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Summary

The National Gallery of Art welcomes all people to explore art, creativity, and our shared humanity. Millions of people come through our doors each year, with even more online, making us one of the most visited art museums in the world. Our renowned collection includes over 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
03/18/2026 to 04/01/2026
Salary
$169,279 to - $197,200 per year

The salary range listed is an approximation and subject to locality adjustment.

Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Yes- as determined by the agency policy
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Some travel will be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
15
Supervisory status
Yes
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-26-086-Merit
Control number
861560600

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Duties

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This position is located in the National Gallery of Art’s, Conservation Department, which preserves the museum’s collection through specialized treatment, scientific research, and environmental monitoring. The Head of Object Conservation provides administrative and technical oversight of staff and programs within this specialized conservation unit.

Duties for this position include.

  • Oversees the operation and administration of the Object Conservation Department, implementing strategic goals and managing administrative activities that support the preservation of the Gallery’s collections.
  • Initiates and conducts complex conservation examinations and treatments on significant objects within the National Gallery’s collection.
  • Develops and applies appropriate treatment methods and techniques to ensure conservation procedures reflect current best practices and advances in conservation science, maintaining a leadership role in the field of art conservation.
  • Supervises object conservation staff, including contractors, interns, and fellows, assigning work based on staff availability, capabilities, and specialized qualifications.
  • Prepares examination reports and treatment proposals for conservation treatment and ensures that the department maintains high standards of documentation using Gallery departmental systems and collection databases.
  • Conducts and publishes innovative research and supports outreach and educational programs related to the field of art conservation.

       

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a United States Citizen.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • See "Other Information" section regarding Selective Service requirements.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period

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 viewable on OPM Website. It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit appropriate documentation prior to the closing date. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant experience as it relates to this job announcement. Be clear and specific when describing your work history since human resources cannot make assumptions regarding your experience.

This position is being advertised under Delegated Examining procedures under this announcement; NGA-26-086-DE

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

Specialized Experience Statement: Candidates must possess at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent in responsibility to the GS-14 level in the Federal service or private sector; supervising conservators or conservation scientists at a museum or cultural institution.

Education cannot be substituted for experience for this position.

OPM Qualifications Standard:

Individual Occupational Requirements: Museum Specialist and Technician Series 1016

Associated Group standard:  There is no Group Coverage Qualification Standard for this series. Use the Individual Occupational Requirements described below.

Merit promotion applicants must meet the time-in-grade requirement as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. One year at the GS-14 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-15 level. 


You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date 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.

Note: Applicants who are referred to the hiring office for selection consideration may be required to submit writing and/or work samples as part of the interview/selection process. If the hiring office decides to request a writing and/or work sample as part of its selection process, the vacancy contact will reach out to you by email to: (1) inform you of this requirement; and (2) provide further instructions.

Education

This position does not have an education requirement. 

Additional information

The National Gallery of Art fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. EEO Policy: https://help.usajobs.gov/equal-employment-opportunity

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

This position is not included in the bargaining unit.

Relocation expenses will not be paid.

Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year.

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.

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.

EEO Policy: https://help.usajobs.gov/equal-employment-opportunity

Reasonable Accommodation Policy: https://help.usajobs.gov/reasonable-accommodation

Veterans Information: https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans

Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility
requirements visit the following websites:


Reasonable Accommodation Requests:

To learn more, please consult the following resources:

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. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Knowledge of conservation techniques and processes to conduct examinations and prepare for future needs. 
  •  Ability to supervise employees in the workplace, including hiring, managing, discipling and developing staff. 
  •  Ability to write proposals and reports at an expert level. 
  •  Skill in communicating objectives, presenting information and working collaboratively.

A 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.

All qualified non-competitive applicants and all qualified Merit applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

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.

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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