Assistant Director, Advancement Services, (Human Resources) IS-0201-13

Application Deadline: 14 August 2026

Department: Office of Advancement

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Washington, DC

Reporting To: Director, Advancement Operations and Talent Management

Compensation: $121,785 - $158,322 / year

Description

OPEN DATE: July 16, 2026
CLOSING DATE: August 14, 2026
POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund
APPOINTMENT TYPE: Permanent
SCHEDULE: Full Time
DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC

Position sensitivity and risk:
Low Risk Non-Sensitive

Open to all qualified applicants

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

This position oversees all human resources activity for the Smithsonian's Office of Advancement (OA). It also works with advancement teams across the Institution in devising and executing recruiting and hiring strategies for all Smithsonian advancement positions. The position works closely with the Director of Professional Development in the Office of Advancement to plan and execute a range of programming and policies.

It supervises a Human Resources Specialist and reports to the Director, Advancement Operations and Talent Management. The position is part of the Advancement Administration team.
• Leads all human resources activity for the Office of Advancement.
• Advises OA staff and management on Smithsonian HR policy and practices.
• Oversees the annual performance plan and appraisal process for OA.
• Works with the Smithsonian Office of Human Resources to interpret and craft HR policy; to support actions with the Office of Labor and Employee Relations at SI.
• Works closely with advancement leads and unit directors across the Institution to plan and execute recruitment and hiring strategies for a range of advancement positions.
• Organizes and manages interview panels for job recruitments
• Provides HR and hiring guidance to advancement staff, management and senior leadership at the Institution.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
• At least 6+ years of HR experience in a large complex organization.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully initiate new programs and initiatives within a complex organization.
• Solid experience in building working relationships across an organization, from entry level staff to senior management.
• Proven ability to successfully apply creative problem solving to various situations.
• Experience crafting and presenting accurate, insightful reports to management.
• Ability to successfully apply organizational policy in a complex environment.

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.

Any false statement in your application may result in your application being rejected and may also result in termination after employment begins.

Application Instructions

Interested candidates should submit their resumes and a cover letter by August 14, 2026. 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. Relocation expenses are not paid. This is an in-person with 5 days a week expected in the office.

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.