Supervisory Exhibits Specialist (Associate Director for Exhibitions)

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

Basic Qualifications: 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 Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience in the actual type of work for which application is made.

Unpaid experience is creditable, provided the work done was of a quality level and demonstrated the ability required for the position.

This includes work in the appropriate field, e.g., design, modelmaking, art, taxidermy, or restoration.

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-13 level in the Federal Service.

For this position, specialized experience is defined as experience overseeing an exhibition program with specialized expertise in traveling exhibitions, including managing exhibit development, logistical requirements for traveling shows, and strategic business planning for a traveling exhibit program.

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. Major Duties:

The Supervisory Exhibits Specialist (Associate Director for Exhibitions) leads the Smithsonian's traveling exhibition service.

Responsibilities include developing a long‐range exhibition strategy; collaborating with the leadership team to establish and maintain a business plan for traveling exhibitions; incubating and developing exhibitions in partnership with Smithsonian museums and external organizations; and managing exhibitions and community engagement as shows travel across the country and beyond.

In this position, you will: Direct and manage planning and implementation for all traveling, build-it-yourself, and poster exhibitions, including the Traveling Exhibition Service and Museum on Main Street, and ensure the timely development of all pertinent exhibition documents.

Oversee all content and design development for traveling exhibitions, working closely with Smithsonian units and museums and outside organizations to develop content and effective engagement strategies to connect with visitors of all ages and backgrounds.

Supervise the exhibition project director team, managing a slate of traveling exhibitions including budgeting, scheduling, fabrication, installation and travel logistics.

Supervise registrar team and registration function for traveling exhibitions as well as object/artifact loans.

Work closely with venues across the country to promote and market the exhibitions, support community engagement with traveling exhibitions, and supplement projects with strong educational materials.

Work with the SITES Affiliations leadership team to establish strong business strategies, implement multi-year business plan, and define partnerships with external collaborators and contractors.