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Museum Director Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Smithsonian Institution

Museum Specialist

Washington, DC · On-site +1

$121K - $158K/yr

... Director in establishing long- and short-term goals, hiring, space management and budget. In this ... Ensures that museum standards for security, care and handling of objects are observed both in ...

Smithsonian Institution

Museum Technician

Washington, DC · On-site +1

$57K - $75K/yr

The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is a major bureau of the Smithsonian Institution that ... Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer * Males born after 12/31/59 must be ...

KID Museum

Maker Educator

Bethesda, MD · On-site

Serve as a core member of the KID Museum education team, fostering an inquiry-based, self-directed learning environment that encourages innovation, discovery, and creative problem-solving throughout ...

KID Museum

Maker Educator

Bethesda, MD · On-site

$50K - $55K/yr

Serve as a core member of the KID Museum education team, fostering an inquiry-based, self-directed learning environment that encourages innovation, discovery, and creative problem-solving throughout ...

KID Museum

Maker Educator

Bethesda, MD · On-site

$50K - $55K/yr

Serve as a core member of the KID Museum education team, fostering an inquiry-based, self-directed learning environment that encourages innovation, discovery, and creative problem-solving throughout ...

KID Museum

Maker Educator

Bethesda, MD · On-site

$50K - $55K/yr

Serve as a core member of the KID Museum education team, fostering an inquiry-based, self-directed learning environment that encourages innovation, discovery, and creative problem-solving throughout ...

City of Alexandria

Museum Technician PT

Alexandria, VA · On-site

$18.67 - $32.85/hr

Part-time Museum Technician The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered ... This work is performed under the direct supervision of the Code-supported Archaeologist in ...

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Museum Director information

See Reston, VA salary details

$11.4K

$117K

$197.7K

How much do museum director jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for museum director in Reston, VA is $117,018.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $74,400.00 and $174,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a museum director do?

A museum director oversees all aspects of a museum’s operation, including defining the concept of the museum and signing off on each collection or exhibit. In this career, you usually work closely with a board of directors when making these decisions. Your duties are to communicate with curators and other members of the museum staff, and deal with the museum’s finances. Because of the different facets of this career, a museum director must have or be willing to develop a diverse set of skills.

What are some of the primary challenges museum directors face in balancing curatorial vision with operational responsibilities?

Museum Directors often juggle the creative aspects of shaping exhibitions and collections with the practical demands of managing budgets, staff, and community engagement. Balancing these priorities requires strong leadership and communication skills, as Directors must coordinate with curators, educators, fundraising teams, and external stakeholders. Navigating funding limitations while maintaining high-quality programming and ensuring the museum's mission is upheld can be particularly challenging. Success in this role often depends on the ability to build strategic partnerships and foster a collaborative work environment.

What does a museum director do?

A Museum Director is responsible for overseeing all aspects of a museum's operations, including managing staff, developing exhibits, securing funding, and ensuring the preservation of collections. They set the strategic vision for the museum and work closely with the board, donors, and the community to fulfill the museum’s mission. Museum Directors also play a key role in educational programming, public relations, and financial management to ensure the museum’s long-term success.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a museum director, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Museum Director, you need expertise in museum administration, art or history knowledge, fundraising, and typically a relevant advanced degree. Familiarity with collection management systems, donor databases, and grant-writing tools is crucial. Leadership, strategic vision, and strong interpersonal skills help foster community engagement and effective team management. These competencies are vital for preserving collections, securing funding, and ensuring the museum’s mission is achieved.
More about Museum Director jobs
What are the most commonly searched types of Museum jobs in Reston, VA? The most popular types of Museum jobs in Reston, VA are:
What are popular job titles related to Museum Director jobs in Reston, VA? For Museum Director jobs in Reston, VA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Museum Director jobs in Reston, VA look for? The top searched job categories for Museum Director jobs in Reston, VA are:
What cities near Reston, VA are hiring for Museum Director jobs? Cities near Reston, VA with the most Museum Director job openings:
Museum Director jobs near you
Infographic showing various Museum Director job openings in Reston, VA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 84% Full Time, 13% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $117,018 per year, or $56.3 per hour.

Museum Specialist

Smithsonian Institution

Washington, DC • On-site, Remote

$121K - $158K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 11 days ago

Smithsonian Institution rating

8.6

Company rating: 8.6 out of 10

Based on 25 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

2nd of 29 rated museums

Job description

Summary
The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is organizationally located in Collections Management (OCM), Acquisitions and Special Collections, Curatorial Affairs (OCA), National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC).
Learn more about this agency
Duties
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The Supervisory Museum Specialist oversees a portion of the collections information management services and participates with the Assistant Director in establishing long- and short-term goals, hiring, space management and budget.
In this position, you will:
  • Assess potential acquisitions to flag any issues with the collections policies, providing relevant information to the Collections Committee and Director to assist them in their decision to follow through with or deny an accession.
  • Manage incoming loans for inaugural and temporary exhibitions. Negotiates terms of agreements and associate paperwork. Manage and implement all aspects of the museum's outgoing loans program.
  • Regularly review and update policies and procedures in accordance with evolving museum practices.
  • Specify requirements and monitor packer, shipper, airline, freight forwarder and customs broker provision of proper packing, handling, control and timely delivery of objects. Ensures that museum standards for security, care and handling of objects are observed both in transit and while objects are in the custody of NMAAHC.
  • Plan work to be accomplished by staff.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment
  • Requires career/career-conditional status or eligibility.
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.
  • May be required to serve an 18-month
    probationary period for supervisors.

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: Experience related to the operation or management of a museum or similar collection of valuable objects. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include collections management, registration, cataloging, research, preservation, restoration, or conservation of collections of museum material, or other experience related to the position to be filled. Most positions require a particular subject-matter specialization, e.g., aeronautics, anthropology, art, geology, history, natural science, technology, biology, or zoology.
In addition to the basic qualification requirement above:
Grade 13: You qualify for this position if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service or comparable pay band system that is in or closely related to the operation or management of a museum or similar collection of valuable objects. For this position specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience managing incoming and outgoing loans, negotiating loan contracts, overseeing object installation, organizing shipping of museum objects, and accessioning.
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.
Education
This position has no basic education requirement.
Additional information
This position is not included in the bargaining unit.
Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position. However, approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period.
Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid.
Selections may be made for vacancies across the Smithsonian Institution (SI). By applying to this position, you agree to allow your application and other personal information to be shared with one or more SI hiring officials for employment consideration for same/similar positions within the location(s) identified in this announcement.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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The Smithsonian offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, vacation and sick leave, holidays, health/life insurance, accident insurance, and excellent retirement program options.
Please see Benefits at https://www.si.edu/OHR/benefits for a complete description.
Flexible Spending Accounts - https://www.fsafeds.com/
Health Insurance - http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp
Leave - http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/index.asp
Life Insurance - http://www.opm.gov/insure/life/index.asp
Long Term Care Insurance - http://www.ltcfeds.com
Retirement Program - https://www.opm.gov/retirement-services/

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