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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 National Museum of African American History and Culture, Office of Public Programs.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted this week · Apply by 06/26/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 26, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—Ad-hoc telework based on agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$102,415 - $133,142 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Promotion potential
12 - This position is at the full performance level - GS-12.
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time - Full-Time, Permanent
Travel Required
Not required
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
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
26R-DT-314251-MPA-NMAAHC
Control number
872747300

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 Education Specialist provides relevant and impactful opportunities for audiences to exchange ideas that affirm and refresh their knowledge of American history and culture filtered through the African American experience.

In this position, you will:

  • Consult with museum colleagues and partners to conceive, coordinate and conduct and evaluate engaging, participatory, and diverse programs based on an organizational planning road map, further program planning themes, exhibitions and audience development and outreach goals.
  • Develop, produce and distribute informational materials concerning program activities.
  • Propose programming content for the museum web site, social media outlets and other outreach initiatives.
  • Write specifications for purchase orders.
  • Lead the design and evaluation of museum programs that promote the mission of the museum using digital, videotaped, live stream and video conference platforms.
  • Develop and monitor budgets and spending plans.
  • Manage federal and trust funds.
  • Work collaboratively with members of the Museum team as well as related Smithsonian staff and community partners, to deliver informal educational strategies for diverse learners of all ages.
  • Supervise staff. Plan and schedule ongoing, production-oriented work to be accomplished by subordinates, set and adjust short-term priorities and prepare schedules for completion of work.

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

This position has basic education requirements:

1.  Degree: that included or was supplemented by major study in education or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position.

     or

2.  Combination of education and experience--courses equivalent to a major in education, or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position, plus appropriate experience or additional course work that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study described in 1 above.

A copy of your unofficial transcripts is required at the time of application.  

In addition to the Basic Education Requirement above:

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 conceiving, developing, implementing, and evaluating educational and public programs for diverse audiences for a museum.   

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 1701 and who are in a Federal competitive 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 Required:

1. Degree: that included or was supplemented by major study in education or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position. or

2. Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in education, or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position, plus appropriate experience or additional course work that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study described above.

This position has a positive education requirement. Unofficial transcripts are required.

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. Skill in developing creative and innovative educational programs for diverse audiences.
  2. Ability to communicate in writing.
  3. Knowledge of African American history and/or culture.
  4. Ability plan and prepare budget requirements and to allocate resources for programs and activities.
  5. Ability to communicate orally.
  6. Ability to supervise.

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

Donna Thomas
Phone
202-633-0122
TDD
202-633-6409
Email
ThomasDo@si.edu
Address
SMITHSONIAN
Office of Human Resources
600 Maryland Avenue SW
Suite 7001W, MRC 517
Washington, District of Columbia 20024
United States

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