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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 in The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), the Assistant Director for Operations and Public Support.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/30/2026 to 04/13/2026
Salary
$121,785 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
New York, NY
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Ad-Hoc only
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Federal
Work schedule
Full-time - Full-Time, Permanent
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
26R-BY-313709-MPA-NMAI
Control number
863029500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current Smithsonian Institution Internal Employees/Agency Employees Only may apply including current Smithsonian Institution employees with Federal career/career-conditional status or eligibility. More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

Duties

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The Operations Manager collaborates with tribal governments, business leaders and cultural leaders to foster relationships that promote future support for program and Native American Indian culture.

In this position, you will:

  • As NMAI’s representative, lead and coordinate, manage facilities-related projects for programs supporting a broad range of museum activities including the buildings, grounds/site, exhibits, collections, staff, visitor experience, restaurant, safety, sustainability, security, and gardens. 

  • In tandem with the project coordinator, formalize project goals, guidelines, policies, objectives and develop or coordinate detailed project plans and recommend approval of designs and implementations of NMAI-funded construction and maintenance alternatives. 
  • Serve as a Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR Level 2); prepare Scopes of Work and Requests for Proposal, negotiate contracts, administer contracts, evaluate the work of contracts, and, if needed, recommend the termination of contracts to OCON. This includes selecting the most appropriate contracting method (formal advertising, negotiation, 8A procurements, government schedules, etc.) to fulfill each requirement, determining pre-negotiation positions, pricing arrangements and incentives, price adjustment clauses, etc.
  • Manage the specialized physical requirements of the museum, including safety, environmental controls, energy conservation, Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) recertification requirements, sustainability, cleanliness, methods for the care of landmark buildings, hazardous and non-hazardous materials handling, emergency preparedness, security, disaster planning, and continuity of operations.

  • Represent NMAI to several Smithsonian units, oversee NMAI facility management, construction, renovation projects, maintenance, safety and security for muti-year planning for maintenance and care of NMAI's sites and landscapes.

  • Assign projects and tasks; prepare performance plans and write performance appraisals;' approve work schedules, leave, and overtime; resolve conflicts and takes disciplinary action when required; nominate staff for awards to reward exceptional performance.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Requires career/career-conditional status or eligibility.
  • 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

Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal Service.  For this position, specialized experience is defined as serving as a senior specialist coordinating the operation of cost-effective facility operation services at a museum or other public building. 


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.

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.

Or a Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications; For a full explanation of this option please see the Qualification Standards.

In an effort to streamline our hiring process, SI employees whose current position of record is in the same job series (0301) and who are in a (Federal competitive appointment) as this advertised position, are not required to submit a transcript with your application package. However, if selected, you will be required to provide a copy of your transcript before your start date in the position.

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying).

Education

Education may not be substituted 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.

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 negotiate with high level SI. OFEO, NMAI and SI bureaus management officials so they accept and implement recommendations.

  2. Expert knowledge of contracting laws and regulations to develop, negotiate, administer and evaluate contracts and contractor performance as a COTR.

  3. Expert knowledge of specialized physical requirements of museums or public buildings, including safety, environmental controls, energy conservation, Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) recertification requirements, sustainability, cleanliness, methods for the care of landmark buildings, hazardous and non-hazardous materials handling, emergency preparedness, security, disaster planning, and continuity of operations
  4. Ability to communicate in writing with research, collections management, administrative staff; project managers, program managers, subject matter specialists, and contractor representatives; to develop ideas in a logical analytical sequence; to express thoughts clearly and to write concisely.

  5. Ability to supervise organizational staff

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 detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.


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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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