Museum Curator (Art), IS-1015-12/13

Job Description

Job Description

Description

OPEN DATE: September 23, 2026                

CLOSING DATE: October 23, 2026             

POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Indefinite  

SCHEDULE: Full Time

DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC 

Position sensitivity and risk:
Non sensitive / High risk

Open to all qualified applicants
This is a career ladder opportunity with promotion potential to grade 14. Promotion to the next higher grade, up to IS-14, may occur at management’s discretion upon the supervisor’s recommendation, subject to the availability of funds, classification requirements, satisfactory performance, and the employee's qualifications.

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. 

OVERVIEW

The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art seeks to appoint two outstanding scholars to endowed curatorial positions in Chinese Art; the Melvin R. Seiden Curator of Chinese Art and the June and Simon KC Li Curator of Chinese Art. These appointments represent a significant investment in the museum's world-renowned Chinese collections and its commitment to advancing research, exhibitions, public engagement, publications, provenance research, and ethical stewardship as it enters its second century. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art is committed to preserving, exhibiting, researching, and interpreting art in ways that deepen the public and scholarly understandings of Asia and the world. Opening in 1923, the museum stewards one of the world’s most important collections of Asian art, with works dating from antiquity to the present, from China, Japan, Korea, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the pre-Islamic Near East, and the Islamic world (inclusive of Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa). The museum’s galleries, laboratories, archives, and library are located on the National Mall in Washington, DC, and are part of the world’s largest museum complex, which welcomes twenty to thirty million visitors each year. The museum is free and open to the public 364 days a year, making its exhibitions, programs, learning opportunities, and digital initiatives accessible to global audiences.

The museum is continually strengthening its role as a leading national and global resource for understanding the arts, cultures, and societies of Asia, especially their intersections with America. Embedded within the Smithsonian, an institution committed to serving as a forum for understanding our shared future, we are setting a course guided by collaboration, transparency, and accountability. 

With more than thirteen thousand objects dating from the Neolithic period to the present, NMAA stewards one of the world’s finest museum collections of Chinese art. The collection spans most major periods and encompasses a broad range of artistic media. Particular strengths include ancient jades and bronzes, early Buddhist sculpture, imperial and trade ceramics, lacquer, glass, textiles, metalwork and enamels, classical painting, and calligraphy.

NMAA celebrates the art and culture of China through exhibitions, scholarly and public programming, and publications. As the museum enters its second century, it is growing and transforming. The candidate will join the museum at this moment of transition as it expands its engagement with Chinese communities in the US and abroad and as it seeks to be a leader in ethical collecting practices.

The June and Simon KC Li Curator of Chinese Art and the Melvin R. Seiden Curator of Chinese Art will be members of the Curatorial Department. Each curator will shape decisions about the care, identification, acquisition, preservation, cataloging, exhibition, and interpretation of works of art. The successful candidates will be a national and international leaders in the study and presentation of Chinese art and culture. The candidates will conduct scholarly research for publication and provide authoritative information about works in their field. They will develop original exhibitions and collaborate on cross-departmental projects and research initiatives. The curator will also shape and implement engaging scholarly and public programs. 

The successful candidates will complement the museum’s existing expertise in Chinese painting and calligraphy. Their scholarship should align with core collection strengths and demonstrate the breadth needed to work across multiple media, periods, and collaborative projects.  

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Creating innovative research projects that contribute to the international understanding and appreciation of Chinese art and culture. 
• Providing leadership in the field of Chinese art and culture through projects, collaborations, and regular communication with specialists.
• Studying, cataloging, displaying, publishing, and expanding the museum’s collections of Chinese art.
• Developing and maintaining relationships with local, national, and international communities.
• Researching the provenance of existing collection objects and proposed acquisitions. 
• Working with advancement teams to develop and strengthen donor relationships.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Basic Education Requirement:

A) Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field.

OR

B) Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience (described below) or additional education.

OR

C) Four years of experience (described below) that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study as shown in A above.

Experience:

To qualify at the IS-12 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IS-11 level in the Federal service or comparable experience outside the Federal government. Specialized experience is defined as experience such as:

- Conducting independent research in Chinese art or a related field and producing scholarly or interpretive work;
- Planning and executing curatorial projects, including exhibitions, installations, publications, and collections-based initiatives;
- Cataloging, interpreting, and managing works of art within a museum collection;
- Contributing substantively to acquisitions, provenance research, and ethical collections stewardship; and
- Developing professional relationships with scholars, lenders, collectors, artists, and community stakeholders.

To qualify at the IS-13 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IS-12 level in the Federal service or comparable experience outside the Federal government. Specialized experience is defined as experience such as:

- Serving as an independent curator or subject-matter expert in Chinese art or a closely related field;
- Leading significant research, exhibition, publication, or interpretive projects from conception through implementation;
- Providing authoritative expertise on collections, acquisitions, provenance, and scholarly interpretation;
- Representing an institution in professional collaborations with national and international scholars, collectors, lenders, artists, and peer institutions; and
- Contributing to advancement, donor engagement, strategic initiatives, and cross-departmental institutional projects.

Preferred qualifications:
• Candidates should demonstrate expertise in one or more material areas aligned with the museum’s collection strengths, such as bronzes, ceramics, lacquer, jade, textiles, metal and enameled works, glass, or furniture, as well as the ability to work across more than one material category. For the Melvin R. Seiden Curator of Chinese Art, the primary scholarly focus must be pre-modern Chinese art before 1900.
• Competency in written and spoken Chinese language.
• Ability to pursue historical research using primary sources.
• Familiarity with provenance research and collecting standards.
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience interacting with the public. 
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse constituencies, both national and international.
• Outstanding analytical, verbal, written, and overall communication skills, including the ability to express complex ideas in an engaging way to a wide audience. 
• Comfort with taking initiative and prioritizing tasks; excellent time-management and problem-solving skills.
• Experience participating in and organizing museum-based projects and programs.
• Familiarity with museum collections databases, such as The Museum System (TMS).
• Demonstrated ability to engage with modern and contemporary art and artists, complemented by expertise in pre-modern Chinese art.

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 View email address on ziprecruiter.com. 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. 

 

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