USAJOBS - Job Announcement

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This position is located in the Office of Museum Research and Scholarship, National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), Smithsonian Institution located in the Cultural Resources Center in Suitland, MD. The employee is responsible for a variety of content development, collections, collections development and information, and public service projects under the supervision of the Supervisory Museum Curator.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

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Reviewing applications

Open & closing dates

07/06/2020 to 08/06/2020
Salary

$72,030 - $112,240 per year
Pay scale & grade

GS 11 - 12
Location
- Suitland, MD FEW vacancies
Telework eligible

Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required

25% or less - Travel is 10% or less.
Relocation expenses reimbursed

No
Appointment type

Permanent - Federal
Work schedule

Full-time - Full-Time, Permanent
Service

Competitive
Promotion potential

12
Job family (Series)

1015 Museum Curator
Supervisory status

No
Security clearance

Not Required
Drug test

No
Announcement number

20A-JC-305498-MPA-NMAI
Control number

572463000

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Clarification from the agency

This Merit Promotion position is open to Current Federal Employees and Former Federal Employees with permanent status or reinstatement eligibility. Individuals who are eligible for a special appointing authority may also apply such as Individuals with Disabilities (Schedule A), former Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and Vista volunteers; certain Military Spouses, or individuals eligible under various programs for Veterans (VRA, VEOA, 30% disabled).

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Performs scholarly, technical, and/or applied research related to the Native/Indigenous cultures, arts, and histories of the Western Hemisphere (North, Central, and South America). Performs research which may involve multiple disciplines or interdisciplinary strategies, including connecting contemporary Native/Indigenous communities and descendant populations with with historical, contemporary art, and/or archaeological museum collections and resources.
Serves as an associate curator of a specific portion of NMAI’s collections based on the incumbent’s training, knowledge, and experience in Native/Indigenous cultures, arts, and histories of the Western Hemisphere. Performs collections identifications, collections research, and/or related collections development work for collections that are stable yet varied and where synthesis is required. There is continuing responsibility for the development and maintenance of a “balanced” collection and this may involve participation in efforts towards collections expansion.
Performs varied work associated with exhibits or program planning and/or development, including research and preparing content, providing technical guidance, contributing expertise associated with the subject matter, latest theories and/or characteristics of the collection in the museum or other museums, and incorporation of Native/Indigenous or community viewpoints in interpretation.

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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.

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.

For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on the web at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.

Qualifications

You must meet these Basic Education Requirements:

Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field.

or

Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

or

Four years of experience that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study as shown in A above.

In addition to the Basic Requirements above you must have the following:

Experience:

GS-11

You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service or comparable pay band system related to the work of this position and specific to the Native/Indigenous peoples of the Americas (North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean). This specialized experience is defined as assisting on exhibits, public programs, or other content venues; collections-based research; research, writing, and publications; interactions or partnerships with scholars at other institutions or Native/Indigenous community-based scholars; and acquisition of works of art.

GS-12

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 or comparable pay band system related to the work of this position . and specific to the Native/Indigenous peoples of the Americas (North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean). This specialized experience is defined as development of multiple exhibits, public programs, or other content venues; collections-based research and interpretation; scholarly research, writing, and publications; collaborations or partnerships with academic and cultural institutions and/or Native/Indigenous community-based scholars; and acquisition of significant works of art.

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:

GS-11

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

or

3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree

or

LL.M., if related

GS-12

There is no education substitution.

Completion of graduate level education in the amounts shown in the table, in addition to meeting the basic requirements, is qualifying for positions at grades GS-7 through GS-11, and GS-12 research positions if it provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered an academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.

Or a Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications (there is no combination at the GS-12 level). 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.

Education

You must meet these Basic Education Requirements:

Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field.

or

Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

or

Four years of experience that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study as shown in A above.

Additional information

Flexible Spending Accounts - https://www.fsafeds.com/
Health Insurance - http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp
Leave - http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/index.asp
Life Insurance - http://www.opm.gov/insure/life/index.asp
Long Term Care Insurance - http://www.ltcfeds.com
Retirement Program - https://www.opm.gov/retirement-services/

Benefits

The Smithsonian offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, vacation and sick leave, holidays, health/life insurance, accident insurance, and excellent retirement program options.

Please see Benefits at https://www.si.edu/OHR/benefits for a complete description.

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:

Knowledge and training in the anthropology, ethnography, history, art history, or archaeology of Native/Indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere with emphasis on contextualizing Native/Indigenous arts and material culture.
Knowledge of the pre-Columbian, historic, and contemporary Native/Indigenous nations of the Western Hemisphere and the cultural and political concerns and sensitivities of those peoples, including those related to current issues in the museum and research professions.
Skill in identifying areas for potential collections development and to evaluate or propose appropriate objects or works of art for acquisition through gift and purchase.
Ability to organize and synthesize information from research and other sources into simple, easily understood concepts and to present them clearly in writing and orally to a wide variety of individuals whether they be high level employees, representatives of other museums and galleries, private foundations or cultural institutions, scholars of all disciplines, donors and potential donors, peers, and members of the general public.
Ability to work with and connect with Native/Indigenous populations to develop and expand service to Native/Indigenous people, including organizing and carrying out collections-based consultations or collaborative projects with Native/Indigenous community representatives or organizations.

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:

Important Note:

The review of your resume will determine your final rating and should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.

To preview questions please click here.

The Smithsonian offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, vacation and sick leave, holidays, health/life insurance, accident insurance, and excellent retirement program options.

Please see Benefits at https://www.si.edu/OHR/benefits for a complete description.

