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Summary

The National Gallery of Art welcomes all people to explore art, creativity, and our shared humanity. Nearly four million people come through our doors each year—with millions more online—making us one of the most visited art museums in the world. Our renowned collection includes nearly 160,000 works of art, from the ancient world to today. Admission to the West and East Buildings, Sculpture Garden, special exhibitions, and public programs is always free.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
01/13/2026 to 01/27/2026
Salary
$36.49 to - $42.63 per hour
Pay scale & grade
WG 11
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Few vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
NGA-26-015-MP
Control number
854238300

Duties

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This position is in Facilities Management Division (AFM-MT), Maintenance Department, Carpenter shop of the National Gallery of Art. This position is responsible for making and repairing high-grade wood and non-wood items throughout the facilities, to include fine furniture and cabinetwork.

In this position you will:

  • Utilize knowledge of a wide variety of wood and non-wood items with intricate, interlocking parts that fit and join precisely.  Must be skilled in the use of accepted carpentry and woodworking trade methods and techniques and must have a working knowledge of shop mathematics to plan and compute complex and exacting projects.
  • Be responsible for cutting, machining, forming, cementing, cleaning, polishing, removing scratches, finishing, and annealing acrylic in various thicknesses and sizes to achieve final product.
  • Exercise ability to solve special problems of installations as well as structural and security problems concerning works of art and the historical building components. 
  • Be responsible for efficiently and effectively using unusual and specially ordered materials where possible error would result in great monetary and time loss.
  • Interpret scale detail AutoCAD, Sketchup and/or hand drawings; reading and understanding construction blueprints; and analyzing and changing construction details as necessary, with prior consultation and approval.
  • Use radial, band, panel, and table saws, tenoning and mortising machines, surface planers, jointers, shapers and lathes, drill press, disc and drum sanders and panel routers.
  • Determine the type of material, such as wood, metal, plastic, or glass required to fabricate cases, panels, graphics, and other complex exhibition components as well as historical building components. 
  • Estimate and determine quantity of materials to be ordered, time required for scheduling fabrication and installation of exhibition and building components and plans accordingly to accomplish the project.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
  • Subject to a background/suitability investigation.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

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. Your resume must be no longer than 2 pages in length. 

Qualifications

Although a specific length of time and experience is not required for most trade and labor occupations, you must show through experience and training that you possess the quality level of knowledge and skill necessary to perform the duties of the position at the level for which you are applying. Qualification requirements emphasis is on quality of experience, not necessarily the length of time.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the job elements and screen out listed below.

This job has a screen-out element which will be used to determine minimum eligibility for this job. Applicants who do not receive a minimum of two points on the screen-out element(s) will be found ineligible.

SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements:

  1. 1. Ability to Do the Work of the Position Without More Than Normal Supervision**
  2. 25-E. Technical Practices.
  3. 75-A: Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc.
  4. 81-B. Ability to Use and Maintain Hand Tools.
  5. 82-A. Knowledge of Materials.

Other Relevant Eligibility Criteria:

Requires work indoors and outdoors in all-weather types.  Requires dexterity sufficient to design elements accurately and operate tools safely.  Requires ability to walk.  Requires safe use of dangerous equipment.  Requires work in loud and dusty spaces.  Requires ability to stand for long periods of time.  Requires work on scaffolds and at heights up to 80’ off the floor.  Must be able to lift and carry items weighing up to 50 pounds, without assistance.  Requires extended exposure to eye, skin, nose and lung irritation from glue, bonding chemicals and vapors.  Must be able to nail and saw lumber.  Requires availability for occasional duty time outside of normal work hours.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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. Your resume must be no longer than 2 pages in length. 

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.



Education

This position does not have any basic education requirements.

Additional information

The National Gallery of Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.

Relocation expenses will not be paid.

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.

All males born after December 31st 1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register. If you are not registered and don't have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The National Gallery of Art does not discriminate against any employee or any applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), age (40 and older), disability (mental or physical), or genetic information, or in retaliation for opposing discrimination or participating in the EEO process.    For more information, visit https://www.nga.gov/employment-opportunities/equal-employment-opportunity

Reasonable Accommodation

The National Gallery of Art provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities.  If you need an accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the contact person listed in this announcement.  The decision on granting a reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. 

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.

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), your responses to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

All qualified Non-Competitive applicants and the best-qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

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.

                                                                            


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