OPEN DATE: May 18, 2026

CLOSING DATE: June 1, 2026
POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Temporary Not to Exceed one (1) year (may be extended based on funds availability)

SCHEDULE: Full Time

DUTY LOCATION: Front Royal, VA
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Who May Apply:

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 and 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

INTRODUCTION

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 Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI), Front Royal, VA. NZCBI plays a leading role in the Smithsonian's global efforts to save wildlife species from extinction and train future generations of conservationists.

SUMMARY

We are seeking a motivated Data Scientist to join our interdisciplinary research team focused on advancing conservation and ecological understanding through innovative data analysis. The successful candidate will work at the interface of ecology, statistics, and data science with large ecological datasets—including wildlife monitoring (e.g., animal movements, camera trapping, acoustics, eDNA), remote sensing, and field survey data—to support research, management, and decision-making in conservation and natural resource management. The incumbent will perform analytical and evaluative work associated with research activities involving the ecological study of organisms and the environment, summarizing findings for scientific and lay audiences. The incumbent must have demonstrated expertise in computer programming (e.g., R, Python) and fluency in managing large, complex datasets. The incumbent supervises interns, students, and collaborates with other ecologists, conservation practitioners, and data scientists to develop analytical tools, integrate diverse datasets, and generate actionable insights for biodiversity conservation. The position provides opportunities for independent research, collaborative grant development, and peer-review publication, and will contribute to strengthening quantitative capacity across the Institute.

LOCATION
Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet the basic education requirement for their discipline: Data Scientist, IS-12 AND the experience listed below. Please note: It is the applicant’s responsibility to show how you satisfy the course requirements for the position. If you do not provide information that clearly shows how your completed college course work meets all of the requirements, you will be rated ineligible. Your rating will be based solely on the information you submit with your application. No attempts will be made to verify with you, or the school you attended, whether or not your course work meets all of the requirements. YOU MUST SUBMIT ALL YOUR COLLEGE TRANSCRIPTS.

Basic Degree Requirements:

A. Mathematics, statistics, computer science, data science or field directly related to the position. The degree must be in a major field of study (at least at the baccalaureate level) that is appropriate for the position.

Or

B. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major field of study (30 semester hours) as shown in paragraph A above, plus additional education or appropriate experience.

-AND-

Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the grade IS-11 or GS-11 level in the Federal Service.

For this position, SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is defined as working knowledge of the principles of ecology and conservation of wildlife through coursework in ecology, wildlife management, statistical analyses, or a related field. The role requires self-direction and motivation, combined with flexibility and entrepreneurial thinking. The incumbent/position should possess the following knowledge and qualifications including:

Applicants who wish to qualify based on 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.

HOW TO APPLY:

CV/Resume must 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.

CV/Resume must include the month and year of all degrees earned; professional and relevant volunteer experience; peer-reviewed publications; competitive funding received; any honors or awards received; memberships in professional societies; presentations given at national/international meetings; and names, addresses, and phone numbers of four persons familiar with your contributions and recognition. Earned academic degrees must be verified with copies of official university transcripts that clearly state the classes taken, degree awarded, the major, and date of conferral.

CV/Resume must clearly identify how you fulfill the SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE to be considered.

Failure to provide this information and documents will result in your application receiving no further consideration.

A cover letter can be included with the application materials to summarize the applicant’s training, experience, and interest in the position.

Any false statement in your application may result in your application being rejected and may also result in termination after employment begins.

Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."

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 biagasl@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. We believe that a workforce comprising a variety of educational, cultural, and experiential backgrounds support and enhance our daily work life and contribute to the richness of our exhibitions and programs. See Smithsonian EEO program information: www.si.edu/oeema.