Assistant Director for Collections

Assistant Director for Collections

Department: Other Agencies and Independent Organizations

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia

Salary Range: $143913 - $187093 Per Year

Job Summary: The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is a major bureau of the Smithsonian Institution that is responsible for the acquisition, curation, and preservation of collections of objects and specimens of natural history, which tells the history of the planet and a record of human interaction with the environment and one another.

Major Duties:

• The Assistant Director of Collections will serve as leader of the Collections Program at NMNH. This role will oversee the daily operations and supervision of staff in the NMNH Collections Program; develop, implement, update, and refine operational and strategic plans and policies; and establish criteria and written guidelines for collections stewardship. In this position, you will: Oversee the daily operations and supervision of staff of the NMNH Collections Program; and develop, implement, update, and refine operational and strategic plans and policies. Serve as leader of the Collections Program at NMNH, charged with formulating policies, program goals, budgets and objectives, and the development of short- and long-range plans to accomplish goals. Lead, participate in or oversee participation in national and international collections initiatives on behalf of the Museum. Provide advice on physical security of collections, including disaster preparation; collection facility planning and management; and contribute to collections information and informatics related systems development and maintenance. Advise on and recommend courses of action pertaining to collections budget priorities, organizational structures, reward systems, technical staff. Plan and carry out a full range of supervisory and managerial duties related to assignment of work, coordination with other programs. Set annual and multi-year plans and schedules for projects accomplished in-house and by contract based on museum priorities.

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 other transactions and conservation activities.. 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. Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying).

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. 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.

Application Deadline: 2026-05-18