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Administrative Officer

Smithsonian Institution
This job announcement has closed

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 one of the facilities serviced by the Office of Facilities Management (FM), Smithsonian Institution. The Office of Facilities Management is responsible for all Smithsonian facilities, many of which are designated as historic and all of which are visited by millions each year.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open date: 06/10/2026
Closed date: 06/10/2026
Location
FEW vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—Ad hoc Only
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$70,623 - $111,087 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 09 - 11
Promotion potential
11
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time - Full-Time, Permanent
Appointment type
Permanent - Federal
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
26R-SC-314066-MPA-FM
Control number
872257500

Duties

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The Administrative officer is responseible for providing a variety of administrative services for the Division or Zone.

In this position, you will:

As a GS-9:

  • Perform administrative and/or program work, assist in the collaboration and preparation of budgets, and management studies.
  • Participate in developing and maintaining automated systems for recording budget data.
  • Participate in and represent the office's interest in a variety of projects and initiatives.
  • Provide advice to staff concerning travel, procurement of services, contracts, and equipment needs.
  • Research special projects/assignments and provide the information to the Associate Director, Zone Manager, or Building Manager, as required.

As a GS-11:

  • Perform administrative and/or program work, assist in the collaboration and preparation of budgets, and management studies.
  • Participate in developing and maintaining automated systems for recording budget data.
  • Conduct managment studies relating to workflow, organization changes, space utilization, communications and correspondence management.
  • Coordinate and participate in a variety of employment procedures.
  • Develop and present status reports or response materials for the Zone Manager or higher-level attention, review, or signature.

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

Experience:

For the GS-9, 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 providing administrative duties essential to the operation of a central office, administrative and financial oversight, tracking and overseeing budgets including the reconcilliation of obligations and expenditures, and maintaining accountability records for funds control using automated systems.

Or Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related to the position.

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. 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.

For the GS-11, you qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal Service.  For this position, specialized experience is defined as providing administrative duties essential to the operation of a central office, administrative and financial oversight, tracking and overseeing budgets including the reconcilliation of obligations and expenditures, maintaining accountability records for funds control using automated systems; performs administrative and/or program support work, such as planning, research, analysis, writing correspondence control, communications and/or liaison.

Or Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related.

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. 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.



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.

Or Education: If there is an Education substitution please input the requirement here.  If there is no Education substitution please delete this section and the one below.

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. 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.

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.  Applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria:

  • Knowledge of a variety of administrative operations, including budget; administrative and program support; procurement; and human resources functions.
  • Ability to utilize a variety of computer applications to extablish and maintain tracking systems, spreadsheets, relational databases, and enterprise resource planning systems
  • Skill in planning and directing the work of the administrative staff in teams, presenting recommendations, negotiating solutions, and extablishing and/or maintaining effective relations with other staff memebers.
  • Skill in oral communications to explain complex procedures, policies, guidelines, and requirements.
  • Skill in written communications to prepare written reports, correspondence, statements of work, justifications and/or organization plans.

BASIS OF RATING:  Your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of this position. If, after the Human Resources Specialist reviews your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that the score you have received is not a true reflection of your qualifications and/or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect the information you provided that support your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.

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.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities:  The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority:


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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."

Facilities Management (FM) ensures the lifecycle stewardship of the Smithsonian’s buildings, gardens, grounds, and infrastructure, while providing the logistical support essential for seamless operations. FM provides the essential facilities operations and maintenance required to ensure a safe, healthy and sustainable environment to support and enhance the Smithsonian experience for all.  As the largest and most diverse organization within the Smithsonian Institution, our teams are located across the museums, research centers, the National Zoo, and over 180 acres of outdoor gardens including 13 public exhibition gardens. FM professionals, from skilled tradespeople to administrative staff, and every role in between, perform the majority of operations, maintenance, and repairs in-house. By working in partnership with the Museums and other Smithsonian units, FM ensures a high-quality environment that enhances the visitor experience, supports Smithsonian staff, and maintains the proper environment for priceless collections.

Agency contact information

Susie Cunningham
Phone
202-633-6716
Email
CunninghamLS@si.edu
Address
SMITHSONIAN
Office of Human Resources
POB 37012, 600 Maryland Avenue, MRC 517
Suite 5060
Washington, District of Columbia 20013-7012
United States

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