Supervisory Museum Curator (Art)

Supervisory Museum Curator (Art)

Department: Other Agencies and Independent Organizations

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia

Salary Range: $169279 - $197200 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 the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) which holds a collection of more than 50,000 works. The Curatorial Office encompasses all curatorial programs and staff relating to painting, sculpture and graphic arts.

Major Duties:

• The Museum Curator (Art) is responsible for the management of the curatorial function and, as a recognized scholar in the field of American art, is expected to lead by example in performance of research, writing, personnel management, collections management, curation, and public service. In this position, you will: Oversee the establishment of goals, articulation of priorities, development of schedules and checklists; and the assignment of tasks. Oversee a curatorial program that shapes the field of American Art and garners national attention. Evaluate performance, conducts formal and informal evaluations of all staff, assesses training needs, provide feedback, and make recommendations for further staff development. Maintain contacts with artists, scholars, galleries and collectors using a broad knowledge of American Art. Manage curatorial functions and performance of research, writing, personnel management, curation; and public service.

Qualifications: Basic Education Requirements: 1. Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field. or 2. Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. or 3. Four years of experience that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study as shown in A above. In addition to the basic qualification requirement above: Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as serving as part of a senior management team, managing the curatorial functions of an art museum; overseeing research, exhibitions, collections development and public service; formulating goals and priorities and ensuring they are achieved; evaluating staff performance; performing scholarly research; determining acquisitions and deaccessions; overseeing curators, guest curators, and others in developing and implementing museum exhibitions, publications, and related programs. 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. 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.

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