The Dean serves as an Executive Officer of the Gallery and leads the Center’s internationally recognized programs of fellowships, convenings, publications, and research. The Dean provides visionary leadership to maximize resources and ensure that the Center advances scholarship in art history, architecture, and related fields at the highest level of excellence.
Summary
The Dean serves as an Executive Officer of the Gallery and leads the Center’s internationally recognized programs of fellowships, convenings, publications, and research. The Dean provides visionary leadership to maximize resources and ensure that the Center advances scholarship in art history, architecture, and related fields at the highest level of excellence.
Provide sound leadership to facilitate ongoing research and foster Center programs, ensuring their continued excellence and relevance.
Position the Center as a visible driver of the Gallery’s leadership role in shaping how museums and the academy integrate research and public engagement in the 21st century.
Collaborate closely with curatorial, education, conservation, and digital teams to ensure the Center’s work informs and enriches the Gallery’s exhibitions, interpretation, and public programs.
Program Oversight and Research Advancement
Encourage and support modes of publication, symposia, and digital platforms that make cutting-edge research accessible to general audiences as well as specialists.
Design academic programs/scholarly meetings and lecture series that explicitly bridge scholarly work with public interest in the arts, history, and culture.
Guide the Center’s fellowship programs, including the recruitment and supervision of approximately 45 fellows annually.
Management and Executive Responsibilities
Manage and mentor staff with clarity and purpose, fostering a collaborative and high-performing work environment.
Ensure clear and proactive reporting to the Director on the Center’s priorities, performance, and impact. Clear executive summaries are also expected periodically for other senior leadership team members and the Board.
Establish and manage the Center’s budget of both private and public funds with accountability and transparency, maximizing the use of resources for public benefit
Representation and Engagement
Use national and international platforms to highlight the Gallery’s desired role as a future leader in connecting advanced scholarship to broad public discourse on the arts. Foster partnerships with peer institutions that amplify the Gallery’s profile as both a scholarly authority and a public-serving museum.
Represent the Center and the Gallery at national and international meetings, symposia, and committees of prominence.
Serve in leadership roles within scholarly and cultural organizations, advancing the visibility and influence of the Center.
This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. 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). Your resume must include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week.
Qualifications
Commitment to the Gallery’s mission, vision, and values.
PhD in art history or a related field required.
Exceptional communication, diplomacy, and organizational skills, with the capacity to inspire confidence among colleagues, trustees, donors, fellows, and the public.
Wide international and national experience in university, museum, or cultural settings.
Extensive record of impact-driven publications and compelling research, resulting in significant contributions to scholarship, public discourse, applied museum work, and/or recognition as a leader in the field.
Vision for new directions on the future of art-historical research.
Strong administrative experience, preferably leading an independent institute, museum, center, or a large university department.
Experience with personnel management, executive level reporting, fellowships, publications, academic programs/scholarly meetings, research programming, and budget responsibility.
Demonstrated ability to provide intellectual leadership and amplify community building, while fostering open exchange and rigorous debate.
Broad domestic and international scholarly reputation, with evidence of leadership roles on key committees, organizations, and boards.
Ability to communicate complex scholarly ideas to both specialist and general audiences.
Invested in intergenerational learning and exchange.
Boundless curiosity.
Agility and adaptability, both intellectually and socially.
Ability to speak and read more than one language.
Fundraising experience is a plus.
Additional information
• The National Gallery of Art fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
• Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year.
• AN EXTERNAL SELECTED CANDIDATE MUST BE FINGERPRINTED AND RECEIVE A BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION, RESULTING IN A SATISFACTORY SUITABILITY DETERMINATION BEFORE BEING HIRED FOR THIS POSITION.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
The National Gallery of Art uses an application tracking system to evaluate the responses you provide in the applicant assessment questionnaire to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements of this position. Then, the HR Office and/or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will conduct a quality review of your application and supporting documentation to determine if your qualifications meet the criteria for referral to the selecting official.
We will also verify whether you are eligible for merit promotion by reviewing your previous Federal employment to ensure you meet Time-in-Grade requirements. If you are eligible to apply to Merit Promotion announcements based on Veteran or other non-competitive statuses, we will verify your supporting documentation prior to referral.
If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your evaluation rating may be adjusted accordingly.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Your resume should include relevant work experience, applicable education and your contact information. For current or previous federal employees, include the pay plan, series and grade.
