Museum Curator

Summary

This position is located in the Curatorial Affairs Division, David M. Rubenstein National Institute for Holocaust Documentation (RNIHD), United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), Bowie, MD. This position serves as Associate Collections Curator and is responsible for conducting provenance research and managing the documentation of existing materials in the Museum's Collection.

Duties

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a federally chartered, nonpartisan institution that was created by the US Congress to serve as America's national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust and an educational institution dedicated to the history and lessons of the Holocaust. The Museum seeks to educate Americans from all 50 states and all walks of life as well as international audiences. The Museum has three areas of expertise: Holocaust remembrance, Holocaust scholarship and education, and genocide prevention. In carrying out its important memorial and educational mission, the Museum is guided by its institutional values for our workplace: Honor the memory of the victims; carry out our work with dignity, humility, integrity and respect for others; and strive for excellence through teamwork, rigor, and a culture of continuous learning. Consistent respect for others is the foundation for trust, collegiality and inclusion. Duties include: Applies research skills and historical and material knowledge to identify and determine the authenticity of records, objects, or specimens, and materials related to the Holocaust. Gathers information, prepares documentation, and conducts provenance research on materials currently in the Museum's Permanent Collection, and determines history and provenance etc., for Museum records. Conducts searches for materials that align with the Museum's collection priorities. This may include materials related to witnesses, victims, and perpetrators. Prepares recommendations to accept or decline donations or purchases of materials and submits these for review by relevant stakeholders. Facilitates the processing of already received materials, completing custody receipts, Deeds of Gift, and other required documents. Coordinates research efforts by interns, curatorial assistants, and volunteers. Responds to written and telephone inquiries about the collection and coordinates similar activities on the part of volunteers, curatorial assistants, and interns. Represents the USHMM at meetings of professional museum organizations and curatorial committees and lectures on the collections to various public groups.

Requirements

You must be a U.S. citizen or national to apply. This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. As a condition of employment, all new hires must agree to direct deposit of their salary checks. Employees will have up to two (2) pay periods from the date they enter on duty to arrange for their direct deposit transaction. On-line resumes must be submitted by 11:59pm EST of the closing date. You must be a suitable for Federal employment. You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov). A one year probationary/trial period may be required. Payment of relocation expenses is not authorized. The USHMM is an equal opportunity employer. This is a Federal agency. Former employees who received a voluntary separation incentive (“buyout”) must repay the full amount of it if reemployed under any type of appointment or under a personal service contract within five years after separation with a buyout.

Qualifications and evaluation

We will review your resume and supporting documentation (transcripts if applicable) to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume, and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire that you completed as part of the application. However, your resume or optional cover letter must support your responses to the occupational questions, or your score will be lowered. The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for a structured interview. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (ex: resume and supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and the results of the online assessments required for this position. Be sure your resume includes enough detail to support your qualifications. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Critical Thinking, Initiative, Flexibility, Teamwork, Foreign Language, Geography, Knowledge Management, Oral Communication, Research, Visual Identification, Written Communication, Curatorial Discernment. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment that measures critical general competencies needed to perform the job. Optional Essay Questions Applicants may choose to respond to four short essay questions (200 words max each) to help us better understand your alignment with the agency's mission. These responses are optional and will not affect the applicant's eligibility. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Education

For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of courses showing title, number of credits, grade, and date of completion. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions. There is no positive education requirement for this position.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits. A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits. Explore the benefits offered to most Federal employees Federal Benefits

How to apply

Click the Apply Online button to create an account on USAJOBS.gov or log into your existing USAJOBS account. Pull up the Museum's vacancy announcement that you are interested in. Follow the prompts to complete the on-line Assessment Questionnaire. Please ensure that you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process. Application Assistance: If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you must contact careers@ushmm.org no later than noon Eastern Time on the closing date to request a complete application package. After this time, requests to apply will not be granted. All electronic application packages must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. eastern time by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

Required documents

Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must include information about your paid and nonpaid work experience related to this position including: job title, duration of employment (mm/dd/yy – mm/dd/yy), hours per week, duties and accomplishments, salary, and your education. For work in the Federal service, please include the grade level for the position/s. Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire. If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service or other valid proof of eligibility (i.e., statement of service that shows service dates AND character of service). If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference see http://www.opm.gov/staffingPortal/Vetguide.asp#VeteransEmploymentAct1998. Active Duty Service Members- You must submit a statement of discharge/certification of release or an official written document from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions no later than 120 days from the date the announcement closes. Enlisted Record Briefs and military identification do NOT qualify as official documentation. If the appropriate information is not submitted to confirm the discharge status, dates of service, etc., you will not be considered for this job opportunity under Veteran Preference procedures. To gain access to your DD-214 online please visit http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation if applicable (see other information). Education. If this position requires proof of higher education, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website. You MUST provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation by the closing date of the announcement will result in lost consideration.

Additional information

A complete application includes 1. A résumé, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).Please ensure all required documents, including any required work samples, narratives, or other materials as stated in this announcement, are attached to your application package. All applicants are required to submit a résumé either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. Please limit your resume to two-pages. Only the first two (2) pages will be reviewed. To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your résumé. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your résumé to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. For resume writing guidance, please visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: If you are claiming veterans preference, please see applicant guide for required documentation. In order to be considered for veterans preference, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide. CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents you must submit in order to be eligible. ICTAP Applicants: To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority as an ICTAP candidate, displaced Federal employees must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and rate highly qualified. ICTAP candidates must provide copies of all of the following documentation at the time of application: 1) agency notice; 2) most recent performance appraisal; and 3) most recent SF-50 or notification of personnel action that includes position, grade level, and duty location. Applicants who do not provide this documentation will not receive consideration as an ICTAP candidate. Selective Service: This link provides information on the Selective Service System Registration. Selective Service