Job Description

Museum Technician (Art), IS-1016-07

Application Deadline: 14 April 2026

Department: Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden

Employment Type: Temporary

Location: Washington, DC

Compensation: $57,736 - $61,586 / year

OPEN DATE: March 31, 2026 CLOSING DATE: April 14, 2026 POSITION TYPE: Trust FundAPPOINTMENT TYPE: Temporary, NTE 1 yearSCHEDULE: Full-Time DUTY LOCATION: Suitland, MD

Position sensitivity and risk:
Non-sensitive, 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, 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

• Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.
• Complete a Probationary Period.
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
• The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
• Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

The Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (HMSG) is a leading voice for contemporary art and culture and provides a national platform for the arts and artists of our time. We seek to share the transformative power of modern and contemporary art with audiences at all levels of awareness and understanding by creating meaningful, personal experience in which art, artists, audiences and ideas converge. We enhance public understanding and appreciation of contemporary art through acquisition, exhibitions, education and public programs, conservation, and research. In order to fulfill its mission, HMSG develops collaborative relationships with institutions and organizations with institutions and organizations within the Smithsonian, the United States, and abroad. The collection consists of approximately 13,000 objects of modern and contemporary art, consisting of paintings, sculptures, variable medica, and works on paper.

The Museum Technician (Art) is responsible for providing access, handling, and rehousing works from the HMSG sculpture collections in offsite storage during a multi-year remediation project. They will work closely with other project team members on artwork access, design for rehousing, storage organization, and housekeeping related to the project.

This is a one-year term position with the option for renewal, pending funding availability and completion of the project's objectives. Work location is primarily in the Museum Support Center (MSC), in Suitland, Md. The job is not suitable for hybrid or remote work.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Art Handling

• Works with project registrar and conservators and other museum specialists to safely transfer artworks of a variety of sizes and mediums within storage, to/from treatment and between HMSG museum campus and offsite locations as needed using a variety of tools and equipment, including dollies, carts, pallet jacks, sculpture lifts, and j-bars.
• Works with guidance from mediation project team members to secure and/or pack works for local transit on pallets and crates, including the use of soft packing methods to safely prepare and move artworks impacted by remediation project.
• Works with the project team to plan for and arrange storage spaces, storage cabinets, and shelves to receive objects.
• Prepares objects for storage and moves objects into storage area according to established methods and procedures.

Fabrication/Rehousing Maintenance

• Works with project team to execute against plans for immediate and long-term storage needs and prepare objects for storage after treatment.
• Assists in designing and fabricating storage housing for artworks of varying mediums using archival materials and in consultation with project conservators.
• Maintains inventory of packing and storage materials and requests the purchase of materials as necessary.
• Responsible for maintenance and orderly storage of all tools, equipment, and supplies in project area.

Inventory Management

• Participates in performing collections inventory as part of remediation project for HMSG collections and updating associated records, creating accurate storage unit labels, updating locations, and other cataloguing tasks as needed.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Experience: To qualify for this position, applicants must possess 1-3 years of related experience (described below).
Experience required for this position is as follows:

• Ability to handle, pack, and unpack fragile artworks in various sizes and mediums including methods and techniques commonly used in museum practice.
• Understanding of materials and techniques used for the safe packing, transport, and storage of museum objects.
• Ability to operate and maintain power tools, equipment, and machinery used in the art handling process.
• Ability to process, move, and track the location of museum artifacts in a storage environment.
• Knowledge of basic preservation procedures and policies, including visual inspections to monitor the conditions of artworks.
• Ability to climb a ladder, stand for extended periods of time, and lift at least 50 lbs. required.

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 HMSG-HR@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