Biologist (Assistant Curator)

Summary The Smithsonian Institution is the worldu2019s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located under the Directorate of Animal Care Sciences in the Zoo unit, exhibition areas of the Smithsonianu2019s National Zoological and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) in Washington, D.C. Responsibilities The Biologist (Assistant Curator) will provide daily care of animals for the National Zoo. This involves, breeding, education, conservation, exhibition, collection planning and support of research for a collection. In this position, you will: Provide daily care of exotic/endangered animals in National Zoological and Conservation Biology Institute. Develop techniques and procedures for enclosure cleaning, sanitation, and daily preparation for animal exhibition. Manage Animal Keepers, Volunteers, Interns, and Contractors by assisting the supervisor with scheduling, coordinating program activities, providing technical direction, and establishing priorities and deadlines. Ensure the public receives accurate and complete information about animals through labels, graphics, and other interpretive materials related to the collection. Prepare reports and communications for conservation and zoological organizations at local, national, and international levels. Requirements Conditions of Employment Requires career/career-conditional status or eligibility. Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service. Conditions of Employment Qualification requirements, including one year time-in-grade at the next lower grade level for promotion candidates, must be met within 30 days of the job announcement closing date. See the 'Required Documents' section for additional information. For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on OPM Website. Qualifications Basic Qualifications: Degree: Biological Sciences, Agriculture, Natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to the basic qualification requirement above: Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as assisting with management, care, and training of a collection of living wild animals in a zoological setting; assisting with various administrative processes; and facilitating research or data collection Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual 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). 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. Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week. OR Education: To qualify at the GS-09 grade level based on education, applicants must successfully complete 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. Or a Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications; For a full explanation of this option please see the Qualification Standards. In an effort to streamline our hiring process, SI employees whose current position of record is in the same job series (0401) and who are in a Federal competitive or excepted service appointment as this advertised position, are not required to submit a transcript with your application package. However, if selected, you will be required to provide a copy of your transcript before your start date in the position. Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet

Created: 2025-11-20