OPEN DATE: 02/18/26

CLOSING DATE: 03/06/26

POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Temporary NTE 3 years

SCHEDULE: Full Time

DUTY LOCATION: Suitland MD

Position sensitivity and risk:
Non-Sensitive/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).

Conditions of Employment

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) seeks experienced and highly motivated candidates to fill the position of Conservator for an initial term of three years. The initial term may or may not be extended. The purpose of the position is to work within the NMAI Conservation department to undertake pesticide history and X Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis and reporting as part of the NMAI’s Four Pathways program. NMAI utilizes the pathways of Community Loans, Shared Stewardship, Repatriation, and Ethical Returns to work with communities and/or individuals to facilitate the return or appropriate care of cultural heritage items.

The NMAI is responsible for affirming to Native communities and the non-Native public, the historical and contemporary culture and cultural achievements of the Indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere by advancing, in consultation, collaboration and cooperation with them, a knowledge and understanding of their cultures, including art, history, and language, and by recognizing the Museum's special responsibility, through innovative public programming, research, and collections, to protect, support, and enhance the development, maintenance, and perpetuation of Indigenous culture and community.

This position is located at the National Museum of the American Indian’s Cultural Resource Center in Suitland, MD. The Smithsonian Institution is an equal opportunity employer.

Please note, this is a trust position, and applications are not through USA Jobs; all that is required is an uploaded CV or resume to the online job application and a cover letter in the space provided at the online form. Please highlight how your resume and experience connect to the requirements of the position in your cover letter. A resume can be more than two pages given that it 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.

· Works in close partnership with NMAI Conservation staff, serving as the primary point of contact for conducting internal pesticides history research, maintaining best practice and optimization of XRF analysis and reporting through research and collaboration, conducting XRF testing and maintaining associated documentation related to the Four Pathways program.

· Develops and documents new techniques, procedures and reporting for XRF analysis, collaborates with conservation scientists at the Museum Conservation Institute (MCI), other research specialists and working groups for the advancement of technical studies and reporting related to hazardous residues.

· Responsible for documenting pesticide history and the results of analysis in the NMAI Collections Information System, advances effective communication between NMAI and other Smithsonian units regarding XRF and analysis and assists with training conservation fellow and interns on the basic use and interpretation of XRF analysis.

· Builds and sustains respectful relationships with Tribal Nations and Indigenous community representatives, fostering meaningful dialogue and for culturally informed decision-making regarding hazardous residue testing, generating clear and easily interpreted XRF reports for Tribal Nations and Indigenous community use once heritage items are returned.

· Works with NMAI Conservation staff to build and sustains respectful relationships with Tribal Nations and Indigenous community representatives, fostering meaningful dialogue to determine community conservation needs.

· Conducts or assists with conservation treatments and documentation in accordance with the NMAI mission to partner with Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples and their allies for a more informed understanding of cultural heritage, conservation policies and procedures and the AIC Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice and Conduct.

· Leads and participates in consultations with tribal representatives, ensuring respectful and culturally sensitive engagement. Independently manages logistics for consultations, workshops and special projects, collaborating with staff across the Smithsonian units as needed.

· Participates as an attendee and/or presenter in professional conferences, seminars, meetings and workshops as it relates to XRF and Conservation work executed for the Four Pathways program.

· Professional knowledge of conservation principles, concepts, methodology, ethics, issues and practice to develop and implement innovative solutions and find suitable approaches to challenges encountered in analytical and treatment situations.

· Knowledge of Native American and Indigenous cultures of the Western Hemisphere, particularly with experience working in a shared stewardship model. Knowledge of Smithsonian Institution and NMAI ethical returns and shared stewardship policies, and repatriation law and practice are essential.

· Extensive knowledge of material science, technology, organic and inorganic chemistry, XRF application, materials testing and microscopic examination for application to conservation/preservation.

· Foundational knowledge of museum pesticide history practices and problems relating to persistence and pervasiveness on museum collection items.

· Knowledge of and skill in project management to manage conservation projects and systems. Ability to develop project goals, schedules, milestones, and assist with developing budgets, and spending plans as it relates to implementing the Four Pathways program.

· Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze and evaluate program effectiveness, planning, and implementation of projects for all phases, to include conception, development and implementation. Assess and ensure that the program projects are complete within scope, schedule, and budget.

· Ability to effectively utilize current and emerging collections information systems, preferably KE-EMu for conservation documentation and reporting. Ability to learn new systems.

· Knowledge of conservation philosophy, professional standards of practice, and the current body of knowledge of museum textile conservation principles, concepts, methodology, ethics, issues, and practices to enable and develop innovative solutions and find suitable approaches to difficult problems encountered in preservation and treatment situations.

· Ability to manage conservation projects, including ability to provide project-based review of staff, contract, interns, fellows, and volunteers; to prepare statements of work; and to prepare project schedules, budgets, and required records and administrative reports.

· Demonstrates strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to correspond diplomatically and effectively with a broad range of stakeholders, including museum staff, senior leadership, tribal representatives, and the general public.

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 NMAI-HR-STAFF@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.

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