Senior Curator of Photography

Job Details

Position Overview

The National Gallery of Art welcomes all people to explore art, creativity, and our shared humanity. Millions of people come through our doors each year, with even more online, making us one of the most visited art museums in the world. Our renowned collection includes over 160,000 works of art, from the ancient world to today. Admission to the West and East Buildings, Sculpture Garden, special exhibitions, and public programs is always free.                                     

Duties

The Division of Photography (CPH) is responsible for the acquisition, care, study, and display of the National Gallery’s preeminent collection of Photographs, which includes over 21,000 works encompassing the history of the medium from its beginnings in 1839 to the present as well as time-based media art. The collection features deep holdings of the most celebrated practitioners of photography, including Alfred Stieglitz, Robert Frank, Robert Adams, Gordon Parks, Dorothea Lange, and others. It also includes exceptional examples of Western European and American photography from the 19th-century to contemporary photography. Through exhibitions and publications, the department advances scholarship in the history of photography and ensures the long-term preservation of the collection.

Duties for this position include 

• Undertakes and oversees major art historical research projects based on observation, critical analysis, hypothesis, investigation, evidence, and conclusions, utilizing established art historical approaches as well as broader methodologies that illuminate new perspectives.
• Leads the Department of Photography, responsible for formulating and implementing its strategic plan in consultation with the Chief Curator and Conservation Officer.
• Manages the departmental budget and personnel matters. Participates in Gallery-wide activities and meetings related to curatorial or administrative matters of concern to the department or the Gallery.
• Assists the Chief Curator and Curatorial Officer in management duties beyond the departmental level. Participates in Gallery-wide advisory, curatorial, and management committees.  

Qualifications & Requirements

Specialized Experience Statement: To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, candidates must possess a minimum of one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to grade level GS-15 in the public, private, or non-profit sectors . Specialized experience is defined as: Serving as a senior curator, responsible for the overall management, safekeeping, and integrity of photography, with a record of achievement in art museum management, art acquisitions, collection care and development, research, publications, exhibitions, interpretation, and programs, together with the breadth of curatorial experience to create dialogues with other media and the curiosity to forge connections across collections areas who specializes in 19th-century to contemporary photography, for a major organization or institution. 

OPM Qualifications Standard:

Individual Occupational Requirements: Museum Curator Series 1015

Associated Group standard:  Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Professional and Scientific Positions

Basic Qualification Requirements for 1015 (Museum Curator series):
A) Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field; or

B) Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education; or

C) Four years of experience that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study as shown in A above.

MANDATORY QUALIFICATIONS:

Applicants must address the following mandatory qualifications separate from their resumes. Statements must provide specific examples that address relevant experience, accomplishments and evidence that you possess demonstrated superior technical qualifications. You will not be considered for this position if you fail to submit qualification statements specifically addressing each mandatory technical qualification requirement.

Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs): Maximum of two pages per MTQ.

• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of art historical scholarly research methods.
• Expert knowledge and experience in building and managing an art collection.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with the curation of art, experience in budget and staff management, strategic planning, and project management of collaborative and complex curatorial projects andinitiatives.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience collaborating with non-curatorial staff in exhibit design which may include visual information specialists, educators, interpreters, exhibit technicians, or exhibit specialists; managing a museum program that includes historic artifacts, textiles, documents, photographs, or historic objects; overseeing development and installation of exhibits, strategic planning and prioritizing of content and creation.
• Demonstrated experience and the ability to provide accurate and informative responses to inquiries from outside scholars, colleagues, and the public concerning works in the collection or requests for expert opinions.

In addition to a resume, each applicant is required to submit a comprehensive narrative statement addressing each MTQ individually. The narrative must demonstrate the necessary level of skills, characteristics, qualities, specialized knowledge, and technical competence that would indicate successful performance in this Senior Level position. This evidence must include clear and concise examples that emphasize the applicant's level of responsibilities, scope, and complexity of assignments, program accomplishments, policy initiatives, and level of contacts. Applicants who fail to provide this narrative statement in the format requested will not be considered.

EACH MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION (MTQ) MUST BE ADDRESSED AND TITLED SEPARATELY AND MUST NOT EXCEED TWO PAGES PER STATEMENT

Do not enter "Refer to Resume" to explain your answer. Applications directing the reader to search within the application or to "See Resume" are considered incomplete and WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

Other Relevant Eligibility Criteria:

Must maintain availability for executive incident response and occasional work outside normal business hours

Requires availability for domestic and international travel up to 10%.

May be required to carry a Gallery-issued phone during non-work hours.

Your responses to the MTQs will be evaluated based on how clearly and concisely you emphasize your level of responsibilities, particularly, the scope and complexity of the programs, activities, or services managed; program accomplishments; policy initiatives undertaken; level of contacts; the sensitivity and criticality of the issues addressed; and the results of actions taken.

You are required to submit separate narrative statements for each MTQ to receive consideration for this position. Please see the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section for complete details regarding the page limitation and formatting requirement.

Applicants must carefully review the information in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section for important information and instructions pertaining to the multi-hurdle assessment process for this position.

While not required by regulation, agencies may require that at least 1 year of the specialized experience must be at least equivalent to experience at GS-15 (5 CFR 319.301(c)(2)).

