Job Description
Supervisory Museum Curator, IS-1015-15 Smithsonian Institution - 4.1 Washington, DC Job Details Full-time $169,279 - $197,200 a year 1 day ago Benefits Commuter assistance AD&D insurance Health insurance Dental insurance Flexible spending account Vision insurance 403(b) Life insurance Qualifications Historical research Staff supervision Authoring academic publications Full Job Description Supervisory Museum Curator, IS-1015-15 Please note: the page you are viewing is for internal candidates only.
OPEN DATE
May 29, 2026 CLOSING DATE:
June 4, 2026 POSITION TYPE:
Trust Fund APPOINTMENT TYPE
Indefinite SCHEDULE
Full Time DUTY LOCATION
Washington, DC Position sensitivity and risk: Non-Sensitive/Low Risk Who May Apply SI Only 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
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 the National Museum of American History, Office of Curatorial Affairs, Division of Work and Industry. The Supervisory Museum Curator/Division Chair will direct a division of curators, historians, collections managers, and museum specialists. Division work can include a wide range of short- and long-term projects such as collecting; answering public and scholarly inquiries; giving public presentations; and creating a range of public history products grounded in research and scholarship, such as exhibitions, digital projects, public programs, articles, and books. This position requires occasional travel for research, collecting, and conferences around the United States and may potentially require international travel in accordance with Smithsonian Institution policy. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
In this position, you will: Guide and shape specific short- and long-term projects of the division of Work & Industry staff, ensuring that their work advances the mission and interpretive goals of the museum. Advance the day-to-day operations of the division and its staff; and work to build a shared sense of goals and purpose among division staff. Advise the OCA Associate Director on long-term plans and intellectual emphases for the museum, the department, and the division. Serve on or lead teams that create exhibitions, public programs, digital outputs, or other public history works; sustain a program of public history research; and shape and steward the division's collections. Play a prominent role in professional circles, advancing the Institution's commitment to public service. QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
All applicants must meet these Basic Qualification Requirements:
1. Degree in museum work or in an applicable subject-matter field OR 2. Combination of education and experience:
courses equivalent to a major as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education OR 3. 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 above In addition to the basic qualification requirements above: Experience:
To qualify for this position, applicants must possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IS-14 level. Specialized experience is defined as 1) Managing and leading staff; 2) Researching, collecting, and exhibiting material culture related to the history of work and industry in the United States; and 3) Overseeing a range of research products such as scholarly articles, teaching, lectures, oral histories, archival holdings, museum collections, exhibitions, and/or public programming. Applications that meet the basic qualification requirements will be evaluated further against the following criteria: Knowledge to develop recommendations and plans for public history engagement; to evaluate relevance and quality of staff proposals for research and public engagement; and to lead the development of exhibitions and other public outreach efforts. Skill in supervision to hire, develop, reward, correct and direct staff. Knowledge of the role of museums in developing, interpreting, diffusing, and co- creating history to integrate division pursuits into museum priorities and to participate in community-based and national discussions and debates. Developed knowledge of museum procedures and practices, management, organization and structure, and objectives/priorities and of a broad range of museum activities including scholarship; exhibition planning and development; collections planning, management and preservation; digital initiatives; facilities; and outreach and public services. Skill in maintaining effective communications with a wide diversity of staff members and non-SI personnel; interpersonal skills to develop and maintain superb working relationships with senior and mid-level managers, supervisors, and staff within the museum and Institution. 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. Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery." 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. 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 . 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. The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer . To review The Smithsonian's EEO program information, please click the following: https://www.si.edu/oeo About Smithsonian Institution Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian is the world's largest museum and research complex of 21 museums and galleries, the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, and 14 education and research facilities. There are more than 6,500 Smithsonian employees, including approximately 500 scientists. The total number of objects, works of art and specimens at the Smithsonian is estimated at more than 157 million. Our Hiring Process Stage 5 : Second Interview Stage 6 : Tentative Offer Letter Stage 7 : Hired Stage 1 : Applied Stage 2 : Qualifications Review Stage 3 : Phone Screen Stage 4 : First Interview Stage 5 : Second Interview Stage 6 : Tentative Offer Letter Stage 7 : Hired Stage 1 : Applied Stage 2 : Qualifications Review Stage 3 : Phone Screen Stage 4 : First Interview Stage 5 : Second Interview Stage 6 : Tentative Offer Letter Stage 7 : Hired 1 2 3 Application Deadline June 04, 2026 Department National Museum of American History Employment Type Full Time Location Washington, DC Workplace type Onsite Compensation $169,279 - $197,200 / year Reporting To Associate Director, Curatorial Affairs View all opportunities at Smithsonian Institution
