Museum Specialist (Offsite)
What you'd do
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 Offsite Storage division of the Office of Collections, National Museum of American History (NMAH). NMAH is home to more than 1.8 million objects and more than three shelf-miles of archival collections, preserving and sharing the greatest single collection of American history in the world.
Major duties
The Museum Specialist (Offsite) supports NMAH's offsite collections program. This is a core operational function supporting preservation, accountability, and access to the museum's collections. In this position, you will: Select appropriate space and apply appropriate methods, materials and equipment, to move, house, and store objects. Reorganize collections as needed to optimize space utilization in accordance with established collections management procedures and priorities. Oversee object preparation for shipments, including the construction of containers and object supports, for safe and secure movement. Gather, record, reconcile, and update collections information for the documentation of Offsite collections in manual and automated records. Assume responsibility for the security and safety of assigned storage spaces and collections, applying established environmental monitoring procedures and reporting variances. Document, preserve, store, and move objects, including objects with hazardous material components, in accordance with established safety and handling procedures.
What you need to qualify
Experience: 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 collections management work for a historical museum or cultural institution including managing and preserving collections; using and maintaining a collection information system or database; and conducting directed research in support of a historical museum or cultural institution's collections, exhibitions, and other related projects. 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: 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or master's or equivalent graduate degree related to the position. 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 (1016) 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).
Before you apply
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
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