Museum Technician (Seasonal)

National Park Service • Fort Scott, KS

6d

About The Position

The Museum Technician supports the care, preservation, documentation, and accessibility of National Park Service museum collections. The anticipated season is March through September 2027. Depending on the park and program, the position may be filled as a temporary seasonal appointment not to exceed 1,560 hours rather than 1,039 hours. Employment may end at any time due to funding, project needs, performance, or other considerations.

The technician unpacks, processes, labels, stores, cleans, and repacks objects; identifies preservation needs; and maintains curatorial records and related documentation. Duties at the GS-7 level also include identifying and classifying objects, cataloging collection items in the designated NPS system, processing loans, completing accessions, supporting exhibit work, and monitoring and reporting on collection-area environmental conditions. Some Midwest Archeological Center locations require completion of laboratory and collections tasks mandated by statute.

Work is partly sedentary but often involves prolonged standing, walking, and bending, as well as frequently lifting or moving items weighing up to 50 pounds. Most work takes place in museum exhibit and storage areas, workrooms or laboratories, and offices. Occasional work with dusty materials or materials stored with protective chemicals may require protective equipment. Government housing may be available but is not guaranteed; occupancy of government quarters may be required. A uniform may be required, with a uniform allowance provided.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Appointment is subject to a background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males must meet the Selective Service Registration Act requirement.
• Must participate in the Direct Deposit Electronic Funds Transfer Program.
• Must be at least 18 years old to operate government vehicles.
• A valid driver's license is required when operating a government or private motor vehicle as part of official duties.
• May be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
• May be required to complete training and obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• Must meet the stated minimum age and education or enrollment conditions: be at least 18, or be at least 16 and meet one of the listed high-school graduation, vocational training, school-authority, or student-employment conditions.
• To qualify at GS-5, must have one year of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to GS-4; or four years of post-high-school education leading to a bachelor's degree, including a major or 24 semester hours in a related field; or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
• GS-5 specialized experience must relate to operating or managing a museum or similar collection of valuable objects, such as collections management, registration, cataloging, research, preservation, restoration, conservation, or related work with collections or specimens requiring specialized care and handling.
• To qualify at GS-7, must have one year of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to GS-5; or one full academic year of graduate-level education in a related field; or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
• GS-7 specialized experience includes applying collection-management practices such as inventory, cataloging, preservation, and artifact storage; using a collection-management database to retrieve artifact information, create digital images, and maintain archival records; following oral and written instructions; and communicating information about museum operations, collections, and artifacts.
• For experience to be credited, the resume must describe duties and responsibilities, employment dates, and hours worked; part-time hours must be stated for prorating experience.
• Resume must not exceed two single-sided pages; only one resume may be submitted, and only the document submitted as the resume will be used for qualification and rating.
• Applicants qualifying through education must submit legible transcripts from an accredited institution; foreign education must be evaluated as described in the announcement.
• May be required to wear a uniform and comply with National Park Service uniform standards.
• May be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime, or shift work.
• Heavy objects, including boxes weighing up to 50 pounds, must be lifted or moved frequently.

Responsibilities

• Unpack and process objects, perform limited cleaning, identify preservation needs, and recommend additional actions.
• Carefully repack objects and ensure complete labeling that preserves associated data.
• Identify and label objects by matching them with documentation, field labels, notes, and other records.
• Place objects in storage while maintaining the organization established by the supervisor.
• Prepare, maintain, and organize manual and automated curatorial records, including accession records, catalog records, donation forms, inventories, and object lists.
• Perform clerical operations supporting curatorial work and provide information to park visitors.
• Perform routine cleaning of objects according to established standards.
• At the GS-7 level, independently identify, sort, and classify objects similar to previously identified objects.
• At the GS-7 level, catalog museum objects and enter cataloging data into the designated NPS catalog program.
• At the GS-7 level, handle, clean, store, and label objects in the permanent collection.
• At the GS-7 level, process incoming and outgoing loans in accordance with NPS insurance, security, and environmental standards.
• At the GS-7 level, maintain accession, catalog, and loan records in accordance with NPS standards.
• At the GS-7 level, complete accessions of new objects and ensure required paperwork and files are complete.
• At the GS-7 level, assist with exhibit design, installation, repair, and rehabilitation.
• At the GS-7 level, monitor temperature, relative humidity, and pest infestation in collection storage and exhibit areas, and compile climate data into summaries, charts, and reports.
• At applicable Midwest Archeological Center locations, complete statutorily required laboratory and collections tasks.

Benefits

• A uniform allowance will be provided if a uniform is required.
• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific eligibility depends on position type.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level