Part Time Exhibition Designer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Exhibition Coordinator/Museum Specialist, IS-1016-09
Application Deadline: 10 June 2026
Department: National Museum of the American Latino
Employment Type: Part Time
Location: Washington, DC
Reporting To: Assistant Director, Project Management
Compensation: $70,623 - $111,087 / year
Description
OPEN DATE: May 26, 2026
CLOSING DATE: June 10, 2026 (This job will close when the first 100 applications are received which may be sooner than the closing date).
POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund
APPOINTMENT TYPE: Trust Appointment, NTE 4 years
SCHEDULE: Part Time (32 hours/week)
DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC
Position sensitivity and risk: Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Open to all qualified applicants
This is a career ladder opportunity with promotion potential to grade 11. Promotion to the next higher grade, up to IS-11, may occur at management's discretion upon the supervisor's recommendation, subject to the availability of funds, classification requirements, satisfactory performance, and the employee's qualifications.
What are Trust Fund Positions?
Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).
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
This position is located organizationally in the Office of Project Management, National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL), Under Secretary for Museums and Culture, Smithsonian Institution (SI).
SI is a diverse museum and research complex dedicated to the increase and diffusion of knowledge. NMAL honors the dreams, challenges and triumphs of U.S. Latinos, elevating those stories within the nation's narrative. The museum creates transformative experiences, fosters a deeper understanding of American history and culture and connects communities nationwide.
This position reports to the Assistant Director, Project Management and works closely with internal exhibition teams and outside vendors to coordinate exhibition components.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL) seeks an Exhibition Coordinator to serve as a key point of contact between NMAL's internal content development and collections teams and external contractors such as exhibition designers and fabricators. The exhibition coordinator supports the exhibit team by tracking exhibition assets, monitoring team progress, highlighting schedule priorities, and conveying design and fabrication needs.
• Reviews design and shop drawings for conformity to content and collections needs as well as design intent.
• Reviews exhibition label text in both Spanish and English for conformity with graphic hierarchy, word counts and location in exhibitions. Reviews exhibit furniture, collection objects, and case layouts for conformity with object schedule, graphic schedules and conservation-related production restrictions. Tracks image assets in relation to graphics schedules.
• Assists in generating production schedules for exhibitions. Monitors progress against established timelines, tracks task completion and supports day-to-day production activities to ensure projects remain on schedule.
• Reviews exhibition prototypes, graphic proofs, production samples and fabrication products to ensure that fabricated products and installations adhere aesthetically and technically to designer and curator intent.
• Monitors condition of exhibition interactives, labels and other physical elements of exhibitions; provides basic repairs as appropriate and coordinates with fabricators and designers for revisions to exhibit components not functioning to SI standards.
• Writes requests for quote (RFQ) and requests for proposal (RFP) in collaboration with stakeholders. Serves as the contracting officer's technical representative (COTR) for supplies and services as requested by supervisor.
Additional position factors:
• Travel may be required.
• Work during the evenings and weekends may be necessary.
• Requires ability to stand for long periods of time. Requires the ability to climb ladders. Must be able to bend, stoop and stretch for extended periods of time.
• Requires ability to lift objects up to 30 pounds, unassisted.
• Requires work around dust, solvents, adhesives, inks and paints. Must be able to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) as directed.
• Requires fluency in both English and Spanish.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
• Experience working on an exhibition team from concept through fabrication. Well-versed in the requirements and products for each phase of design.
• Ability to read and understand exhibition design drawings and understand basic exhibition techniques.
• Skill and experience in the use of Adobe Creative Suite products including Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.
• Hands-on experience with exhibition installations, graphic applications, and exhibit maintenance.
• Experience working with several collaborators/contractors and monitoring their progress against an overall project schedule.
• College degree is preferred.
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 youmansc@si.edu. 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.
The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To review The Smithsonian's EEO program information, please click the following: https://www.si.edu/oeo