting systems, environmental control systems, and alarm systems can involve exposure to electrical current and the use of power tools with physical hazards. The work entails the ability to concentrate for long periods of time.

Working Conditions: Most of the work is performed in an office and storage or laboratory facility. Frequent visits are made to the library, visitor center, and other museums in the park. The incumbent makes occasional field trips to the backcountry. Some travel to other facilities and museums, as well as to training and professional meetings is required.

Telework: The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
  • Research
  • Technical Competence
  • Technical Documentation


National Park Service

The Department of the Interior (DOI) places a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspectives and encourages applications from all interested eligible candidates. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental principles that guide the Department and allow us to successfully achieve our mission.

Please visit find a park for additional park information.

Agency contact information

Christopher Pfahl
Email
christopher_pfahl@nps.gov
Address
Gettysburg National Military Park
1195 Baltimore Pike
Suite 100
Gettysburg, PA 17325-2804
US

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