Museum Specialist (IS-1016-09)

Smithsonian Institution; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 71,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

The Smithsonian Institution is seeking a Museum Specialist for the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. The role focuses on research, documentation, and interpretation of the museum's collections. You will support curatorial activities and assist with acquisitions, loans, and related workflows.

Open to qualified applicants; trust fund position with potential for advancement. NIH/NA? (not applicable). Relocation not paid.

Qualifications

• Experience assisting with research related to museum collections, exhibitions, publications, or other scholarly projects.
• Education: 2 full academic years of graduate education or master’s degree in related fields such as African American studies, history, anthropology or museum studies.
• Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be qualifying.

Responsibilities

• Assist curatorial staff with research, documentation, development, and interpretation of the museum's collections.
• Support acquisitions and loans by researching objects and compiling documentation.
• Conduct research to support exhibitions, publications, and collections projects.
• Coordinate with staff on care, documentation, access, and interpretation of objects.

Skills

Museum research

Cataloging

Archival research

Education

Graduate education or Master’s in related field

Job description

Museum Specialist (IS-1016-09)

Application Deadline: 18 September 2026

Department: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Washington, DC

Compensation: $70,623 - $91,815 / year

Description

OPEN DATE: September 8th, 2026

CLOSING DATE: September 18th, 2026 (This job will close once 100 applications are received which may be sooner than the closing date)

POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Trust Indefinite - Promotion Potential to IS-1016-12

SCHEDULE: Full Time

DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC

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

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).

OVERVIEW

The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is in the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). The National Museum of African AmericanHistory and Culture is a national museum for the study and exhibition of African American history and culture.

This position is located in the Office of Curatorial Culture, Museum of African AmericanHistory and Culture.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Museum Specialist will provide research and programmatic support for the Culture Division's curatorial activities and the development and interpretation of the museum's collection. In this position, you will:

• Assist curatorial staff with the research, documentation, development, and interpretation of the museum's cultural collections.
• Support acquisitions and loans by researching objects and potential acquisitions, compiling supporting documentation, and assisting with related curatorial workflows.
• Conduct research in support of exhibitions, publications, collections documentation, and other curatorial projects and initiatives.
• Assist with the review and documentation of objects being considered for acquisition, including gathering information about their history, provenance, cultural context, and significance.
• Respond to collections-related inquiries from the public, researchers, potential donors, dealers, and other stakeholders, and prepare correspondence, reports, and other materials as needed.
• Coordinate with collections management, conservation, and other museum staff on projects involving the care, documentation, access, and interpretation of collection objects.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Basic Qualification: Experience assisting with research related to museum collections, exhibitions, publications, or other scholarly projects. Examples of qualifying experience include conducting library, archival, database, or object-based research; compiling bibliographic and biographic information; maintaining research files; assisting with object documentation and cataloging; fact-checking scholarly or interpretive materials; and supporting curatorial staff with exhibition, publication, or collections related to the position to be filled.

OR

Education: 2 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or master's or equivalent graduate degree related to the position. Related fields of study include, African American and African diasporic studies, history, anthropology museum studies, or other courses related to the position to be filled.

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.

Or Combination: Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying.

Experience: The ideal candidate will possess experience in the following:

1. Conducting research on museum collection objects or materials, including their cultural, historical, or social contexts, using archival, bibliographic, object-based, or other relevant sources.
2. Researching and documenting museum collection objects or cultural materials, including preparing or contributing to catalog records, object files, bibliographies, chronologies, or other research documentation.
3. Conducting research in support of exhibitions, publications, interpretive materials, collections documentation, or other curatorial projects.

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.

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."

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 [e-mail]. 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 (https://www.si.edu/OEO/IndividualswithDisabilities).

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 National Museum of African American History and Culture

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is a national museum for the study and exhibition of African American history and culture.