Clarification from the agency

Only current Smithsonian Institution (SI) internal employees in the competitive service, serving on a federal career or career-conditional appointment, may apply. More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

The Supervisory Conservator (Textiles) is responsible for coordinating and supervising the conservation treatment of the entire collection of over 210,000 objects, both by specialists on the museum’s staff and outside contract conservators.

In this position, you will:

·       Provide exhibition conservation services, guidance, and assistance to the Exhibitions Department and relevant departmental contacts.  Advise on the use and application of various exhibition techniques and materials and their effect on the condition and preservation of collections items.  Reviews exhibition plans and participates throughout the exhibition development process to ensure that CHSDM’s collections and borrowed collections are at minimal risk while exhibited.

·       Provide general conservation advice, assistance, and training.  Advises and assists the museum staff on the handling, storage, loan, exhibition, analysis and preservation of museum collections and related material.  Develops and assists in the application of approved methods of preventive conservation and storage techniques.

·       Assess collections and tests materials.  Examine collections to identify the nature and extent of actions required for stabilization, preservation and/or repair or treatment.  Observes the actual nature and condition of collections items and uses standard assessment techniques, methods, and equipment.  Records the examination, illustrated by sketches and photographs as needed, including scientist’s reports and supportive data such as radiographs or other analyses, and explains their relationship to recommended treatment.

·       Supervise the work of at least three full-time conservation staff plus intermittent conservators and mount makers as needed and provides day-to-day team leadership oversight.  Assign and evaluates work to subordinates.  Give advice, counsel, or instruction to employees on both work and administrative matters.

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

GS-12 Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal Service.  For this position, specialized experience is defined as applying professional conservation principles to the treatment, preservation, and exhibition of museum collections, such as works on paper, textiles, and/or three‑dimensional objects; providing exhibition conservation support by reviewing plans, advising on materials and installation methods, preparing or overseeing condition reports, and monitoring objects on display; and providing preventive conservation guidance and training related to handling, storage, loan, and exhibition of collections.

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.

In an effort to streamline our hiring process, SI employees whose current position of record is in the same job series 1001 and who are in a Federal competitive service 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).

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.       Knowledge of principles, concepts, and methodologies requisite to lead, train, and develop conservators in textile/paper/object conservation treatments, e.g., chemistry, material technology and deterioration; art historical and technological understanding of artifacts such as works on paper, textiles and/or objects; and appropriate exhibition display requirements for these objects.

2.       Knowledge of conservation and collection maintenance techniques and procedures to examine and house damaged, fragile, or deteriorated museum artifacts such as textiles.

3.       Ability to perform material testing of contemporary archival materials for use in storage and exhibitions and to perform material identification through microscopy, XRF, and micro-chemical testing. 

4.       Ability to work as an effective supervisor (or senior conservator) to oversee all conservation aspects of a museum collection to meet and exceed deadlines for exhibitions.

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.