Transcripts may support your qualifications for a federal job and can include high school, college or other schools.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Your Resume showing the applicant's name, email address, work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed to include pay plan, series, and grade level for relevant federal experience. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications.
Do not include the following types of information in your resume:
Classified or government sensitive information
Social Security Number (SSN)
Photos of yourself
Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
Encrypted and digitally signed documents
2. Other required documents:
Unofficial Transcripts. If selected official transcripts will be required prior to onboarding.
3. Optional documents:
CV
Cover letter
DD-214
VA Letter
Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
You must have a completed resume. (You may use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS)
You must respond to all applicant assessment questions, carefully following all instructions provided.
You will be able to upload additional supporting documentation, which may include, but not limited to transcripts, notification of personnel actions (SF-50), certifications and verification of veterans status (SF-15, DD-214)
The complete application package, including any additional supporting documents required for this position is due in the National Gallery of Art Personnel Office on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
NOTE: Applicants who cannot apply on-line must request a hard copy application packet from the Agency Contact listed in the vacancy announcement. Resumes and/or supporting documentation alone will not be considered without the inclusion of a hard copy application packet. The complete package is due no later than 5:30 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement.
The National Gallery of Art receives many applications for each job. Each application is reviewed carefully which may take a few weeks. You may also check your application status by logging into www.usajobs.gov and selecting the tab "My USAJOBS."
National Gallery of Art
4th and Constitution Avenue NW,
Washington, District of Columbia 20565
United States
Next steps
After each step in the recruitment process, your status will be updated in our application tracking system. Once this happens, if you have elected to receive e-mail updates, you will be notified through your USAJOBS registered e-mail address. If you have not elected e-mail updates, you can review your current application status in USAJOBS at any time. Please check that your USAJOBS profile contact information is current and correct each time you apply to a job--this will ensure we are able to contact you as quickly as possible.
In addition to changing your status online, we will send you e-mail notifications at each major step in the process, to include: application received, eligible or not eligible, referred or not referred, selected or not selected.
We expect to make a selection within 30 to 90 days of the closing date of this announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Your resume should include relevant work experience, applicable education and your contact information. For current or previous federal employees, include the pay plan, series and grade.
Transcripts may support your qualifications for a federal job and can include high school, college or other schools.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Your Resume showing the applicant's name, email address, work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed to include pay plan, series, and grade level for relevant federal experience. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications.
Do not include the following types of information in your resume:
Classified or government sensitive information
Social Security Number (SSN)
Photos of yourself
Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
Encrypted and digitally signed documents
2. Other required documents:
Unofficial Transcripts. If selected official transcripts will be required prior to onboarding.
3. Optional documents:
CV
Cover letter
DD-214
VA Letter
Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
You must have a completed resume. (You may use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS)
You must respond to all applicant assessment questions, carefully following all instructions provided.
You will be able to upload additional supporting documentation, which may include, but not limited to transcripts, notification of personnel actions (SF-50), certifications and verification of veterans status (SF-15, DD-214)
The complete application package, including any additional supporting documents required for this position is due in the National Gallery of Art Personnel Office on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
NOTE: Applicants who cannot apply on-line must request a hard copy application packet from the Agency Contact listed in the vacancy announcement. Resumes and/or supporting documentation alone will not be considered without the inclusion of a hard copy application packet. The complete package is due no later than 5:30 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement.
The National Gallery of Art receives many applications for each job. Each application is reviewed carefully which may take a few weeks. You may also check your application status by logging into www.usajobs.gov and selecting the tab "My USAJOBS."
National Gallery of Art
4th and Constitution Avenue NW,
Washington, District of Columbia 20565
United States
Next steps
After each step in the recruitment process, your status will be updated in our application tracking system. Once this happens, if you have elected to receive e-mail updates, you will be notified through your USAJOBS registered e-mail address. If you have not elected e-mail updates, you can review your current application status in USAJOBS at any time. Please check that your USAJOBS profile contact information is current and correct each time you apply to a job--this will ensure we are able to contact you as quickly as possible.
In addition to changing your status online, we will send you e-mail notifications at each major step in the process, to include: application received, eligible or not eligible, referred or not referred, selected or not selected.
We expect to make a selection within 30 to 90 days of the closing date of this announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
