Museum Specialist

Summary

The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex. This position is located in the Conservation, Collection Management Services, Museum Collections and Operations Department, National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). The NMAI is committed to advancing knowledge and understanding of Native cultures of the Western Hemisphere, past, present and future through partnership with Native people and others.

Duties

This position functions as a Museum Specialist who will be considered as the Subject Matter Expert.

In this position, you will:

• Coordinate and carry out activities that support preservation of NMAI collections which include Integrated Pest Management, environmental monitoring, disaster planning, and materials
  testing for conservation, exhibition display and collections housing and advise Collections Management staff on appropriate methods and materials for housing collections.
  
  
• Propose conservation methodology and treatment informed by knowledge of Native and Indigenous cultural material and protocols, carry out conservation treatment including cleaning,
  stabilization, repair or restore and documents actions by executing written technical conservation proposals and treatment reports including photo documentation.
  
  
• Analyze reports and multi-modal imaging in NMAI’s KEmu Collections Information System, Perform non-destructive analysis such as portable X-ray Fluorescence analysis ((pXRF), develop and document new techniques, and reporting for pXRF analysis.
  
  
• Assist with workshops on conservation and collections care as presenter covering preventive conservation, develop and disseminate conservation information through publications,
  presentations and workshops, engage with Native and Indigenous communities and artists with regard to the understanding, care, conservation and display of NMAI’s collection.
  
  
• Support NMAI projects and programs by serving as subject matter expert on exhibition teams as conservation liaison and otherwise as requested, assists the supervisor in preparing federal and trust fund budgets, schedules, work, and spending plans, and ensuring provision of logistics in support of projects and programs, respond to inquiries and/or requests for assistance regarding conservation practice, policy, procedures and ethics.
  

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