Supervisory Museum Curator (Art)
Other Agencies and Independent Organizations - Smithsonian Institution
·
Washington, District of Columbia
Company
Other Agencies and Independent Organizations - Smithsonian Institution
Location
Washington, District of Columbia
Type
Full Time
Job Description
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 Curatorial department of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (HMSG). The Hirshhorn is a leading voice for contemporary art and culture and provides a national platform for the art and artists of our time.
Duties
The Supervisory Museum Curator (Art) participates in the administration of the Museum’s curatorial programs and staff relating to painting, sculpture, graphic arts, and photography, as well as performance, digital media, video, and technology.
In this position, you will:
Supervise departmental staff, interns, and fellows by assigning projects, providing guidance and counseling, completing performance plans and evaluations, and recommending appropriate personnel actions.
Initiate, develop, and manage major research projects of significant scope in collaboration with HMSG professionals, colleagues at other museums, artists’ foundations, and external scholars.
Work with the Director and relevant staff to recommend objects for acquisition through purchase or gift and participate in the review of collection objects for potential deaccession.
Plan and develop concepts for large-scale, complex exhibitions involving loans from museums and private collections, as well as smaller, focused exhibitions, and serve as coordinator for traveling exhibitions.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
May need to complete a Probationary Period
Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.
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.
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications:
Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field.
OR
Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
OR
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-13 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as experience managing the curatorial functions of a modern and contemporary art museum or similar cultural organization including research, exhibitions, and collections development; proposing acquisitions for permanent collections; and conducting scholarly research and producing publications and/or exhibitions related to modern and contemporary art.
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.
Education
This position has basic education requirements.
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.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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 https://www.si.edu/OHR/benefits for a complete description.
Flexible Spending Accounts - https://www.fsafeds.com/
Health Insurance - http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp
Leave - http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/index.asp
Life Insurance - http://www.opm.gov/insure/life/index.asp
Long Term Care Insurance - http://www.ltcfeds.com
Retirement Program - https://www.opm.gov/retirement-services/
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Date Posted
03/02/2026
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