Job Description
Job Description:\n\nDescription OPEN DATE: 06/06/2025 CLOSING DATE: 06/20/2025 POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund APPOINTMENT TYPE: Indefinite SCHEDULE: Full Time \nDUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC / Chantilly, VA\n \nPosition sensitivity and risk: Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk Open to all qualified applicants\n 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\nPass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.\nComplete a Probationary Period.\nMaintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.\nThe 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.\nApplicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. \n OVERVIEW The Smithsonian Institution, Undersecretary for Science & Research, National Air and Space Museum, Department of Space History, History of Military and National Security Space, is responsible for educating the public about the development of aviation and spaceflight. The museum collects, preserves, and displays aeronautical and spaceflight artifacts of historical significance. It serves as a repository for scientific and engineering equipment and data that pertains to the development of aviation and spaceflight. It provides educational material for the historical study of aviation and spaceflight. This position is located the Education and Visitor Experiences Directorate of the National Air and Space Museum (NASM), Smithsonian Institution, with a primary duty station at the National Mall Building (NMB) in Washington DC. The purpose of the position is to coordinate and maintain a successful Explainers Program at the National Mall Building and the Udvar Hazy Center (UHC), in Chantilly, VA. The incumbent works regularly at both sites. The incumbent is supervised by the Manager, Gallery Programs. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The incumbent serves as the Explainers Program Coordinator and is responsible for conceiving, developing, and implementing the Explainers Programming that supports the museum’s education initiatives. Leadership 30% Leads and directs a part-time staff of institutional personnel both virtually and in-person that are responsible for supporting institutional initiatives and programming. Recruits and hires a qualified and diverse group of Explainers. Prepares and delivers training to Explainers, while evaluating their performance to determine if they are grasping learning concepts. Coordinates the collaborative efforts of part-time program staff, establishing, implementing, and maintaining policies and procedures that ensure the smooth operation of the Explainers Program. Administration and Management 20% Facilitates contracting and procurement responsibilities on behalf of the Explainer Program, sufficient to evaluate the work of contract personnel, review invoices, and when delegated approve payment for services rendered. Assists Program Manager with planning, organizing, and leading the day-to-day activities and long-term projects of two to four full-time program assistants (IS-05/07), including distribution of daily tasks, coordination of team projects, scheduling, and determining schedules for personnel. Ensures program initiatives are communicated to personnel and develops informational resources needed to facilitate their purpose, goals, and objectives. Maintains records of all Explainers Program expenses, ensure that expenditures are made within budget guidelines and summarizes data to guide future budget planning. Additionally, tracks Explainer activity to include tracking hours, program attendance, and programs or services delivered. Organizational Awareness/Interpersonal Skills 20% Represents the Explainers Program with external funders & stakeholders, supporting regular meetings and special events as appropriate. Establishes and maintains relationships through oral and written communications with museum staff, outside agencies, corporations, program partners, etc. to ensure the successful operation of education programs. Communicates technical and information underlying institutional exhibits, presentations, and programs such as STEM education and related fields in a manner that is understandable to all manner of audiences. Evaluates the content, format, and delivery methods of education programs by measuring audience or participant engagement, visual ques, surveys, and other metrics to curate content in a manner that achieves educational goals. Education and Training 30% Participates in internal discussions seeking to increase audience engagement, out-reach, customer service, and responsiveness to concerns, inquiries, and clarity of information provided for exhibits and galleries. Utilizes resources and other prepared materials developed by Museum Curators, Visual Information Specialist, and other technical personnel to provide insight into effective ways to present STEM competencies. Receives guidance and direction into techniques to present hands-on educational programs and convey information clearly and succinctly to Museum Explainers and evaluates the proficiency in which Explainers can recite and perform hand-on demonstrations or other engagement activities. Perform other duties assigned. QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS \nEducation and Experience: To qualify for this position, applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from an accredited four-year college or university and 3-5 years of related experience (described below); or an equivalent combination of education and experience.\nPractical knowledge, in conveying information, working in a team-based environment, and providing guidance to individuals with limited understanding of educational topics.