The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located within the Archives of American Art (AAA). Founded in 1954, the Archives of American Art fosters advanced research through the accumulation and dissemination of primary sources, unequaled in historical depth and breadth, that document more than two hundred years of our nation’s artists and art communities.
Basic Qualifications: Degree: history; or related field that included at least 18 semester hours in history. OR Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in history, or a major in a related field that included at least 18 semester hours in history, as shown in 1 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Evaluation of Graduate Education Graduate study in the social sciences or humanities may also be credited when such study included training in historical research methodology; or the thesis approached the subject from an historical viewpoint and used professional historical research methodology and techniques in its preparation. 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-12 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as 1) experience leading a team tasked with collections development, and 2) managing an oral history program to include the solicitation, acquisition, description, and scholarly appraisal of archival collections. 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.
The Supervisory Historian manages the acquisition of primary sources, manuscript collections, digital records, and audiovisual materials. This position also oversees the Archives’ oral history program in scope, standards, and future direction. In this position, you will: Provide supervision, guidance, review, evaluation, and design training for incoming staff. Oversee the development of AAA’s collections (referring to both manuscripts and oral histories) with primary responsibility for the Collections Stewardship Plan and national collecting initiatives. Serve as an authority on the history of American art and culture. Collaborate and consult with the Head of Collections Processing and Digitization and the Registrar to ensure sound communication and workflows for all collection-related activities. Oversee collections-based public programs including exhibitions.