Human Resources Specialist (Performance Management)

Full Job Description

The National Gallery of Art welcomes all people to explore art, creativity, and our shared humanity.

Nearly four million people come through our doors each year—with millions more online—making us one of the most visited art museums in the world.

Our renowned collection includes nearly 160,000 works of art, from the ancient world to today.

Admission to the West and East Buildings, Sculpture Garden, special exhibitions, and public programs is always free.

Specialized Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal Service.

For this position, specialized experience is defined as serving as a subject-matter expert or program lead for performance management and/or employee recognition programs.

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.

Note: Applicants who are referred to the hiring office for selection consideration may be required to submit writing and/or work samples as part of the interview/selection process.

If the hiring office decides to request a writing and/or work sample as part of its selection process, the vacancy contact will reach out to you by email to: (1) inform you of this requirement; and (2) provide further instructions.

Major Duties:

The Human Resources Specialist – Performance Management position is located in the Office of Human Resources at the National Gallery of Art and reports directly to the Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer.

This position provides leadership and expertise in the design, implementation, and oversight of the Gallery's performance management and awards programs.

The incumbent serves as the principal authority on performance management policy, practices, and systems, ensuring consistent, equitable, and effective performance planning, evaluation, recognition, and communication in support of workforce development and organizational effectiveness across the Gallery.

As a Human Resources Specialist (Performance Management) you will: Design, lead, and oversee the organization's performance management framework and annual performance cycle, serving as the principal authority on policy and best practices while ensuring effective systems, tools, guidance, and advisory support that promote consistent, equitable, and high-quality performance planning, evaluation, and management across the Gallery.

Design, manage, and evolve the Gallery's awards and recognition programs by developing policies and processes, coordinating award cycles, advising managers, and implementing equitable, engaging recognition initiatives that celebrate employee achievements, strengthen belonging, and align with broader employee engagement and retention strategies.

Analyze and report on performance and recognition data to assess trends, equity, compliance, and effectiveness, providing insights and recommendations that inform leadership decisions and support workforce planning, talent development, and organizational capability initiative Design and deliver training, communications, and change management initiatives that build understanding and consistent application of performance management and awards policies, ensuring smooth adoption of updated systems and processes across the Gallery.

Design and deliver training, workshops and briefings for Gallery supervisors and employees on performance management and awards processes.

Leads change management efforts when updating systems, policies and processes, ensuring smooth adoption across the Gallery.