Collections Specialist

The Collections Specialist is responsible for acquiring primary sources as gifts from a broad geographic range in the United States, with special emphasis on documenting the Asian Pacific American experience in the art world.

In this position, you will:

• Develop and follow an approved collecting plan focused on Asian Pacific American art and artists in consultation with leadership and contribute to national collecting initiatives as part of the curatorial team.
• Select, develop accurate descriptions, and provide scholarly appraisal of collections through a close examination of their contents and negotiate the conditions of gifts through a fully executed deed of gift.
• Arrange for packing and shipment of materials from donor, track contacts, accession new acquisitions, prepare collections for archival processing, and prepare statistical and narrative reports on acquisitions.
• Serve as an authority on Asian Pacific American art history, consulting with and advising researchers, including curators, art historians, graduate students, and others.

Requirements

Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as serving as a subject specialist in the field of Asian Pacific American art with experience in the solicitation, acquisition, description, and scholarly appraisal of archival collections, including communicating with a variety of internal and external contacts to negotiate acquisitions and respond to inquiries regarding potential solicited and unsolicited gifts.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

Application Instructions