Supervisory Chief Conservator

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 conservation laboratory of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (HMSG), Smithsonian Institution (SI).

The conservation laboratory is an integral part of the Collections Care and Management Department, charged with the stewardship of the collections of the Museum.

What you will do

• The Supervisory Chief Conservator supervises and manages a professional team of conservators who hold experience in areas such as paper, photographs, paintings, variable media, sculpture, and installations.
• In addition, the Chief Conservator plans, directs, and coordinates conservation activities of the Laboratory and leads professional staff in carrying out the objectives of the conservation laboratory and the HMSG.
• In this position, you will: Manage and supervise the activities of the professional, para-professional, and technical staff in the lab, delegating work, tracking progress, and establishing priorities as necessary in line with museum programs.
• Perform a full range of technical examinations of works of art to identify their structure and components, their condition, and/or conduct appropriate treatment according to your conservation specialty.
• Establish procedures and direct work related to the examination, documentation handling and movement of objects in preparation for acquisition, loan, exhibition within the lab and during installation periods.
• Manage the conservation laboratory and its programs: safety, equipment maintenance, and education.
• Develop and monitor annual budgets for the lab, oversee procurement for all conservation equipment, including identifying needs for contract and fellow/interns to support work of the lab.

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

This position does not have a positive 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 communicate effectively and build productive working relationships to coordinate Conservation Lab operations across multiple departments.

Ability to lead and oversee the work of conservation professionals, fellows, and interns including assigning work, providing guidance, and supporting professional development. Knowledge of the theories, practices, methods, and techniques of conservation applicable to the treatment of modern and contemporary art.

Ability to assess and communicate the long-term preservation, conservation, and care requirements of museum collections, including newly acquired objects. Knowledge of object materials and analytical methods, environmental requirements, causes of deterioration, and the impact of preservation and conservation treatments on collection objects.

Knowledge of administrative and management principles, including budget formulation and execution, procurement and contracting processes, and program oversight.

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 not included in the bargaining unit. 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.