Hybrid Museum Specialist (Natural Science), IS-1016-09 bei Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution · Washington, Vereinigte Staaten Von Amerika · Hybrid
- Professional
- Optionales Büro in Washington
OPEN DATE: August 7, 2025
CLOSING DATE: August 21, 2025 (This job will close once 150 applications are received which may be sooner than the closing date).
POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund
APPOINTMENT TYPE: Temporary, not-to-exceed 1 year
(May be further extended based on performance and availability of funds)
PROMOTION POTENTIAL: IS-09
SCHEDULE: Full Time
DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC
Position sensitivity and risk
Open to all qualified applicants
What are Trust Fund Positions?
What are Trust Fund Positions?
Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).
Conditions of Employment
- Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.
- Complete a Probationary Period.
- Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
- The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
- Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
OVERVIEW
Come join a dedicated and creative team at an exceptional time for the Smithsonian, an institution with a bold vision for the future: to build a better tomorrow for all. The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex. The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is part of the Smithsonian’s unique complex and is one of the most visited museums in the United States. Its mission is to promote understanding of the natural world and our place in it. NMNH has a collection of 148 million specimens and artifacts. Each one reflects a moment in space and time and in these moments, we find Earth’s story.
The National Museum of Natural History is seeking an experienced candidate to serve as a museum specialist in the Department of Botany. Our plant collections total 5 million specimens, making this collection one of the ten largest in the world. This position will support the NMNH partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
All work performed will be in accordance with established collections management policies and procedures of the Botany department and NMNH. The incumbent is involved in various technical aspects of collections, curation, and research support, including the transportation, preparation, registration, preservation, storage and utilization of the plant collections.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
In this position, you will conduct the following duties and responsibilities:
- Perform independent assignments and collections management support duties that may include processing and distribution of scientific specimens entering the Department.
- Participate in the preparation of outgoing packages and opening of incoming packages of specimens, supplies, and literature and receiving specimens, following departmental procedures.
- Prepare new incoming specimens, re-curate existing holdings of specimens in the area of assignment and in coordination with the responsible curator and the Collections Manager, using appropriate techniques for the type of material being prepared and following Botany department standards.
- Assist with providing physical access to the collection according to departmental guidelines; may provide limited tours and outreach content.
- Work with the Department Registrar and the Botany Informatics Manager to provide timely access to information about new incoming specimens and existing specimens, updating records and the EMu database as appropriate. Use EMu to respond to questions from visitors and the scientific community.
- Produce digital images of specimens, specimen level databasing, and conducting inventories of specimens across multiple prep and storage types.
- Use museum guidelines, prepare correspondence and create records for outgoing and incoming loans; inventory new acquisitions and work with Department Registrar to properly acquire specimens, document regulatory compliance, assist with permits and filing of paperwork associated with movement of regulated wildlife; May resolve minor issues with lenders, borrowers, or donors to the collection.
- Maintain inventory of resources relevant to collections management; assist with the logistics of moving parts of collections in and out of the Natural History Building, Museum Support Center and other associated collections facilities.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Education and Experience: To qualify for this position, applicants must possess 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a master’s, or equivalent graduate degree related to the position, from an accredited college or university, and/or at least 3 years of related experience (described below); or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience required for this position that demonstrates possession of the following competencies:
- Knowledge of botany, including experience with identifying specimens and accessing the advanced literature of plant systematics (which implies understanding of the terminology and language of the science).
- Knowledge, based on prior experience, of the principles and methods of museum operations, including established methods of preparing and preserving herbarium specimens.
- Knowledge of collection management procedures and policies for a large herbarium, including cataloging and accessioning specimens, entering and retrieving data from computer catalogs, and facilitating research.
- Knowledge of the concepts, principles, standards, methodology, and practices to carry out difficult and complex collections management and research work assignments.
- Knowledge, based on prior experience, of instruments and equipment used in systematic botany, and methods and techniques of collecting plant specimens.
- Demonstrated herbarium experience.
- Require fieldwork experience for collecting or documenting plant specimens.
Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."
To Apply:
Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.
Applicants who wish to qualify based on education: Unofficial school transcripts (undergraduate and graduate) must be submitted with your application package by the closing date of the announcement. If selected for the position, you must provide official transcripts before appointment.
Applicants who wish to qualify based on education: Unofficial school transcripts (undergraduate and graduate) must be submitted with your application package by the closing date of the announcement. If selected for the position, you must provide official transcripts before appointment.
Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.
Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.
What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.
Relocation expenses are not paid.
The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact [email protected]. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures: Individuals with Disabilities | Smithsonian Institution (https://www.si.edu/OEO/IndividualswithDisabilities).
The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact [email protected]. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures: Individuals with Disabilities | Smithsonian Institution (https://www.si.edu/OEO/IndividualswithDisabilities).
The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that a workforce comprising a variety of educational, cultural, and experiential backgrounds support and enhance our daily work life and contribute to the richness of our exhibitions and programs. See Smithsonian EEO program information: Office of Equal Opportunity | Smithsonian Institution (https://www.si.edu/oeo).