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

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.

Education

This position has an education requirement. 

Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.

You must provide documentation supporting your education claims.

Requirements

Resumes must be no longer than two-pages in length. The resume must address minimum qualifications and other requirements listed in the job announcement. Beginning on September 27, 2025, job seekers can modify existing resumes stored in their USAJOBS profile or upload or build a new resume in their USAJOBS profile to meet the two-page requirement and mark a resume as searchable in the Agency Talent Portal (ATP). Job seekers must choose a resume that is two pages or less to make it searchable and apply for jobs.

Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. 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). Your resume must include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week.

Evaluations

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applications will be evaluated based on the quality and extent of accomplishments and experience as they relate to the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs). This information will be obtained from the application and narrative statements. Failure to provide specific information in each of the narrative statements will result in you receiving a lower rating or disqualification. A minimum qualifications screening will be conducted by Human Resources. Eligible applicants will then be evaluated by evaluated by a screening panel composed of a diverse mix of senior executives and/or general officers selected from organizational and/or functional backgrounds relevant to this position. The panel will rate minimally qualified applicants in order to determine which candidates are considered  "Superior" (top), "Very Good" (middle), or "Acceptable" (bottom) category. Generally, only the individuals in the Superior (top) category will be referred to the Hiring Manager/Selection Official for interview. Please make sure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your evaluation.

Note, the Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" instead Category Rating protects the rights of qualified veterans by placing them ahead of qualified non-preference eligibles within each category. Qualified preference-eligibles will be listed at the top of their assigned category and considered before qualified non-preference-eligibles in that same category. And preference eligible applicants that meet the qualification requirements for the position and have a compensable service-connected disability rating of ten percent or more are listed at the top of the superior (top) category, except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher. Your responses should be clear and concise and show a level of accomplishment and a degree of responsibility. We use a multi-step process to evaluate and refer applicants:

1. Screen for Eligibility and Minimum Requirements: Your application must show that you meet all requirements, including any minimum education and/or experience required for this position. You may be found "not qualified" if you do not possess the minimum competencies required for the position. If your application is incomplete, we may rate you as ineligible.

2. Ranking and Rating: You will be evaluated by a screening panel composed of a diverse mix of senior executives and/or general officers panel based on your responses to the mandatory technical qualification (MTQ) requirements stated in this announcement.

3. Referral: If you are among the Superior (best qualified) candidates, your application will be referred to the hiring manager/selecting official for consideration and possible interview.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your (Resume (no more than 2 pages)showing the applicant's name, email address, work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed to include pay plan, series, and grade level for relevant federal experience. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications.

• Do not include the following types of information in your resume:
  • Classified or government sensitive information
  • Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Photos of yourself
  • Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
  • Encrypted and digitally signed documents

1. Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs): Maximum 2 pages per MTQ.
2. Other supporting documents:
   • Cover Letter, optional
   • Most recent Performance Appraisal, optional
   • SF-50 (optional) Your most recent Promotion, Within Grade Increase (WRI/WGI), or Appointment/Conversion SF-50 - Notification of Personnel Action showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held.
   • Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; Current Active Duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter.) If you are a veteran and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility.
     If you are a veteran and you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference clickhere.

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

• MTQ
• RESUME

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application.

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section of this vacancy. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration.

If you have questions about this job, please contact the HR Office representative listed in the "Agency Contact Info" section of this vacancy announcement. If you need assistance in applying on-line, please refer to the How to Apply section below and explore the Federal Application Process information on the USAJobs website.

• To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
• You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
• Read the Eligibility questions carefully. The questions address if you are eligible to apply to this JOA. Your responses will affect your consideration for the position. You may qualify for more than one eligibility, so please choose carefully. You will only be considered under the options you have selected. If you respond that you do not meet any of the eligibility questions, you will not be considered for this position.
• You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.

If experiencing a significant hardship which hinders your ability to apply on-line, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement at least two business days before the closing date, to discuss your situation. Failure to contact us within sufficient time may result in your hardship request being denied.

The National Gallery of Art receives many applications for each job. Each application is reviewed carefully which may take a few weeks. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content (e.g. SSN or DOB), your resume will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you will not be considered for this vacancy.

Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

After each step in the recruitment process, your status will be updated in our application tracking system. Once this happens, if you have elected to receive e-mail updates, you will be notified through your USAJOBS registered e-mail address. If you have not elected e-mail updates, you can review your current application status in USAJOBS at any time. Please check that your USAJOBS profile contact information is current and correct each time you apply to a job--this will ensure we are able to contact you as quickly as possible.

In addition to changing your status online, we will send you e-mail notifications at each major step in the process, to include: application received, eligible or not eligible, referred or not referred, selected or not selected.

We expect to make a selection within 30 to 90 days of the closing date of this announcement.

For Fair Chance Act Covered Positions: An agency may not request, orally, in writing, or electronically through the USA Jobs website or other electronic means, that an applicant for appointment for a position in the civil service disclose criminal history record information before the appointing agency extends a conditional offer of employment. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency or visit https://www.opm.gov/about-us/careers-at-opm/opportunities/