Production Coordinator

Job Description

Description

OPEN DATE: May 8, 2025

CLOSING DATE: May 20, 2025

POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Indefinite

SCHEDULE: Full Time

DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC

Position sensitivity and risk

Example: Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Open to all qualified applicants

**This position is being recruited at the grade 9 with promotion potential up to grade 11. The incumbent may be non-competitively promoted to the next grade level upon satisfactory completion of qualifications/performance and at the management’s discretion. Meeting these requirements does not entitle the incumbent to advancement.

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 in the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, Division of Public History, National Museum of American History (NMAH), Smithsonian Institution (SI). The Lemelson Center’s mission is to promote public understanding of the history and role of invention and innovation in society.

The Production Coordinator produces creative public programming related to the historical and contemporary practice of invention and innovation to attract, educate, and enrich the museum’s audiences. The Production Coordinator plans and coordinates logistical details, works with program partners and stakeholders, and produces content for in-person events and online programming for the museum’s website, social media outlets, and other outreach platforms.

This position has promotion potential to the IS-1001-11 grade level. This position requires occasional work on evenings, weekends, and holidays in accordance with Smithsonian Institution policy. This position may also require some travel to cities within the U.S.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Develops, organizes, conducts, and assesses the effectiveness of public programs that support the museum’s interpretive initiatives to provide an important link between the museum and visitors, inventors, policy makers, artists, scholars, community organizations, and the public.

Ensures the successful execution of programs (e.g., festivals, concerts, film screenings, panel discussions) to complement and extend the reach of museum exhibits and collections.

Collaborates with internal and external partners in program segment planning, production of full-scale programs of varying complexity, and program execution.

Communicates effectively with a wide range of museum visitors and stakeholders.

Ensures that all administrative and logistical arrangements are carefully organized, and that program segment objectives are met through adequate research and planning.

Creates schedules and production timelines and recommends work assignments to drive the planning and execution of public program segments that require multiple projects to be planned and executed simultaneously.

Works closely with program team to establish and coordinate production schedules and ensure that all program and administrative staff, plus external contractors and partners are aware and mindful of these deadlines to manage the workflow required for projects.

Tracks established budgets and procurement activities, working closely with NMAH and SI administrative staff to meet program objectives.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Experience: To qualify for this position, applicants must posess 1-3 years of related experience (described below).

Experience required for this position is as follows:

Skill to apply principles of project management, such as scheduling, coordinating, managing resources, monitoring budgets, and overseeing volunteer activities.

Skill to develop and maintain collaborative relationships and partnerships with program participants, such as inventors, artists, scholars, advisors, and other relevant stakeholders.

Skill to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, to convey information to a wide range of audiences, including museum visitors, Smithsonian staff and volunteers, program partners, and other stakeholders.

Knowledge of technology relevant to museum programming production, such as online ticketing systems; video and teleconferencing platforms; public address, music, and speech amplification systems; audio/visual support; audio and video accessibility systems (e.g., captioning); and online calendars and advertising platforms.

Knowledge of education and cognitive learning theories; learning principles and techniques; outcomes-based planning; and participatory learning techniques, in order to develop and contribute to museum programming for a wide range of audiences.

Knowledge of American history, museum studies, museum education, or a related subject-matter field, sufficient to contribute to museum programming, production, or interpretation content for audiences.

In addition to meeting the qualification requirements above, a minimum of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in any field of study is preferred.

The degrees of applicants whose education was 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 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. We believe that a workforce comprising a variety of educational, cultural, and experiential backgrounds support and enhance our daily work life and contribute to the richness of our exhibitions and programs. See Smithsonian EEO program information:

Full-time