\nKnowledge, in the analysis and evaluation of educational materials, sufficient to identify ways and means to improve their delivery of key concepts and learning goals. \nSkill, in conducting independent research into educational topics and recommending techniques to incorporate them into institutional or organizational engagement offerings. \nSkill interfacing in public environments, responding to inquiries, and seeking audience participation and feedback regarding exhibits, installations, and events. \nAbility, to support contract and procurement responsibilities, sufficient to verify the quality of work for contractors and approve invoices in accordance with established policies and procedures. \nAbility to communicate verbally or written technical topics to all matters of groups of individuals; and critically evaluate the clarity and accuracy of information provided to institutional attendees.\n SUPERVISORY CONTROLS The supervisor or manager determines projects, assignments, and tasks that will be assigned to the incumbent, which are provided to enhance their awareness and understanding of exhibits, events, and initiatives managed by the Smithsonian Institution. The incumbent reviews these requests and applies their awareness and understanding of the subject matter, referring to procedures and informational resources to accomplish major aspects of their work. Meetings and discussions are held with management to apprise them of the status of work projects and goals. The incumbent’s work is reviewed from the standpoint of accomplishing objectives and the quality of work performed by explainers that report to the incumbent. GUIDELINES Guidelines consist of the policies and procedures of the National Air and Space Museum and the Smithsonian Institution, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and guidelines and standards for conducting interactive programming and working with high school and college students. The educational principles and practices that apply to the development of educational museum programs for diverse audiences, as well as national education standards, also serve as guidelines. The incumbent uses judgment to interpret and adapt policies and guidelines established by the Education Division and the NASM Administration. The incumbent is expected to analyze program operations and results, and to recommend changes or enhancements as appropriate. COMPLEXITY The incumbent is responsible for coordinating work operations within the Education and Visitor Services, Explainers Program. The position contributes to developmental work, research, and analysis of institutional activity that seeks to engage with institutional visitors and provide educational demonstrations, events, and discussions that enhance visitor awareness the institutional resources. The work requires that the incumbent utilize resources prepared by museum curators and industry experts to develop educational materials that highlight the purpose and significance of the museum’s exhibits and make relevant connections to STEM topics. This information is transformed into an interactive presentation that the incumbent performs whereby they seek audience participation, respond to inquiries, and inform museum attendants. Researching and developing a working knowledge of exhibit items is a central focus point of the position, which allows the incumbent to orate their findings to attendees in a clear and concise manner. SCOPE AND EFFECT The Explainer Program at the National Air and Space Museum’s purpose is to provide a means through which the museum communicates scientific and historical information and ideas to the public onsite at both the museum locations and virtually. Museum education programs must be designed to accommodate diversity and special needs, because program audiences are made up of persons with different cultures, ages, experiences, and interests. The work effects all efforts by the museum to ensure education programs are properly designed to accommodate the presentation format to ensure effective and impactful interactions. The position also facilitates the growth of both employees and the program itself by identifying and selecting the mix of talent that will actively utilize educational resources to offer enrichment activities to museum attendees. PERSONAL CONTACTS Contacts are made with employees within the National Air & Space Museum, and visitors attending the institution. PURPOSE OF CONTACTS Contacts are made to plan and coordinate all aspects of the Explainers Program; to gather and disseminate information; to present exchange and discuss ideas or concepts; and to motivate and influence people to work toward mutual goals. Contacts are also made to stay abreast of current trends in education theory and teaching, as well as trends in the development, organization and management of student employees PHYSICAL DEMANDS Physical demands may occasionally require visits to off-site locations. Physical demands may also require occasional work outdoors throughout the year, including winter and summer, not in a climate-controlled environment. Otherwise, the position requires normal demands of office work with lifting, bending, and walking. WORK ENVIRONMENT Work is performed in an office and a museum environment, as well as outdoors in non-climate controlled environments. Work is performed at the National Mall Building in Washington, DC, and at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. 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." 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. 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 NASM-HR@SI.EDU. 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