Description

Apply by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 27, 2026

The National Gallery of Art serves the nation by welcoming all people to explore and experience art, creativity and our shared humanity. The incumbent serves as Curator and Head in the department of Sculpture and Decorative Arts (CEA-SD), which holds an outstanding collection of works of art numbering around 3,900 works of European sculpture and decorative arts from the Hellenistic period to the early Twentieth Century. The incumbent reports to the Senior Curator of European Art (CE), who reports to the National Gallery’s Chief Curatorial and Conservation Officer (CCCO).

Duties:

• Proposes, organizes, and oversees the development of major and focused exhibitions of European sculpture and decorative arts from the National Gallery's collections and through domestic and international loans. Directs scholarly exhibition planning, authors or edits catalogues, and collaborates with guest scholars and internal departments.
• Manages the permanent collection of European sculpture and decorative arts through close collaboration with Conservation, Registration, Design and Installation, Imaging, and Interpretation. Oversees installations, object research, cataloguing, conservation priorities, interpretive materials, and outgoing loans.
• Develops and implements collection strategies for European sculpture and decorative arts. Identifies acquisition opportunities, prepares acquisition proposals, cultivates relationships with collectors, dealers, donors, and scholars, and collaborates with Advancement to secure gifts and acquisition funding.
• Conducts and oversees advanced scholarly research on European sculpture and decorative arts. Publishes original scholarship, presents lectures, contributes to exhibitions, ensures accurate cataloguing, and advances the Gallery's research mission.
• Provides strategic leadership for the department by planning exhibitions, acquisitions, staffing, budgets, and long-range goals. Supervises curatorial staff, fellows, interns, and contractors, and represents the department within the Gallery and externally.            
   

Conditions of employment

• You must be a United States Citizen.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service
• Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on OPM Website. It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit appropriate documentation prior to the closing date. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant experience as it relates to this job announcement. Be clear and specific when describing your work history since human resources cannot make assumptions regarding your experience.

 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.

Requirements

Requirements:

1. Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field.
   OR
2. Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, as shown in 1 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
   OR
3. 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 1 above.

Specialized Experience Statement: Candidates must possess at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent in responsibility to the GS-14 level in the Federal service or private sector, working with European sculpture and decorative arts in a curatorial capacity in a fine arts museum; AND demonstrated experience researching, curating, and proposing acquisitions of European sculpture and decorative art from Europe and the United States.

OPM Qualifications Standard: Individual Occupational Requirements: Museum Curator Series 1015 Associated Group standard: General Schedule Qualification Standards

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your resume will be used to evaluate your experience, education, and/or training that address the competencies below: 

• Expert knowledge of European sculpture and decorative arts, including history, materials, and collecting practices.
• Knowledge of museum collections management practices.
• Knowledge of the European sculpture and decorative arts market.
• Expert knowledge of European sculpture and decorative arts scholarship.
• Skill in supervising professional museum staff.
   

 Required Documents

Your resume should include relevant work experience, applicable education and your contact information. For current or previous federal employees, include the pay plan, series and grade.

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

2. Other supporting documents:

• Cover Letter, optional
• Most recent Performance Appraisal, optional
• 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 click here.
• Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment. Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable.