Associate Director for Global Affairs (Program Manager, Strategic Initiatives) (IS-0340-14)

Application Deadline: 2 August 2024

Department: National Museum of Asian Art

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Washington, DC

Reporting To: Deputy Director for Operations and External Affairs

Compensation: $139,395 - $167,276 / year

Description

OPEN DATE: July 2, 2024

CLOSING DATE: August 2, 2024

POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Indefinite

SCHEDULE: Full Time

DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC

Position sensitivity and risk:Non-sensitive (NS)/High Risk

Open to all qualified applicants

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 and 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 as low risk.
• Complete a Probationary Period
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
• 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 is committed to preserving, exhibiting, researching, and interpreting art in ways that deepen the public and scholarly understandings of Asia and the world. Beginning with a 1906 gift that paved the way for the museum's opening in 1923, the museum now stewards one of the world's most important collections of Asian art, with works dating from antiquity to the present, from China, Japan, Korea, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the pre-Islamic Near East, and the Islamic world (inclusive of Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa). The museum also stewards an important collection of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American art. The museum's galleries, laboratories, archives, and library are located on the National Mall in Washington, DC, and are part of the world's largest museum complex, which welcomes twenty to thirty million visitors each year. The museum is free and open to the public 364 days a year, making its exhibitions, programs, learning opportunities, and digital initiatives accessible to global audiences.

Today, we are emerging as a leading national and a global resource for understanding the arts, cultures, and societies of Asia, especially their intersection with America. Embedded within the Smithsonian, an institution committed to serving as a forum for understanding our shared future, we are setting a course determined by the values and practices of collaboration, transparency, and accountability.

To lead this effort, we seek a visionary Associate Director for Global Affairs to spearhead our ambitious international strategy. This position will direct the museum's international efforts by stewarding and enhancing current partnerships, generating new international opportunities, raising the profile of our international work, and identifying and advancing funding opportunities.

This pivotal role will cultivate support and raise awareness of our institutional goals among key stakeholders, including museum and Smithsonian Institution leadership, global partners, and the diplomatic community. The Associate Director will develop and implement an agenda to realize the potential of current international memoranda of understanding with government agencies and partners in countries such as Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Korea, and Japan, as well as with projects currently in development across Asia and the Middle East and North Africa region. This position offers the opportunity to expand cultural understanding and shape the future of our museum on a global scale.

In This Role You Will

• Assist in crafting and executing the overarching strategy for international activities, enhancing the museum's global presence through strategic partnerships and collaborations.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including internal leadership and external partners, such as the Smithsonian's Office of Global Affairs and Office of the General Counsel, as well as the United States Department of State.
• Manage and oversee international projects, developing budgets and leading negotiations on contracts, agreements, and memoranda of understanding.
• Collaborate closely with the Office of the Advancement in identifying and attracting funding opportunities.
• Provide strategic guidance on crisis communications relevant to international cultural diplomacy and maintain clear, effective communication with international partners and Smithsonian offices.
• Conduct research and analysis to inform decision-making and communication strategies, aligning museum activities with the Smithsonian's strategic plan and specific goals.
• Represent the director and the museum at home and abroad.
• Support international trips and visits.
• Serve as a program coordinator, overseeing logistics and operations for high-level meetings, public events, and convenings.
  
  

Qualification Requirements

• Professional certification, master's degree, or other advanced degree in a relevant field.
• Nuanced understanding of complex international relations and the ability to effectively operate within cultural and research institutions across diverse global settings.
• Experience leading proposal development and program management for international programs, adapting to various foreign environments.
• Ability to build and manage significant funding streams and budgets from bilateral and multilateral development organizations, foreign governments, and foundations.
• Strong commitment to promoting diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion within international collaborations.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues, museum professionals, the general public, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated skill in leading, supervising, and managing a multidisciplined and culturally diverse workforce, including goal setting, planning, and implementing programs, and in establishing metrics and reporting protocols.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and to be resilient when faced with navigating complex international landscapes.
• Exceptional communication and diplomacy skills as well as skill at cultivating support across diverse communities and with both internal and external partners.
  
  

Applicants, who wish to qualify based on 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 your application being rejected and may also result in termination after employment begins.

The Smithsonian Institution values and seeks a diverse workforce. 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.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

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. 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: www.si.edu/oeema.