Exhibits Specialist

Full Job Description

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 Exhibitions Office of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM), Smithsonian Institution (SI).

The Exhibitions Office is responsible for planning, designing, producing, installing, and maintaining permanent and temporary exhibitions in the Donald W. Reynolds Center and Renwick Gallery.

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- illustrative design, commercial art, fine arts, industrial design, architecture, drafting, interior design, or other fields related to the position.

Advanced training in a vocational school, technical institute, or art institute above the high school level in one of the fields listed above is creditable as general experience on a month-for-month basis.

or Experience: Examples of qualifying general experience include: design and construction of exhibits, posters, photographic displays, signs, or displays of art or technical equipment; preparation or mounting of museum specimens; wood carving, sculpting, illustrating, interior or industrial design; or the use of tools and techniques related to carpentry, plastics, sheet metal, electrical or electronics work, machining, painting, molding, or in making machines, apparatus, and instruments.

In addition to the basic qualification 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 providing project coordination, exhibits production, and art and exhibits installation.

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.

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).

Major Duties:

The Exhibits Specialist manages and coordinat the museum's exhibition calendars, production/installation schedules and special projects schedules.

In this position, you will: Serve as project scheduler/coordinator for all temporary installation and permanent collection exhibitions.

Design and fabricate exhibit components such as panels, platforms, cases, furniture and/or interactive prototypes using a variety of materials including wood, metal, and synthetics.

Train and oversee outside art handling/installation contractors in all aspects of art handling and installation methods and techniques.