Project Manager IS-0301-11

Application Deadline: 6 July 2026

Department: National Museum of Asian Art

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Washington, DC

Reporting To: The Ebrahimi Family Curator of Persian, Arab, and Turkish Art Senior Associate Director for Research

Compensation: $85,447 - $111,087 / year

Description

OPEN DATE: June 15, 2026

CLOSING DATE: July 06, 2026

POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Indefinite

SCHEDULE: Full Time

DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC

Position sensitivity and risk:
Non-Sensitive / Low Risk

Open to all qualified applicants

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 opened in 1923 as America's first national art museum and the first Asian art museum in the United States. It now stewards one of the world's most important collections of Asian art, with works dating from antiquity to the present. The museum also hosts an unparalleled collection of 19th- and early 20th-century American art.

Through an ambitious program of collecting, conservation, exhibitions, programming and research, both onsite and online, the museum serves as a global and national resource for understanding the arts and cultures of Asia and their interaction with America, past and present. By presenting the arts and cultures of Asia in their extraordinary richness, the museum furthers cross-cultural understanding and aims to exemplify foundational ideals of curiosity, creativity and respect.

Research is at the core of the museum's mission. For the past century, the institution has been at the forefront of advocating for object-based scholarship. Building upon the museum's long tradition of excellence in the study of Asian and American art of the Aesthetic Movement, the Freer Research Center (FRC) is committed to innovative research, accessibility of scholarship and digital innovation as well as national and international engagement.

Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the museum is free and open 364 days a year (closed Dec. 25). The Smithsonian is the world's largest museum, education and research complex and welcomes millions of visitors yearly. For more information about the National Museum of Asian Art, visit asia.si.edu

The Opportunity

The Project Manager (PM) is a member of the Freer Research Center (FRC) and conceives, initiates, and oversees all aspects of scholarly programs. These include online and in-person public lectures, closed workshops, to multi-day international symposia and conferences. The PM also works collaboratively with the Director of the FRC on the development, production, and distribution of new scholarly publications.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Conceive, develop, and implement scholarly lectures online, in-person, and as hybrid;
• Conceive, manage, and implement scholarly workshops;
• Conceive, manage, and implement national and international symposia, in person, online and as hybrid;
• Promote FRC scholarly programs nationally and internationally;
• Strategize and oversee all logistics and communications for scholarly programs within the museum, the Smithsonian, as well as nationally and internationally.
• Expand reach of FRC scholarly programs;
• Establish key metrics and goals for to assess success of scholarly programs;
• Oversee all legal contracts related to scholarly programs;
• Collaborate with FRC Director to fundraise for scholarly publications program;
• Collaborate on the development, production, and distribution of scholarly publications;
• Work closely with authors, editors, designers, and other publishing staff to ensure quality publications;
• Work with OCON to create and manage complex contributor and co-publishing agreements;
• Represent FRC at conferences and symposia.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

To qualify for this position, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IS/GS-09 level in the Federal service or comparable experience outside the Federal government.

Specialized experience is defined as experience such as:
• Conceiving, developing, and managing scholarly programs of a diverse range related to the Arts of Asia;
• Developing and executing logistics for multi-day, international scholarly symposia;
• Developing and overseeing logistics and communications, Zoom, registration, and recordings, etc.;
• Developing promotional material on scholarly programs for the NMAA website and social media platforms;
• Representing scholarly programs within the institution, at the SI, nationally and internationally;
• Knowledge of publication norms for scholarly publication;
• Knowledge of legal issues regarding scholarly publication.

Applicants may also qualify based on education: three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education or a Ph.D. (or equivalent doctoral degree) in a field related to the work (e.g., arts administration, museum studies, public administration, project/program management, communications, history, art history, humanities, or a related field).

A combination of graduate education and specialized experience may also be used to meet the qualification requirements.

Preferred Qualifications
• Ability to provide management oversight;
• Knowledge of different online presentation platforms;
• Knowledge of Asian art and/or American art;
• Ability to multi-task;
• Knowledge of publication industry standards.

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 [email protected]. 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.