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

Your application package should include the following documents:

Resume - Your resume can be uploaded and attached to your application or created using the USA Jobs on-line resume builder. If you want to receive full credit for relevant experience your resume MUST contain the job title (including the occupational series and grade if it is Federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours worked per week, and salary.

USAJOBS has guidance on how to ensure that you submit a complete resume: If you have not written a Federal resume before, you may watch this Resume Writing Tutorial video on the USAJOBS YouTube channel, or read through a helpful Resume Writing FAQ article on the USAJOBS Help Site to learn what details you should, and should not, include in your resume. If any of the above information is not included in your resume we may not be able to fully credit you for your experience.
Proof of prior federal service such as the latest SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action
Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment.
Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable.
A recent performance evaluation.
Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy) if you are requesting a special appointment authority, such as VRA or VEOA.
Proof of severe disability if you are requesting special placement consideration.
Proof of eligibility for a military spouse appointment, such as a permanent change station military order.
Proof of eligibility for any other special appointing authority not specifically mentioned here.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page. Please Note:

You must apply for this position online through the 'Apply Online' button and submit required supplemental documents (if they are relevant to you).
You may submit required documents by uploading them online during the application process; OR You may manually fax required documents. Faxes are received by an automated system, not a physical fax machine. Documents that are faxed as part of the application process must be sent with the system generated cover sheet by the closing date. Documents faxed without the system generated coversheet are not retrievable and cannot be considered as part of the application package.
The complete application package, including any required documents, is due in the Smithsonian Office of Human Resources on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
If you are unable to apply online, paper applications may be accepted with prior approval of the Contact Person listed below.

Agency contact information

John Chiu, Jr.

Phone: 202-633-6344
TDD: 202-633-6409
Fax: 000-000-0000
Email: chiuj@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

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

At the end of the application process you will be able to create and save a PDF file that contains your responses to the assessment questions. You may save this file as initial receipt of your application. After the job announcement closes, you will receive an email from the Smithsonian with confirmation of receipt. The Smithsonian receives many applications for each job. Each application is reviewed carefully which may take a few weeks. We will send you an e-mail to update you as we go through phases of the application review process. You may also check your application status by logging into www.usajobs.gov and selecting the tab "My USAJOBS;" e-mailing vacancy.info@si.edu; or by contacting the Office of Human Resources Representative listed. Additional Information:

Tips on applying for Smithsonian jobs are available at https://www.si.edu/OHR/howtoapply.
The Smithsonian does not pay relocation expenses but recruitment incentives may be authorized.
The Smithsonian embraces diversity and equal employment opportunity (www.si.edu/oeema).

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Help

Your application package should include the following documents:

Resume - Your resume can be uploaded and attached to your application or created using the USA Jobs on-line resume builder. If you want to receive full credit for relevant experience your resume MUST contain the job title (including the occupational series and grade if it is Federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours worked per week, and salary.

USAJOBS has guidance on how to ensure that you submit a complete resume: If you have not written a Federal resume before, you may watch this Resume Writing Tutorial video on the USAJOBS YouTube channel, or read through a helpful Resume Writing FAQ article on the USAJOBS Help Site to learn what details you should, and should not, include in your resume. If any of the above information is not included in your resume we may not be able to fully credit you for your experience.
Proof of prior federal service such as the latest SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action
Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment.
Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable.
A recent performance evaluation.
Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy) if you are requesting a special appointment authority, such as VRA or VEOA.
Proof of severe disability if you are requesting special placement consideration.
Proof of eligibility for a military spouse appointment, such as a permanent change station military order.
Proof of eligibility for any other special appointing authority not specifically mentioned here.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Help

Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page. Please Note:

You must apply for this position online through the 'Apply Online' button and submit required supplemental documents (if they are relevant to you).
You may submit required documents by uploading them online during the application process; OR You may manually fax required documents. Faxes are received by an automated system, not a physical fax machine. Documents that are faxed as part of the application process must be sent with the system generated cover sheet by the closing date. Documents faxed without the system generated coversheet are not retrievable and cannot be considered as part of the application package.
The complete application package, including any required documents, is due in the Smithsonian Office of Human Resources on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
If you are unable to apply online, paper applications may be accepted with prior approval of the Contact Person listed below.

Agency contact information

John Chiu, Jr.

Phone: 202-633-6344
TDD: 202-633-6409
Fax: 000-000-0000
Email: chiuj@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

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

At the end of the application process you will be able to create and save a PDF file that contains your responses to the assessment questions. You may save this file as initial receipt of your application. After the job announcement closes, you will receive an email from the Smithsonian with confirmation of receipt. The Smithsonian receives many applications for each job. Each application is reviewed carefully which may take a few weeks. We will send you an e-mail to update you as we go through phases of the application review process. You may also check your application status by logging into www.usajobs.gov and selecting the tab "My USAJOBS;" e-mailing vacancy.info@si.edu; or by contacting the Office of Human Resources Representative listed. Additional Information:

Tips on applying for Smithsonian jobs are available at https://www.si.edu/OHR/howtoapply.
The Smithsonian does not pay relocation expenses but recruitment incentives may be authorized.
The Smithsonian embraces diversity and equal employment opportunity (www.si.edu/oeema).

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Museum Curator (Anthropology)

Summary

Overview

Open & closing dates

Salary

Pay scale & grade

Location

Telework eligible

Travel Required

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Appointment type

Work schedule

Service

Promotion potential

Job family (Series)

Supervisory status

Security clearance

Drug test

Announcement number

Control number

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Duties

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Qualifications

Education

Additional information

Benefits

How You Will Be Evaluated

Benefits

Required Documents

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

How to Apply

Agency contact information

Next steps

Fair and Transparent

Required Documents

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

How to Apply

Agency contact information

Next steps

Fair & Transparent