Born-Digital Archivist, IS-1420-11

Smithsonian; Washington; On-site; USD 85,000 - 111,000; Full time

Job summary

The Smithsonian Institution's Archives of American Art seeks a Born-Digital Archivist in Washington, DC. This professional role supports the acquisition, accessioning, preservation, and access of born-digital collections, including documents, images, and digital records.

The position is full-time, trust fund, temporary with a five-year maximum, offering a salary range of $85,447 to $111,087 per year. Application deadline is November 2, 2026.

Responsibilities

• The Born-Digital Archivist performs professional archival work supporting the acquisition, transfer, accessioning, stabilization, documentation, and lifecycle management of born-digital materials.
• Performs transfer preparation, ingest, stabilization, documentation, and initial management of born-digital files and associated metadata.
• Works with donors, creators, curators, archivists, and institutional partners.

Job description

Born-Digital Archivist, IS-1420-11

Application Deadline: 2 November 2026

Department: Archives of American Art

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Washington, DC

Reporting To: Darren Milligan

Compensation: $85,447 - $111,087 / year

Description

OPEN DATE: October 19, 2026

CLOSING DATE: November 2, 2026 (This job will close once 150 applications are received which may be sooner than the closing date.)

POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Temporary, NTE 5 years

SCHEDULE: Full-Time

DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC

Position sensitivity and risk: Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Who May Apply: Open to all qualified applicants

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

This position is located in the Digital Operations and Strategy Department at the Archives of American Art, part of the Smithsonian Institution's Office of the Under Secretary for Museums and Culture. The Archives collects, preserves, and makes available primary source materials documenting the history of American art and artists. With a collection of more than 30 million items, the Archives is the largest and most widely used resource in the world on the history of American art.

The Born-Digital Archivist performs professional archival work supporting the acquisition, accessioning, preservation, technical review, documentation, and access of born-digital collections. Born-digital materials are created and maintained originally in digital form rather than digitized from physical or analog sources. Examples include documents, images, audiovisual recordings, databases, websites, email, and other complex digital resources.

The Born-Digital Archivist combines hands-on archival work with collaboration across the Archives to strengthen the care and accessibility of born-digital collections.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Born-Digital Archivist performs professional archival work supporting the acquisition, transfer, accessioning, stabilization, documentation, and lifecycle management of born-digital materials.

• Performs transfer preparation, ingest, stabilization, documentation, and initial management of born-digital files and associated metadata.
• Works with donors, creators, curators, archivists, and institutional partners