Public Affairs Specialist (Director of Communications)

Public Affairs Specialist (Director of Communications)

Department: Other Agencies and Independent Organizations

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia

Salary Range: $120579 - $156755 Per Year

Job Summary: The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex. The Smithsonian American Women's History Museum creates, educates, disseminates & amplifies the historical record of the accomplishments of American women. This position is located in the Office of Communications, which manages communications & public affairs, such as media relations, brand management, social media, internal communications, crisis communications and issues management.

Major Duties:

• The Head of Communications and Brand Engagement is responsible for managing communications and public affairs for the museum. In this position, you will: Plan and coordinate the day-to-day, annual, and long-term work for the communications/public affairs program, overseeing all internal and external communications plans and decisions while providing administrative and technical direction. Speak on behalf of the museum to the news media as the museum's public information officer, ensuring information provided is accurate and delivered timely. Contribute communications and marketing expertise to the development of SAWHM exhibitions, public programs, digital projects, and physical building. Develop, direct and execute the brand strategy for all collateral print and digital. Collaborate with internal stakeholders to explore marketing and outreach strategies and to develop and implement brand strategies for targeted stakeholder groups. Supervise others, planning and carrying out the full range of supervisory authorities related to assignment of work. Oversee projects working collaboratively and effectively across departments demonstrating teamwork at all levels. Serve as Technical Point of Contact on contracts, assisting contracting officer's representative to negotiate, prepare and manage service agreements.

Qualifications: Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as managing communications and public affairs for a museum or a cultural institution to include media relations, brand management, social media, websites, internal communications, crisis communications and issues management. 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: 2025-12-19