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Summary

The Smithsonian Institution (SI) is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo.  This position is located in the Financial Planning Office, Office of the Director, Office of the Senior Advisor, National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Under Secretary for Museums and Culture (USMC).

More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/27/2026 to 04/10/2026
Salary
$143,913 - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
District of Columbia, DC
Few vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Ad Hoc only
Travel Required
25% or less - Occasional travel to NMAI-NY in NYC
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Federal
Work schedule
Full-time - Full-Time, Permanent
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
26R-BY-313749-DEU-NMAI
Control number
862836500

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.

Duties

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The Assistant Director (Finance) is responsible for the financial administration of the National Museum of the American Indian. 

In this position, you will:

  • Supervise, manage, and oversee staff addressing the myriads of recordkeeping, process implementation, oversight, etc., of an annual federal budget of more than $30M and a Trust fund budget exceeding $13M.

  • Manage, direct, and implement financial programs in keeping with the Museum’s mission of broad service and contact with Native organizations and individuals, with heavy emphasis on long range planning and budgeting related to the Museums three sites, and unique outreach activities to communities throughout the Western hemisphere.
  • Plan and carry out financial management and operational studies specifically addressing the needs of a rapidly evolving Museum program.  Based on reviews, surveys, fact finding, organizational structures and relationships, available resources, and programmatic priorities, etc., develop options and recommendations for senior management to consider in arriving at decisions.  

  • Prepare submissions related to formulating, writing, justifying and executing annual and multi-year Federal and Trust budgets for the Museum. 

  • Serve as liaison with the SI Office of the Treasurer on such matters as debt repayment schedules and status, and evolving financial support needs of the Museum as it undertakes special projects at all three locations including programs and capital improvements, etc. 

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, including one year time-in-grade at the next lower grade level for promotion candidates, must be met within 30 days of the job announcement closing date. See the 'Required Documents' section for additional information.

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

Qualifications

GS-14 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 supervising or serving as a lead in a finance or administrative unit or team; preparing submissions related to formulating, writing, justifying and executing annual and multi-year federal and trust budgets; and providing financial guidance to senior staff related to the development of program budgets and spend plans.  


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

There is no substitution for education at this level.

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.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA):  If you are applying for a VEOA appointment, you must be a veteran and must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. ("Active Service" under this law means active duty in a uniformed service and includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, full-time National Guard duty, and attendance, while in the active service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary concerned.) A veteran who is released under honorable conditions shortly before completing a 3-year tour is also eligible.

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.

Your application will be evaluated first for the basic qualifications described above.  The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria:

  1. Ability to manage, supervise, and guide daily program operations and a staff providing administrative and technical oversight, setting priorities, assigning work, assessing employee performance, and ensuring staff development and counseling.   

  2. Expert knowledge of the legislation, regulations, principles, practices and policies of financial administration budget formulation, justification, presentation and execution to prepare museum federal and trust fund budget submissions, oversee established control systems to monitor expenses, and provide oversight of other automated reporting systems.  

  3. Knowledge to plan and carry out management and operational studies within a museum/cultural institution setting to assess the needs, efficiency, and effectiveness of a rapidly evolving museum program.
  4. Knowledge to develop long and short-range plans for new program initiatives and/or facilities, including budgets, construction and equipping costs, maintenance, projected cash flow, and contracts.
  5. Interpersonal communication skills to establish and maintain effective working relationships with senior leadership of the Smithsonian, NMAI, representatives of other government agencies, private foundations, cultural institutions, and Native Peoples.    

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.


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Smithsonian Institution

Join the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums, 14 education and research centers, and the National Zoo, in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."

Agency contact information

Baaba Yanney
Phone
202-633-6342
TDD
202-633-6409
Email
yanneyb@si.edu
Address
SMITHSONIAN
Office of Human Resources
POB 37012, 600 Maryland Avenue, MRC 517
Suite 5060
Washington, Maryland 20013-7012
United States

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