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Editor

Smithsonian Institution · Other Agencies and Independent Organizations · Washington, District of Columbia

Federal agencyGS-09
At a glance

A full-time, permanent, federal job with Smithsonian Institution in Washington, District of Columbia. It pays $70,623$91,815 per year at grade GS-09. Applications close on Sep 23, 2026 — 7 days left.

Working pattern
Telework eligible
Who can apply
Open to the public
Clearance
Other

Main duties

  • The Editor position provides bilingual editorial, translation, and support services to all Unit departments.
  • The position involves editing and producing a broad range of museum content for multiple platforms, including digital and print media, while ensuring accuracy, consistency, and high-quality communication.
  • In this position, you will: Copy-edit, write, proofread, and verify content for digital, print, exhibition, publication, and leadership communications.
  • Edit and review print and digital content for accuracy, quality, style, formatting, grammar, spelling, and translation.
The original posting

Full details

About the role

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 Communications and Marketing, External Affairs, National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL), Under Secretary for Museums and Culture, Smithsonian Institution (SI).

What you will do

  • The Editor position provides bilingual editorial, translation, and support services to all Unit departments.
  • The position involves editing and producing a broad range of museum content for multiple platforms, including digital and print media, while ensuring accuracy, consistency, and high-quality communication.
  • In this position, you will: Copy-edit, write, proofread, and verify content for digital, print, exhibition, publication, and leadership communications.
  • Edit and review print and digital content for accuracy, quality, style, formatting, grammar, spelling, and translation.
  • Translate, adapt, and review content in English and Spanish for public-facing, internal, and stakeholder communications; ensures accuracy, clarity, relevance, consistent terminology, and alignment with the museum's voice and standards.
  • Coordinate with vendors, authors, designers, printers, and distributors to develop and produce print and digital materials; oversees distribution, monitors requests, maintains inventory, and ensures the safe storage of products.

Requirements

  • Conditions of Employment Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
  • For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions on OPM website.

Education

There is no basic education requirement.

How you will be evaluated

Applicants for this position may be evaluated in multiple stages.

The first stage is an evaluation of your responses to the online multiple-choice questions that assess your experience, education, and/or training for the job-related competencies below: Ability to develop, organize, and communicate complex information clearly and effectively in writing for multiple audiences using plain-language principles.

Skill in reviewing, editing, researching, and evaluating content to ensure accuracy, consistency, grammar, style, factual integrity, and appropriate messaging. Ability to translate and adapt materials between English and Spanish while preserving meaning, tone, context, terminology, and appropriateness.

Skill in coordinating projects, managing priorities, collaborating with stakeholders, and supporting timely publication and communication products.

Applicants who meet or exceed minimum qualifications will be assigned to one of three category groups based on job-related criteria: Best Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and excels in most of the job related competencies above. Better Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and satisfies most of the job related competencies above.

Good Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but does not satisfy most of the job related competencies above to a substantive degree. This category rating process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three", but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category.

A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Category) provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied.

Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher.

Applicants who have not submitted a resume in the USAjobs system and/or have not answered all of the vacancy questions will not be considered for this position. Important Note: Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency.

If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Documents you must provide

  • Resume - Your resume can be uploaded and attached to your application or created using the USA Jobs on-line resume builder.
  • Ensure your resume contains the job title (including the occupational series and grade if it is Federal), job-related qualifications, starting and ending dates (month and year), and hours worked per week, for each employment period.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure all information is submitted.
  • Failure to include this information may result in disqualification for the position.
  • For assistance with creating a resume, please click USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?
  • Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy), if you are a veteran.
  • Additionally, applicants claiming 10-point preference must complete Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, as well as additional documentation required by the SF-15, such as a VA letter.
  • Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify.
  • If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment.
  • Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable.

Benefits

The Smithsonian offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, vacation and sick leave, holidays, health/life insurance, accident insurance, and excellent retirement program options. Please see Benefits at *** for a complete description.

Flexible Spending Accounts - *** Health Insurance - *** Leave - *** Life Insurance - *** Long Term Care Insurance - *** Retirement Program - ***

What to expect next

At the end of the application process you will be able to create and save a PDF file that contains your responses to the assessment questions. You may save this file as initial receipt of your application. After the job announcement closes, you will receive an email from the Smithsonian with confirmation of receipt.

The Smithsonian receives many applications for each job. Each application is reviewed carefully which may take a few weeks. We will send you an e-mail to update you as we go through phases of the application review process.

You may also check your application status by logging into *** and selecting the tab "My USAJOBS;" e-mailing ***; or by contacting the Office of Human Resources Representative listed. Additional Information: Tips on applying for Smithsonian jobs are available at ***

The Smithsonian does not pay relocation expenses but recruitment incentives may be authorized. The Smithsonian Institution is an equal opportunity employer. Additional information can be found on our website at (***).

Additional information

This position is included in the bargaining unit. Written Assessment: Applicants may be required to submit a writing sample and complete a written translation exercise from English to Spanish and Spanish to English. The assessment will evaluate writing quality, translation accuracy, grammar, vocabulary, clarity, tone, context, and appropriateness for multiple audiences.

Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position. However, approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period.

Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Selections may be made for vacancies across the Smithsonian Institution (SI).

By applying to this position, you agree to allow your application and other personal information to be shared with one or more SI hiring officials for employment consideration for same/similar positions within the location(s) identified in this announcement.

How to apply

GovHealthJobs indexes this posting from a public or licensed source and links back to it. Every application is submitted on the official employer or agency website under that organization’s own process and privacy terms. We are an independent information service — not a government body, agency, or hospital system — and we do not collect résumés or forward applications.

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Details on this page reflect the source posting as of Sep 17, 2026. Closing dates and salary ranges can change without notice — the official listing is always authoritative. How our coverage works.

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