Staff Assistant

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 Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, Smithsonian Affiliations (SITES), Under Secretary for Education, Smithsonian Institution (SI).

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 experience performing a wide range of administrative functions, including preparing reports and correspondence, coordinating and serving as a liaison across multiple departments, and responding to inquiries by providing accurate information.

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: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B.

or J.D., if related 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 (0301) and who are in a (Federal competitive, excepted service, or Trust 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).

Major Duties:

The Staff Assistant position assists in the executive management of the SITES | Affiliations office, serving as a confidential assistant to unit leadership, providing programmatic and operational support, overseeing key administrative processes and reporting, and supporting external engagement.

In this position, you will: Serve as the senior staff assistant and liaison to other SI units, other directors, and office heads.

Assist in the management of the office by ensuring timely, accurate communication and serving as a personal liaison between the Director, unit leadership, and key staff members.

Arrange and manage meetings, maintain budgets and schedules, and assemble records, reports, and data.

Coordinate travel arrangements by developing detailed itineraries and scheduling and booking all necessary travel reservations.

Respond to requests from stakeholders, donors, and high‐level government and private‐sector officials for meetings, tours, and other accommodations.