Museum Curator (Shirley Z. Johnson Curator of Japanese Art) IS-1015-11/12/13/14

Location Type: Not Specified

 

Museum Curator (Shirley Z. Johnson Curator of Japanese Art) IS-1015-11/12/13/14

Application Deadline: 18 May 2026

Department: National Museum of Asian Art

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Washington, DC

Compensation: $85,447 – $143,913 / year

Description

OPEN DATE: April 17, 2026

CLOSING DATE: May 18, 2026

POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Indefinite

SCHEDULE: Full Time

DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC

Position sensitivity and risk: Non-Sensitive/High Risk

Open to all qualified applicantsThis is a career ladder opportunity with promotion potential to grade 14. Promotion to the next higher grade, up to IS-14, 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

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.

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

With more than fifteen thousand objects dating from Neolithic times to the present, NMAA has one of the finest museum holdings of Japanese art outside Japan. The collections reflect all major periods, genres, and materials of artistic production. Special strengths include paintings and calligraphy, Buddhist sculpture, prints, ceramics, lacquer, and metalwork. The museum also has a growing collection of modern and contemporary art across genres and media.

NMAA celebrates the art and culture of Japan through exhibitions, scholarly and public programming, and publications. As the museum enters its second century, it is growing and transforming. The candidate will join the museum at this moment of transition as it expands its engagement with Japanese and Japanese American communities in the U.S. and abroad and as it seeks to be a leader in ethical collecting practices.

The Shirley Z. Johnson Curator of Japanese Art will be a member of the Curatorial Department, shaping decisions about the care, identification, acquisition, preservation, cataloging, exhibition, and interpretation of works of art. The candidate will be a national and international leader in the study and presentation of Japanese art and culture. The candidate will perform scholarly research for publication and will furnish authoritative information about works in their field. They will develop original exhibitions and collaborate on cross-departmental projects and research initiatives. The curator will also shape and implement engaging scholarly and public programs.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Creating innovative research projects that contribute to the international understanding and appreciation of Japanese art and culture.
• Providing leadership in the field of Japanese art and culture through projects, collaborations, and regular communication with specialists.
• Studying, cataloging, displaying, publishing, and expanding the museum’s collections of Japanese art.
• Developing and maintaining relationships with local, national, and international communities.
• Researching provenance on existing collections objects.
• Working with advancement teams to develop and strengthen donor relationships.
• Serving on museum- and Smithsonian-wide committees and working groups.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Basic Education Requirement:

A) Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field.

OR

B) Combination of education and experience — courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience (described below) or additional education.

OR

C) Four years of experience (described below) that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study as shown in A above.

Experience:

To qualify at the IS-11 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IS-9 level in the Federal service or comparable experience outside the Federal government. Specialized experience is defined as experience such as:

– Assisting with the research, cataloging, documentation, and interpretation of museum collections in Japanese art or a related field;
– Supporting exhibitions, gallery rotations, publications, or other curatorial projects;
– Conducting object-based research and preparing written materials for scholarly or public audiences;
– Assisting with collections stewardship activities, including provenance research, acquisitions support, or collections documentation; and
– Working with internal staff and external scholars, lenders, artists, or community stakeholders on curatorial or programmatic initiatives.

To qualify at the IS-12 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IS-11 level in the Federal service or comparable experience outside the Federal government. Specialized experience is defined as experience such as:

– Conducting independent research in Japanese art or a related field and producing scholarly or interpretive work;
– Planning and executing curatorial projects, including exhibitions, installations, publications, and collections-based initiatives;
– Cataloging, interpreting, and managing works of art within a museum collection;
– Contributing substantively to acquisitions, provenance research, and ethical collections stewardship; and
– Developing professional relationships with scholars, lenders, collectors, artists, and community stakeholders.

To qualify at the IS-13 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IS-12 level in the Federal service or comparable experience outside the Federal government. Specialized experience is defined as experience such as:

– Serving as an independent curator or subject-matter expert in Japanese art or a closely related field;
– Leading significant research, exhibition, publication, or interpretive projects from conception through implementation;
– Providing authoritative expertise on collections, acquisitions, provenance, and scholarly interpretation;
– Representing an institution in professional collaborations with national and international scholars, collectors, lenders, artists, and peer institutions; and
– Contributing to advancement, donor engagement, strategic initiatives, and cross-departmental institutional projects.

To qualify at the IS-14 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IS-13 level in the Federal service or comparable experience outside the Federal government. Specialized experience is defined as experience such as:

– Serving as a senior curator or recognized subject-matter expert in Japanese art or a closely related field;
– Leading major scholarly, exhibition, publication, or interpretive initiatives with institutional or field-wide impact;
– Providing advanced authoritative expertise on collections, acquisitions, provenance, and scholarly interpretation;
– Building and sustaining significant professional collaborations with national and international scholars, collectors, lenders, artists, and peer institutions;
– Advising senior leadership on curatorial priorities, strategic opportunities, and matters affecting collections stewardship and interpretation; and
– Advancing institutional goals through donor engagement, cross-departmental leadership, and major strategic initiatives.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
– Familiarity with provenance research and collecting standards;
– Strong interpersonal skills and experience engaging with the public;
– Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with diverse national and international constituencies;
– Outstanding analytical, verbal, and written communication skills, including the ability to convey complex ideas in an engaging manner to a range of audiences;
– Familiarity with museum collections databases, such as The Museum System (TMS);
– Experience working with artworks from other cultural areas, such as China, Korea, or Southeast Asia;
– Demonstrated expertise in three-dimensional objects, such as ceramics, metalwork, or lacquer, in any period; and
– Demonstrated ability to work with modern and contemporary art and artists.

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 nmaa-hr@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