Museum Curator (Art)

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 Curatorial Department of National Museum of African Art (NMAFA), Under Secretary for Museum and Culture, Smithsonian Institution (SI).

More than one selection may be made from this announcement. Basic Education Requirement: 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 Education Requirement above: Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal Service.

For this position, specialized experience is defined as developing and executing an exhibition from concept to opening; establishing a Collections Development Strategy or participating in a team that developed and executed such a strategy; working with artists, gallerists and other curators and collectors of African art in the context of a museum; and participating with a team or directly managing art acquisitions and related funds.

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.

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 sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed. Major Duties:

Museum Curator (Art) leads the development and execution of the Collections Development Strategy and works with the Acquisitions Committee to improve and expand the overall quality of the collections that advance NMAFA's mission.

In this position, you will: Maintains contact with artists, galleries, other curators and collectors using a broad knowledge of African Art and Culture to plan and execute the collections development strategy.

Coordinate efforts of curators and staff in the conception, development, and implementation of projects including exhibitions, publications and scholarly public programming.

Re-evaluate the museological practices of the Museum in all aspects (knowledge production, collections acquisitions and management, interpretation, programming).

Supervise a diverse curatorial staff, contractors, Interns, and Fellows.