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-BY-313454-MPA-NMAI

As a Museum Specialist you will serve as a Liaison for NMAI's museum collection at the Cultural Resources Center (CRC)

The duties of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Have a working knowledge of the over 850,000 objects in the NMAI collection from North, Central and South America of Native cultures, art forms and material from a wide variety of geographic and cultural regions (contemporary, archaeological, and ethnographic) including an awareness of the potential spiritual and sensitive nature of some items or materials in Native collections to better facilitate collections visits.

• Conducts research on Native cultures and their material culture and make connections between different elements to determine best avenues for securing information for the researcher. Examples could include materials related to a specific tribe or all examples of netted style beadwork in the collections from the entire hemisphere. In addition to using the museum’s database (EMu), the incumbent utilizes outside resources (i.e., Web searches, museum & outside publications, archaeological reports, and tribal websites). When developing database reports, the incumbent must also consider the cultural sensitivity of some objects.

• Exercises knowledge, skill, and experience in collections care practices and participates in collections care duties. This work includes maintaining the cleanliness of the collections space (vacuuming, dusting, and reshelving) and following all requirements for the proper tracking, moving and storage of collections objects.

• Manages requests for visits to the NMAI collections at the Cultural Resources Center that may come from Native community members and representatives, SI/NMAI staff, Federal and state officials, researchers, academics and curators, museum professionals, visitors, or the general public.

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.

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.

Physical Requirements

Employee may need to lift up to 40 Ibs, unassisted.

Must be able to operate manual and automated equipment. 

Must be able to work at heights of up to 12 feet from the floor from a ladder, personnel lift or secure shelving. 

Must be able to walk, stand, bend and reach for up to 100% of duty time. 

Qualifications

Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal Service.  For this position specialized experience is defined as: experience in a museum, cultural, or historical organization focusing on Native American (or other indigenous culture of the Western Hemisphere) collections. The experience must include at least one of the following areas: Coordinating visitor services with an emphasis on Native American visitors, Collections management, Research related to Native art, culture, or history.

OR

You qualify with Education:  Master's or equivalent graduate degree; 

OR   2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR LL.B. or J.D., if related 

OR You may qualify by a combination of experience and education.           

For a full explanation of this option please see the Qualification Standards. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above, it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study. For instructions on where to fax these documents, see the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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.

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:

Thorough knowledge of collections management procedures.

1. Experience in working with Native American or other indigenous cultures of the Western Hemisphere is required.

2. Ability to perform research of Native art, culture, and history in the western hemisphere from the Arctic to South America, using a variety of resources. This includes the ability to effectively use collections information systems (relational databases) to conduct research as well as using outside resources, i.e., WEB searches, museum & outside publications, archaeological reports, and tribal websites.

3. Ability to work with tools, materials, and equipment used in the process of installing exhibits and packing collections items. Broad knowledge of specialized packing and transportation methods for a variety of museum collection items. Art handling experience in loading, unloading, and packing trucks.

4. Ability to communicate orally and deal effectively with a variety of individuals and to function as the department’s point person regarding visits and tours by effectively communicating the department’s policies and procedures, adapting to shifting staff and visitors’ priorities and schedules, and successfully coordinating visits and tours.

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.