Department: Other Agencies and Independent Organizations
Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia
Salary Range: $85447 - $133142 Per Year
Job Summary: 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 Smithsonian Gardens (SG), Facilities Management (FM), within the Smithsonian Institution (SI). Smithsonian Gardens is a Smithsonian recognized Collections Unit that manages collections of garden artifacts, living plants, and the Archives of American Gardens.
Major Duties:
Qualifications: Basic Qualifications Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to the basic qualification requirement above: Experience: GS-11: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as cultivating trees and managing the health and safety of a tree collection; updating tree inventory data; developing tree care plans for assigned areas including pruning cycles, pest management, and soil improvement strategies; providing technical guidance to horticulture staff on proper pruning, planting and maintenance practices; overseeing contractor work for pruning, removals, and plant health care to ensure compliance with specifications. Or Education: Three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree directly related to this position may be substituted to meet the experience requirements. Or a Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications. For a full explanation of this option please see the Qualification Standards. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above, it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study. For instructions on where to fax these documents, see the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. GS-12: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as cultivating trees and managing the health and safety of a tree collection; designing and implementing an organizational wide tree management program(s) which includes risk assessment protocols, inventory systems, long-term canopy strategies and interdisciplinary coordination; developing specifications, standards and policies for pruning, removal, planting and tree health care across multiple sites; and managing large‐scale contracts which includes writing technical specifications, evaluating proposals, budget development and overseeing performance. 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.
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: 2026-05-19