Curatorial Assistant (Art)/Museum Specialist (IS-1016-09)

Application Deadline: 21 October 2024

Department: Smithsonian American Art Museum

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Washington, DC

Reporting To: Head Curator

Compensation: $68,405 / year

Description

OPEN DATE: October 7, 2024          CLOSING DATE: October 21, 2024 (This job will close once 100 applications are received which may be sooner than the closing date.) POSITION TYPE: Trust FundAPPOINTMENT TYPE: Temporary Not-To-Exceed Five (5) YearsSCHEDULE: Full Time DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC
Position sensitivity and risk: Non-sensitive (NS)/Moderate Risk

Open to all Qualified Applicants

What are Trust Fund Positions?Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).  Conditions of Employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.
• Complete a Probationary Period.
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
• The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States.  Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
• Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 

OVERVIEW

The Smithsonian Institution (SI) is a diverse museum and research complex dedicatee to the increase and diffusion of knowledge. Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) is dedicated to exhibiting American art from the 18th to the 21st century. It maintains an active program of exhibitions, public programs, publications, acquisitions, and special events. This position, located in the Curatorial Office, independently performs a variety of programmatic, research, and administrative duties in support of the department and the museum’s permanent collection. This position reports to the Head Curator or the Deputy Head Curator.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides logistical, administrative, and research support to the Curatorial Collections Coordinator managing the Department’s acquisitions program.
• Collects, organizes, and prepares material related to the collections, exhibitions, publication or other projects, performing basic research such as biographic information, attribution, media, title, subject, and date.
• Prioritizes, coordinates, and prepares requests for conservation, matting, framing, pedestals, and photography pertaining to new acquisitions, ongoing maintenance of the collection, loan requests, replacement of works in permanent collection galleries, exhibitions, and major and minor gallery installations.
• Maintains and develops curatorial files for collection objects.
• Facilitate appointment requests from SAAM staff, interns, fellows, and outside scholars who wish to consult the curatorial files.
• Organizes and tracks curatorial projects, correspondence, and reports and serves as liaison between Curatorial and other offices.
• Generates reports and checklists and takes notes on meetings.
• Drafts and prepares text, captions, or other material in the proper format.
• Responds to general public inquiries about the museum and its collections, researching basic information through curatorial files and collections database.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

To qualify for this position, applicants must possess two full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or master’s or equivalent graduate degree related to the position.

Or a Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qual