Museum Technician (Seasonal)

National Park Service•Martinez, CA

About The Position

The Museum Technician supports museum collections and curatorial operations for the National Park Service Seasonal Staffing Office–Pacific West Region. The typical defined season lasts no more than six months between March and November, though timing may vary with weather, project needs, or funding. The anticipated entry-on-duty period is March through July 2027. The position may be filled as a temporary seasonal appointment, not to exceed 1,560 hours depending on the park and program; employment may end at any time because of funding, project needs, performance, or other considerations. Applicants may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime, or shift work. Work includes processing, identifying, labeling, cleaning, packing, and storing museum objects; maintaining curatorial records and related documentation; and supporting visitors and other curatorial operations. At the GS-7 level, duties also include independently sorting and classifying objects, cataloging objects in the designated NPS system, managing loans and accession records, assisting with exhibits, and monitoring and reporting collection-area environmental conditions. Work is mostly in museum exhibit and storage areas, a workroom or laboratory, and offices. It is partially sedentary but often involves prolonged standing, walking, and bending, and frequent lifting or moving of items weighing up to 50 pounds. Dusty materials or materials stored with protective chemicals may require masks, gloves, or other protective devices. Government housing may be available but is not guaranteed, and government quarters may be required. A uniform may be required; a uniform allowance will be provided.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship is required.
Appointment is subject to a background investigation and favorable adjudication.
Males must meet Selective Service Registration Act requirements.
Must participate in the Direct Deposit Electronic Funds Transfer Program.
Must meet the stated minimum age requirements: at least 18 years old, or at least 16 and meeting one of the listed education or student-employment conditions.
For GS-5, qualify through one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-4, four years of post-high-school education leading to a bachelor's degree with a related major or 24 semester hours of related coursework, or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
For GS-7, qualify through one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-5, one full academic year of related graduate-level education (18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours), or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
Qualifying specialized experience must relate to museum operations or management of collections of valuable objects; examples include collections management, registration, cataloging, research, preservation, restoration, or conservation.
GS-7 specialized experience examples include applying collection management practices; using a collection database to retrieve artifact information, create digital images, and maintain archival records; following instructions; and communicating information about museum operations, collections, and artifacts.
Resume must not exceed two single-sided pages and must state duties, employment dates, and hours worked; part-time experience must include hours for prorating.
Applicants relying on education must submit legible transcripts; official transcripts are required before starting if selected and education was used to qualify.
A valid driver's license is required if operating a government or private motor vehicle is part of official duties; operators of government vehicles must be at least 18.
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.
May be required to wear a uniform and comply with National Park Service uniform standards.
Depending on location, may be subject to a respirator fit test.
May be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime, or shifts.
Frequent lifting or moving of heavy items, including boxes up to 50 pounds, is required.

Responsibilities

Unpack and process museum objects, perform limited cleaning, identify preservation needs, and recommend additional actions.
Carefully repack objects and ensure labels preserve the data associated with them.
Identify and label objects by matching them with documentation, field labels, and notes.
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 in support of curatorial operations and provide information to park visitors.
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 catalog data into the designated NPS 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 according to NPS standards for insurance, security, and environment.
At the GS-7 level, maintain accession, catalog, and loan records according to NPS standards; complete new-object accessions 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 and record temperature, relative humidity, and pest infestation in collection storage and exhibit areas; compile climate data into summaries, charts, and reports.

Benefits

A uniform allowance will be provided.
A comprehensive federal employee benefits package is described; specific eligibility depends on appointment type and work schedule.

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