Federal
Supervisory Museum Curator (Art)
Smithsonian Institution Β· Other Agencies and Independent Organizations
About This Position
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 Curatorial department of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (HMSG). The Hirshhorn is a leading voice for contemporary art and culture and provides a national platform for the art and artists of our time. More than one selection may be made from this announcement.
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications: 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 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 managing the curatorial functions of a modern and contemporary art museum or similar cultural organization including research, exhibitions, and collections development; proposing acquisitions for permanent collections; and conducting scholarly research and producing publications and/or exhibitions related to modern and contemporary art. 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 Museum Curator (Art) participates in the administration of the Museum's curatorial programs and staff relating to painting, sculpture, graphic arts, and photography, as well as performance, digital media, video, and technology. In this position, you will: Supervise departmental staff, interns, and fellows by assigning projects, providing guidance and counseling, completing performance plans and evaluations, and recommending appropriate personnel actions. Initiate, develop, and manage major research projects of significant scope in collaboration with HMSG professionals, colleagues at other museums, artists' foundations, and external scholars. Work with the Director and relevant staff to recommend objects for acquisition through purchase or gift and participate in the review of collection objects for potential deaccession. Plan and develop concepts for large-scale, complex exhibitions involving loans from museums and private collections, as well as smaller, focused exhibitions, and serve as coordinator for traveling exhibitions.
Conditions of Employment
Conditions of Employment Qualification requirements, including one year time-in-grade at the next lower grade level for promotion candidates, must be met within 30 days of the job announcement closing date. See the 'Required Documents' section for additional information. For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on OPM Website.
Education
This position has basic education requirements.
How You Will Be Evaluated
Your application will be evaluated first for the basic qualifications described above. The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria: Skill in managing and motivating staff, setting goals, and communicating them to others. Demonstrate the ability to distinguish between highly specialized scholarly topics and subjects of broader public interest, and to communicate effectively to both audiences. Expert knowledge of modern art (ca. 1830β1960), combined with substantial in-depth expertise and experience. Demonstrated experience organizing exhibitions of significant scope and collaborating effectively with museum professionals. Ability to determine and manage exhibition budgets. BASIS OF RATING: Once the announcement closes, your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of this position. If, after the Human Resources Specialist reviews your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that the score you have received is not a true reflection of your qualifications and/or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect the information you provided that support your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed. Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): If you are applying for a VEOA appointment, you must be a veteran and must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. ("Active Service" under this law means active duty in a uniformed service and includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, full-time National Guard duty, and attendance, while in the active service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary concerned.) A veteran who is released under honorable conditions shortly before completing a 3-year tour is also eligible. Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority: Primary Appointing Authorities for Career and Career-Conditional Appointments Hiring Authorities for Veterans People with Disabilities 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.
Additional Information
This position is not included in the bargaining unit. This vacancy is open for the Public under Announcement #26R-LJ-313398-DEU-HMSG. 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.
How to Apply
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; OR You may manually fax required documents. Faxes are received by an automated system, not a physical fax machine. Documents that are faxed as part of the application process must be sent with the system generated cover sheet by the closing date. Documents faxed without the system generated coversheet are not retrievable and cannot be considered as part of the application package. 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.
Required Documents
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? Current and former employees MUST submit a copy of their Standard Form (SF)-50, βNotice of Personnel Action,β that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position title, series, grade, step, salary, type of service (competitive or excepted in block 34), and tenure (1 or 2 in block 24). Please provide a SF-50 that shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade level. Examples of appropriate SF50s include: Appointments, Reassignments, Within-grade/range increases or Promotion actions. NOTE: Pay adjustments and award SF-50s do not include the length of time in your current position, therefore, they are NOT acceptable SF-50's on their own. You may need to provide more than one SF-50. Failure to provide the appropriate SF-50(s) may prevent you from receiving consideration for this position. Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment. Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable. Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy) if you are requesting a special appointment authority, such as VRA or VEOA Proof of severe disability if you are requesting special placement consideration. Proof of eligibility for a military spouse appointment, such as a permanent change station military order. Proof of eligibility for any other special appointing authority not specifically mentioned here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the salary for the Supervisory Museum Curator (Art) position at Smithsonian Institution ?
The salary range for this position is $143,913 - $187,093/yr. This is a GS-14 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Supervisory Museum Curator (Art) job located?
This position is located in Washington, District of Columbia. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
Basic Qualifications: 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...
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 16, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
No security clearance is required for this position.
What does GS-14 mean?
GS-14 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.