Archaeologist (Community Liaison), IS-0193-11 bei Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution · Washington, Vereinigte Staaten Von Amerika · Onsite
- Professional
- Optionales Büro in Washington
OPEN DATE: September 12, 2025
CLOSING DATE: September 26, 2025
POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund
APPOINTMENT TYPE: Not to exceed 3 years
(May be further extended based on performance and availability of funds)
(May be further extended based on performance and availability of funds)
SCHEDULE: Full Time
DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC
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 fill the Archaeologist (Community Liaison), IS-0193-11 position.
This position is located in the International Repatriation/Domestic Returns Office (IRDR), Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). The purpose of this position is to perform repatriation-related research and associated outreach activities related to the inventory, documentation, community consultation, and repatriation of human remains, archaeological objects and ethnographic objects that do not fall under the provisions of the NMAI Act or the NMNH Repatriation Office policies as requested by appropriate authorities and make recommendations regarding the museum’s response to requests for return.
These activities follow the repatriation and return provisions of the Human Dignity Program policies. The research involves the use of archival records as well as published and unpublished archaeological, historical, ethnohistorical, and physical anthropological source materials bearing on the origin and cultural association of human remains and objects in the collection. The documentation of these collections will serve as the basis for decisions on whether to return or retain collections at the Museum. Outreach involves consultation with government representatives, descendants, descendant communities, and religious leaders concerning the identification and final disposition of items subject to repatriation or return.
The Archaeologist will work in collaboration with Department of Anthropology curatorial, collections management, and other museum staff as needed to complete documentation. The incumbent will have responsibility for conducting documentary research on archaeological, ethnological, biological, and other museum collections to recover information relevant to their cultural and historical origins and make recommendations on specific repatriation requests. Materials subject to repatriation documentation are determined by the incumbent in coordination with the Program Managers and Curator of the appropriate collections while continuing collections inventory, consultations, and specific repatriation requests. All work is performed in accordance with existing Smithsonian Institution policies, procedures, and operating instructions. Repatriation casework regularly involves the generation of new documentary information as well as the refinement of existing Museum databases.
The Archaeologist serves as a museum representative to community and governmental representatives in the consultation phase of the repatriation process.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Consultation and Outreach Services
- Applies federal legislation and policy on repatriation and return, both domestic and international.
- Conducts consultations with governments, communities, relatives and religious leaders; may require travel.
- Discusses Smithsonian policies and procedures related to repatriation and returns.
- Engages in outreach to governments and descendant communities to support partnerships beyond repatriation scope.
- Coordinates closely with Anthropology curators, collections staff, and Smithsonian personnel to ensure comprehensive evaluation of issues.
Documentation
- Prepares documentation for decisions regarding the return of human remains and cultural objects.
- Compiles relevant database records and written reports for internal and institutional review.
- Determines historical, cultural, and archaeological context of collections materials.
- Distributes documentation to key Smithsonian offices (e.g., OGC, Government Relations, IRDR Advisory Committee) for review.
Research
- Integrates archaeological and historical data with Smithsonian and external database systems.
- Gathers and analyzes information from accession records, field notes, archives, and bibliographic sources.
- Produces research that informs repatriation recommendations and enhances museum documentation.
- Applies specialized knowledge of archaeology, history, ethnohistory, and archival research to complex repatriation cases.
Collections
- Maintains data gathered through repatriation documentation procedures.
- Supports the design and upkeep of IRDR Office database systems and tools.
- Collaborates with Program Managers and Collections staff to ensure accurate and efficient recordkeeping.
- Ensures EMu Master Catalog updates are made to reflect repatriation activity.
- Works with staff from IRDR, Collections Management, Registration, and the National Anthropological Archives to support documentation needs.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Education and Experience:
This position has a positive education requirement.
To qualify for this position, applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university that included 3 semester hours each in the following course areas:
This position has a positive education requirement.
To qualify for this position, applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university that included 3 semester hours each in the following course areas:
- History of archaeology.
- Archaeology of a major geographical area such as North America or Africa.
- Regional archaeology, archaeological cultures, or sites in a specific part or portion of a major geographical area to acquire or develop a foundation for regional specialization for professional development.
- Theory and methods of archaeology. Methods include, but are not limited to, typology, classification, sampling, cultural evolution, diffusion, dating, and analytical techniques.
- Cultural anthropology or ethnology
AND
Six semester hours of related coursework in
- physical anthropology
- history, historiography, or historical archaeology;
- scientific writing (nonfiction English composition); and/or
- surveying.
And
Archaeological field school with a laboratory component, to provide a basic understanding of theoretical and practical approaches to research design implementation, field and artifact preservation techniques, and report preparation by participation in actual field work.
Related Curriculum: degree in anthropology (with an emphasis on archaeology, ethnology, physical anthropology, history, American studies, or a related discipline may be accepted as satisfying in full the educational requirements, provided the curriculum supplied academic course work sufficiently similar to the requirements listed above (including the archaeological field school).
OR
- Combination of Education and Experience
College-level education or training that provided knowledge equivalent to that described in A above, plus appropriate technical experience or additional education.
OR - Or Education: Three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree
Experience required for this position is as follows:
- Extensive knowledge of archaeology methods and history within and outside of the United States as demonstrated through research and writing.
- Must have experience working directly with descendant communities on repatriation-type issues. Knowledge of repatriation and contemporary community/museum relations concerning the implementation of repatriation to date is required.
- Knowledge of the principles, methods and practices of library, archival and collections research is required. Incumbent must have ability to make sound judgments regarding research matters and information contained in accession records and archaeological field reports with minimal supervision.
- Must have extensive knowledge of archaeology methods and history in order to apply current archaeological information to the interpretation and evaluation of existing collections. Must be able to accurately evaluate and interpret the writing of other scholars.
- Must have ability to write precisely and clearly. Communication of information at various professional levels is frequently required.
- Ability to organize information and processes.
- Knowledge of EMu or similar database software to generate and maintain collection-based reports and records.
- Knowledge of basic preservation procedures and policies.
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.
**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.
**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 completed outside the United States. Education completed outside the U.S. 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.
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.
The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To review the Smithsonian’s EEO program, please click the following: https://www.si.edu/oeo.
