Archives Technician

The Archives Technician is responsible for assisting with the arrangement description preservation cataloging and access to NMAIs moderately large archival collections.

In this position you will:

• Assist the Head Archivist and Archive Center staff in the physical collections management of a wide range of archival materials including but not limited to papers photographsfilm video and sound recordings.
  
  
• Be responsible for tracking rehousing and storing of archival collections; monitoring temperature relative humidity and storage condition; conducting archival collection inventories surveys reorganizing and refiling collections materials among other duties related to the care preservation and management of archival collections.
  
  
• Process new and legacy archival collections apply basic preservation methods including removing damaging residue or attachments; rehousing documents in acid free folders and containers; and identifying and maintaining a running list of fragile materials that require preservation treatment and digitization.
  
  
• Describe archival materials for both new acquisitions and unprocessed legacy collections. The description includes well-written and concise finding aids and collection level records entered in Archivists Toolkit system in accordance with archival descriptive standards including DACS.
  
  

• Prepare small purchase orders to secure supplies and services from outside vendors.

• Work on administrative and program support tasks including arranging travel for staff and contracted consultants including scheduling transportation making hotel reservations supporting staff en route and preparing travel authorizations and vouchers.
  
  
• Assist the Reference Archivist in providing reference and research services both onsite and remotely to the public Native American communities and constituents researchers and Smithsonian staff. Assists on-site researchers in the Archive Center reading room by identifying appropriate collections pulling items assisting in their use and refiling them.
• Answers staff and public inquiries by performing necessary research about archival holdings and responding in a detailed manner via email phone or letter.

• 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 must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

For information on qualification requirements seeQualification Standards Handbook forGeneral Schedule Positionson OPM website.

Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 level in the Federal Service. For this position specialized experience is defined as working on archival arrangement preservation and description of manuscript photo and mixed media collections using archive management systems (Archivists Toolkit Archon etc.) providing reference service to archival researchers and executing basic administrative tasks such asarranging travel for staff and preparing small purchase orders.

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.

Or Education: 1 Full year of graduate level education or Superior Academic Achievements

Or a Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications. For a full explanation of this option please see the Qualification Standards. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study. For instructions on where to fax these documents see the Required Documents section of this announcement.