Duties

The Supervisor Visual Information Specialist will provide direction on decisions regarding the aesthetically maintain the environment of the Campuses, which includes gallery and exhibition areas, front facing animal areas, misc. animal habitat spaces, general outdoor and indoor public areas, public business activity areas and quasi-public areas such as conference rooms, classrooms, and corridors.

In this position, you will:

• Provide direction on decisions regarding the aesthetically of the gallery, exhibits, animal areas, general indoor and outdoor areas, etc.
• Design and oversees design, production, and installation of exhibits in living collection areas, public spaces (designing exhibit would involve a great deal of writing to and with a wide variety of parties).
• Assist with coordination within Smithsonian Facilities on capital projects, pre project planning, design, and construction phase.
• Prepare overall conceptual interpretive design, translating verbal theme statements or outlines prepared by planning teams into two- or three-dimensional visual presentations.
• Review and approves scopes of work and technical specifications communications between potential design and fabrication contractors.
• Coordinate the exhibit production installation, and maintenance personnel to establish and meet the standards.
• Supervise various temporary staff, outside contractors, volunteers, and interns, permanent exhibit design staff.
• Oversee and develops annual budget, personnel, spending and training plans & assist monitoring developing individual plans,
  Prepare adverse or disciplinary actions, Evaluates performance.
• Work closely with Smithsonian Facilities on capital projects, planning, design and construction phase, with AZA standards and requirements, interior and exterior exhibits.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
• May need to complete a Probationary Period
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.

Conditions of Employment

Qualification requirements, including one year time-in-grade at the next lower grade level for promotion candidates, must be met by the closing date of the announcement. See the 'Required Documents' section for additional information.

For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on OPM Website .

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- commercial art, fine arts, art history, industrial design, architecture, drafting, interior design, photography, visual communication, or other fields related to the position. Some positions may also require subject-matter knowledge of medicine, science, or technical equipment.

Advanced training in a vocational school, technical institute, or art institute above the high school level in one of the fields listed above is creditable as general experience on a month-for-month basis.

OR

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience in the actual type of work for which application is made. Unpaid experience is creditable, provided the work done was of a quality level and demonstrated the ability required for the position. This includes planning the preparation and use of photographs, illustrations, drawings, and other art work, charts, diagrams, dioramas, maps, slides, overlays, and other kinds of visual material for use in communicating information through visual means.

In addition to the basic qualification requirement above:

You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as managing an exhibits department, including assisting with overseeing writers, editors, or graphic and production personnel (digital and static) for a zoo, museum, or cultural institution; leading editorial, graphic and production process development, and implementation; and developing cost estimates, budgets and spending plans for general space planning and design.

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.

Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement.

Additional information

This position is not included in the bargaining unit.

Current or Former Political Appointees: Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Office of Human Resources. Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:

• Position title;
• Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
• Agency; and,
• Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position. However, approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period.

Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid.

Selections may be made for vacancies across the Smithsonian Institution (SI). By applying to this position, you agree to allow your application and other personal information to be shared with one or more SI hiring officials for employment consideration for same/similar positions within the location(s) identified in this announcement.