Position Announcement: Administration Specialist/Program Coordinator, Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian

OVERVIEW: Come join a mission driven institution and be a central contributor to the Department of Conservation at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). The NMAI seeks a Program Coordinator to support the Andrew W. Mellon fellowship and NMAI Conservation internship programs.  NMAI Conservation is dedicated to advancing conservation exposure and training through the implementation of NMAI’s mission through developing and supporting conservation collaborations and partnerships with Native and Indigenous communities and allied organizations.

The incumbent will be responsible for a wide variety of functions in support of fellowship and internship programs and general activities of the Conservation Department. The incumbent will serve as program coordinator, providing program support for NMAI Conservation fellowship and internship programs.  This includes assisting with onsite fellowship and internship activities, supporting applicants through the application and selection process, providing support for recruitment and outreach activities, and performing general administrative tasks in support of these programs. The incumbent will also assist in outreach and engagement efforts with Indigenous communities and allied organizations as part of the overarching work of the Conservation Department.

This position is located at the NMAI in the Cultural Resources Center in Suitland, MD. Occasional travel to other NMAI locations or partnering institutions and Indigenous communities may be required.

Please note, this is a trust position and applications are not through USA Jobs; an uploaded CV or resume and cover letter are required at the job application website. Your cover letter should address how your resume and experience connect to the requirements of the position. A resume can be more than two pages given that it 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.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides scheduling, coordination, and other administrative support for fellowship and internship program activities.
• Assists in maintaining and tracking program budgets.
• Establishes and maintains systems to organize program correspondence and files.
• Leads and refines communication and documentation strategies for fellowship and internship programs
• Conceptualize, propose, implement, document, and evaluate outreach and engagement projects and programs and takes on projects as assigned by the supervisor of the Conservation Department
• Works collaboratively with other staff in the Conservation Department and cross-departmentally to host artist, community members and Tribal Museum/Cultural Center partners virtually and in person.
• Supports procurement and invitational travel to host Indigenous communities and community members at the museum.
• Assist with documenting collaborative engagements in the Collections Information and Digital Asset Management systems.
• Works collaboratively to create and implement a digital strategy for conservation through sharing digital conservation resources and outreach through social media.
• Help organize and conduct conservation workshops.
• Serve as a resource for fellows/Interns in navigating SI and federal systems and professional development.
• Coordinate department activities with other collections departments, internally and externally.
• Assists on an as-needed basis the work of the Conservation Department.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Experience in engagement with Indigenous community members and/or tribal institutions.
• Excellent writing, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to interact with diverse peoples with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to plan, coordinate, and prioritize multiple projects independently and with a high degree of efficiency and accuracy.
• Experience in administrative practices and procedures such as establishing and maintaining systems to organize information and communications, project and financial tracking, meeting facilitation, and scheduling.
• The ability to work independently and in a team; the incumbent will support the Conservation Department in service of the Mellon Fellowship/Internships and community engagement activity.

Preferred Qualifications and Experience

• Proficiency in the functions of Microsoft Office software, including Excel, Word, Power Point, and virtual meeting platforms with the ability to learn new automated systems.
• Knowledge of Indigenous perspectives on museums and the collections in their care.
• Working proficiency in a second language (Indigenous, Spanish, etc.).

Applicants, who wish to qualify based on 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.

Information and how to apply at the website:  Administration Specialist – Suitland, MD | National Museum of the American Indian Careers