Historian

Offices, Boards and Divisions; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 105,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Offices, Boards and Divisions in Washington, DC is seeking a Historian at the GS-14 level to support Museum Management and Library Services, contributing to archival research, collections documentation, and historical interpretation while aiding digital modernization initiatives.

The candidate must meet basic history qualifications (18 semester hours in history; master's preferred) or an equivalent combination, and have one year of specialized experience at GS-13 level in archives or library

Qualifications

• Basic requirement: history degree or related field with 18 semester hours in history.
• MS preferred but not required.
• Specialized experience as described for GS-14 level.

Responsibilities

• Contributes to institutional knowledge, collections documentation, historical interpretation, and digital modernization.

Education

18 semester hours in history

Master's degree preferred

Job description

This position supports both the Assistant Director for Museum Management and the Assistant Director for Library Services and contributes directly to the organization's institutional knowledge, collections documentation, historical interpretation, and digital modernization initiatives. The duties advance the Department's mission to preserve, interpret, and communicate the history to internal and external audiences.

Continue Additional Information: Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs:

The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to [e-mail]. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act. This position is excluded from the bargaining unit.

To qualify for the position of Historian, at GS-0170-14, you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below.

Basic Requirement:

A. Degree: history; or related field that included at least 18 semester hours in history. Though a specific degree level isn't shown as a requirement, a master's degree or higher is preferred.

or

B. 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 A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

For the GS-14: Specialized Experience:

For the GS-14, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service which demonstrates responsibility for researching files, archives or library collections which identify the analytical integration of archival materials or physical artifacts.

No Substitution allowed at the GS-14 grade level.

You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including time-in-grade, by the 11/23/2026 of this announcement.

Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating.

See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required of you. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement 11/23/2026 to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.