What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assistant Director position at SMITHSONIAN?
The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is in Collections Management Services, Museum Collections and Operations, National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), Under Secretary for Museums and Culture (USMC), Smithsonian Institution (SI).
Qualifications:
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 1) applying museum collections management policies and procedures; 2) developing, implementing, and updating operational and strategic plans for collections; 3) establishing criteria and written guidelines for collections stewardship; and 4) coordinating collections care, inventory control, acquisitions, loans, and conservation activities for a large and culturally significant collection representing indigenous people.
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.
Responsibilities:
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:
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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.
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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.
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Serve as an expert resource and advisor for planning and implementing the long‑term development of the Collections Information System.
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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.
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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.
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Recommend courses of action regarding budget priorities, staffing needs, responsibilities, and workload distribution.
Salary : $143,913