Federal

Conservator (Furniture/Wooden Artifacts)

National Park Service ยท Department of the Interior
๐Ÿ“ Riverdale, Maryland GS-12 $102,415 - $133,142/yr
Posted: Mar 6, 2026 Deadline: Mar 20, 2026 (Closed days left)

About This Position

This position is located in Office of NPS Liaison to the White House, in the White House and President's Park Division. Open to the first 100 applicants or until 03/20/2026 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Qualifications

Requirements Continued...

You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required.

You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record.

You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.

You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 2 nights per month.

You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.

You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.

You will be required to conduct and pass a Respirator Fit Test You must have the ability to lift 75 pounds Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret Service clearance Forklift Operator's Certification, able to obtain within 90 day of hire. All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-03/20/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience.

To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level, you must possess all of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: This position requires applicants to meet the selective factor in order to be considered. Selective placement factors are qualifications that are essential for the job. These are already required when the person starts the job.

Applicants must meet the following selective placement factor. Those who do not, will no longer be considered for this position: Knowledge of historic finish techniques (such as French polish and gilding) Knowledge of minimally intrusive upholstery techniques Experience to handle (mix, store, label, and dispose) of all manners of adhesives, solvents, and finishes - AND - EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Experience at this level must include all of the following: professional museum conservation treatment work and supporting written and photographic documentation of furniture and decorative art objects (made of wood, stone, metal, textiles, leather, bone, ivory, gilding, etc.); leading a team of conservators of different disciplines to complete similar treatments across a spectrum of mediums and forms; and conducting surveys to determine what objects need treatment and treatment method.

You must include hours per week worked.

You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated.

You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies". Experience listed as full-time will be credited at 40 hours per week. Volunteer 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.

Major Duties

The major duties of the Conservator (Furniture/Wooden Artifacts) position include, but are not limited to, the following: Provide technical and specialized assistance to the Supervisory Curator. Responsible for determining the nature and extent of treatment needed for an object. Carries out treatment procedures for restoration or preservation of an object. Prepares technical reports. Manage contract conservators; including determining what treatment is needed, identifying the correct contractor, and direct, evaluate, and accept their work.

Conditions of Employment

U.S. Citizenship required. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males. Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.

Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service.

In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your probationary your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Additional Requirements located under qualifications*

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level(s) of this announcement.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly.

If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted.

You may only submit one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher.

Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories: Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.

You will be evaluated on the following competencies: Carpentry/Woodworking Chemistry History and Archaeology Problem Solving Project Management Teamwork Technical Competence In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.

In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a panel resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job. The interview process may include a written component.

Additional Information

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR ยง575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive.

A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Physical Demands: Work requires physical exertion such as long periods of standing, recurring bending, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities, use of physical force, and strength in handling objects. Yearly physical examinations will be required to monitor employee's health. Working Conditions: Works in a laboratory area and woodworking shop containing moderately hazardous chemicals and flammable solvents and is required to use special safety precautions to prevent exposure to such agents.

Woodworking shop includes powered woodworking tools (planers, saws, sanders, etc.) that create dust, noise, and potential injuries.

How to Apply

To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/20/2026.

You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information.

Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES. Select Apply.

If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account. Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application." Click here for USAJobs Help with "How to create an application" To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12903483 Select or add the resume you want to use for this application.

Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS. Select documents you want included in this application. Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed. Select if you want to include your demographic information.

After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site." Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown. Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.

Review and Submit Application. While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position. You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.

To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.

Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application. Please note, the eligibility section of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement.

You will ONLY be considered for the appointment eligibilities that you select.

You must provide the supporting documentation to support your claim. Please review the list of documentation provided in the eligibilities language to ensure you provide the appropriate information.

You may choose more than one eligibility.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/20/2026: Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

Complete All Required Assessments. Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as: Veterans Preference Documentation: If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.

If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation. If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15.

You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability. Documentation that you meet Selective Factors. Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area.

You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position. Do not submit photographs with your application package.

Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the Conservator (Furniture/Wooden Artifacts) position at National Park Service?
The salary range for this position is $102,415 - $133,142/yr. This is a GS-12 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Conservator (Furniture/Wooden Artifacts) job located?
This position is located in Riverdale, Maryland. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
Requirements Continued... You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. ...
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is Mar 20, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
Yes, a Q Access Authorization clearance is required.
What does GS-12 mean?
GS-12 refers to the General Schedule grade level. Higher grades require more experience and offer higher pay. Visit our GS Pay Scale page for full salary tables by grade and locality.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.