Summary
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 Exhibition Production Department, Office of Building Renovation & Exhibition Services (OBRES), National Museum of American History (NMAH). NMAH is home to more than 1.8 million objects and more than three shelf-miles of archival collections, preserving and sharing the greatest single collection of American history in the world.
Duties
The Supervisory Exhibits Specialist serves as the head of the Graphics Production Shop and supervises a team of full-time exhibition specialists, as well as occasional interns and contractors, who are responsible for the fabrication and installation of graphics and graphic materials for exhibitions, wayfinding, and other museum needs as well as the museum's mountmaking services. In this position, you will: Direct, supervise, and plan all work performed by the Graphics Production Shop. Coordinate Graphics Shop operations with Exhibition Production and OBRES units, as well as other Smithsonian offices, to ensure exhibit projects are completed on schedule, within budget, and in alignment with program objectives. Serve as the Project Manager for specific graphics projects as assigned. Create digital images and/or text for graphic panels, posters, signs, labels, decals, and other visual media ranging from several inches to room-size murals. Operate large format roll-to-roll printers, direct print flatbed printers, vinyl cutters and laminating machines. Execute and conduct quality reviews of exhibit graphic production processes, utilizing a variety of materials and substrates to create and evaluate visual displays in both 2D and 3D formats.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment Work is generally performed in a combination of office settings and in the field. Incumbent will be required to stand for long periods of time and/or to lift objects weighing 50 lbs. unassisted. Incumbent will be required to climb up to a 12 ft ladder or use scissor lift to install, maintain, and deinstall graphic elements wearing appropriate safety gear. Incumbent is required to obtain and maintain COTR Level 1 certification. Incumbent will be required to take regular safety training. Work requires special safety precautions and the use of protective masks, goggles, shoes, and other necessary personal protective equipment (PPE). Qualification requirements, including one year time-in-grade at the next lower grade level for promotion candidates, must be met within 30 days of the job announcement closing date. See the 'Required Documents' section for additional information. For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on OPM Website.
How you will be evaluated
The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria: Ability to supervise and lead staff effectively, using sound policies and practices to assign and evaluate work and maintain high performance in a production environment. Skill in customer service to facilitate teamwork, build partnerships, and effectively coordinate with internal and external stakeholders. Knowledge of project management principles and practices to plan, schedule, track, and execute exhibition projects, integrating budget, scope, timeline, and resources. Knowledge of graphic design, print processing (RIP), fabrication, and file management software to prepare, manage, and output production-ready files across multiple devices and workflows (e.g. Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign; Colorburst, etc. Skill in operating large-format printing and fabrication equipment to produce exhibit graphics efficiently and to specification, including roll-to-roll flatbed printers, laminators, vinyl cutters, CMC mat cutters, silicone edge graphic systems, welding equipment, etc. Important Note: Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed. You may preview questions for this vacancy.