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Summary

The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo.  This position is located within the Exhibitions Division, Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), Smithsonian Affiliations, Under Secretary for Education, Smithsonian Institution (SI).

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
01/28/2026 to 02/19/2026
Salary
$143,913 to - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
Washington, DC
FEW vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is eligible for telework.
Travel Required
25% or less - This position requires 25% travel.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Federal
Work schedule
Full-time - Full-Time, Permanent
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
26R-LJ-313294-DEU-SITES
Control number
855699000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This position is open to all U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals. Note: Federal employees with permanent status or individuals eligible for special appointing authorities may also apply to Job Announcement #26R-LJ-313294-MPA-SITES More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

Duties

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The Supervisory Exhibits Specialist (Associate Director for Exhibitions) leads the Smithsonian’s traveling exhibition service. Responsibilities include developing a long‑range exhibition strategy; collaborating with the leadership team to establish and maintain a business plan for traveling exhibitions; incubating and developing exhibitions in partnership with Smithsonian museums and external organizations; and managing exhibitions and community engagement as shows travel across the country and beyond.

In this position, you will:

  • Direct and manage planning and implementation for all traveling, build-it-yourself, and poster exhibitions, including the Traveling Exhibition Service and Museum on Main Street, and ensure the timely development of all pertinent exhibition documents. 
  • Oversee all content and design development for traveling exhibitions, working closely with Smithsonian units and museums and outside organizations to develop content and effective engagement strategies to connect with visitors of all ages and backgrounds.
  • Supervise the exhibition project director team, managing a slate of traveling exhibitions including budgeting, scheduling, fabrication, installation and travel logistics.
  • Supervise registrar team and registration function for traveling exhibitions as well as object/artifact loans.
  • Work closely with venues across the country to promote and market the exhibitions, support community engagement with traveling exhibitions, and supplement projects with strong educational materials.
  • Work with the SITES Affiliations leadership team to establish strong business strategies, implement multi-year business plan, and define partnerships with external collaborators and contractors.

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.

Conditions of Employment

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

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

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- illustrative design, commercial art, fine arts, industrial design, architecture, drafting, interior design, or other fields related to the position.

Advanced training in a vocational school, technical institute, or art institute above the high school level in one of the fields listed above is creditable as general experience on a month-for-month basis.

or 

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience in the actual type of work for which application is made. Unpaid experience is creditable, provided the work done was of a quality level and demonstrated the ability required for the position. This includes work in the appropriate field, e.g., design, modelmaking, art, taxidermy, or restoration.

In addition to the basic qualification requirement above:

Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal Service.  For this position, specialized experience is defined as experience overseeing an exhibition program with specialized expertise in traveling exhibitions, including managing exhibit development, logistical requirements for traveling shows, and strategic business planning for a traveling exhibit program.

Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual experience.

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.

Education

This position does have a positive education requirement. 

Additional information

This position is not included in the bargaining unit.

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.

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.

Applicants for this position may be evaluated in multiple stages. The first stage is an evaluation of your responses to the online multiple-choice questions that assess your experience, education, and/or training for the job related competencies below:

  • Knowledge of professional museum practices and all components of traveling exhibition development, evaluation, design, fabrication, travel oversight, and budget management.
  • Knowledge of project management processes for exhibitions, including contracting, scheduling, budget formulation and industry standards for designing, fabricating and shipping exhibitions.
  • Knowledge of collections management practices and policies.
  • Knowledge of multi-year, complex business planning.

Applicants who meet or exceed minimum qualifications will be assigned to one of three category groups based on job-related criteria:

  • Best Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and excels in most of the job related competencies above.
  • Better Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and satisfies most of the job related competencies above.
  • Good Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but does not satisfy most of the job related competencies above to a substantive degree.

This category rating process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three", but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Category) provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied. Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher. Applicants who have not submitted a resume in the USAjobs system and/or have not answered all of the vacancy questions will not be considered for this position.

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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