Assistant Director (Collections)

The primary purpose of this position is to oversee the stewardship, management, access, use, and care of the museum's collections, as well as the staff who manage the object and archival collections. You exercise supervisory and managerial authority, develop project scopes, resources, and timelines, participate in strategic long‐term program planning, and develop collections policy, stewardship practices, and communication. In this position, you: Provide overall management and direction for the care and stewardship of the NMAI collections through department managers with subject‐matter expertise in collections management, registration, conservation, photography, and archives.

Contribute to, develop, write, and implement formal plans, policies, procedures, and guidelines for all facets of NMAI's collections efforts, working closely with department heads and staff in stakeholder departments. Serve as an expert resource and advisor for planning and implementing the long‐term development of the Collections Information System. Support the accuracy and completeness of the collections information database through research on items in the collections and through collaboration with Native peoples in settings such as oral history, place‐name research, community archaeology, and traditional knowledge.

Participate with other assistant directors in NMAI's senior management policy, planning, and operational activities. Represent the Collections and Stewardship program through active participation on NMAI committees and advisory groups. Recommend courses of action regarding budget priorities, staffing needs, responsibilities, and workload distribution.

Conditions of Employment Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions on OPM website.

Education can't be substituted for experience at this grade level.

Applicants for this position may be evaluated in multiple stages. The first stage is an evaluation of your responses to the online multiple-choice questions that assess your experience, education, and/or training for the job related competencies below: Ability to perform full first- and second-level supervisory duties, including assigning and reviewing work, counseling staff, evaluating performance, resolving complaints, and maintaining a safe work environment. Ability to develop, write, review, and implement guidelines, plans, policies, procedures, and ethics for all collections-related work.

Knowledge of and experience with automated collections information systems to manage and steward collections and support appropriate access to collections data. Ability to conceptualize, analyze, evaluate alternatives, and develop effective solutions to complex, multidimensional problems. Applicants who meet or exceed minimum qualifications will be assigned to one of three category groups based on job-related criteria: Best Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and excels in most of the job related competencies above.

Better Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and satisfies most of the job related competencies above. Good Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but does not satisfy most of the job related competencies above to a substantive degree. This category rating process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three", but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category.

A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Category) provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied. Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher. Applicants who have not submitted a resume in the USAjobs system and/or have not answered all of the vacancy questions will not be considered for this position.

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.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

This position is not included in the bargaining unit. Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position. However, approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period.

Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Selections may be made for vacancies across the Smithsonian Institution (SI). By applying to this position, you agree to allow your application and other personal information to be shared with one or more SI hiring officials for employment consideration for same/similar positions within the location(s) identified in this announcement.

Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page. Please

Note: You must apply for this position online through the 'Apply Online' button and submit required supplemental documents (if they are relevant to you).

Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages.

You may submit required documents by uploading them online during the application process.

The complete application package, including any required documents, is due in the Smithsonian Office of Human Resources on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. If you are unable to apply online, paper applications may be accepted with prior approval of the Contact Person listed below.

Your application package should include the following documents: Resume - Your resume can be uploaded and attached to your application or created using the USA Jobs on-line resume builder. Ensure your resume contains the job title (including the occupational series and grade if it is Federal), job-related qualifications, starting and ending dates (month and year), and hours worked per week, for each employment period. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is submitted.

Failure to include this information may result in disqualification for the position. For assistance with creating a resume, please click USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy), if you are a veteran.

Additionally, applicants claiming 10-point preference must complete Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, as well as additional documentation required by the SF-15, such as a VA letter.