Information Technology Specialist (Data Science)

USAJOBS

IT, Data Science · Full-time

Remote

Posted on Oct 3, 2026

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Summary

The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located in Office of Digital and Innovation (ODI), Office of the Deputy Secretary, Smithsonian Institution (SI). ODI works centrally and within SI units to unlock the full potential of our collections and resources, better understand and serve our audiences, and pioneer innovative approaches to accelerate and scale our impact.

Major Duties

This position decides on, leads and oversees SI's digital asset services function and provides enterprise leadership for the systems, platforms, services and operational capabilities that support the: capture, information management, preservation, integration, discovery, access and complete lifecycle management of digital assets and collections information. In this position, you will: Apply software tools used by biodiversity genomics and informatics researchers in order to carry out software analysis, design, development, modification and implementation to develop, modify and enhance workflows for scientific researchers. Develop, implement and test algorithms and analytic techniques to create informatics tools (to process data for storage and retrieval) and enhance informatic workflows for biodiversity genomics research, informatics research and other biological and environmental scientific research. Perform collaborative research in the area of biodiversity genomics and machine learning. This involves the development and implementation of algorithms, and analysis, design, development, and implementation of new workflows that exploit the needed biodiversity genomics and machine learning toolset. Advise the data science research community, cochairs the artificial intelligence (AI) community of practice working group, builds a use-case inventory and writes AI policy for the Institution. Serves as a member of the AI Review Committee. Work closely with the IT professionals who manage, implement, test and debug the high-performance computing cluster (HPCC) and networking infrastructure, acting as translators and advocates for the research community to ensure the appropriate evolution of the technical infrastructure that underlies the research environment Smithsonian-wide.

Key Requirements

Requires career/career-conditional status or eligibility.
Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.

Education

There are no education requirements or substitution for this position at the GS-14 grade level.

Requirements

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.

Evaluations

Your application will be evaluated first for the basic qualifications described above. The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria: Ability to apply software tools used by biodiversity genomics and informatics researchers to lead temporary project teams to carry out software analysis, design, development, modification and implementation to develop, modify and enhance analytic workflows for scientific researchers, gained through work experience. Ability to develop, test, and apply analytical methods, computational algorithms, and software-based workflows to process, organize, and analyze complex scientific data in support of research objectives. Ability to lead and contribute to collaborative scientific and technical projects by building effective partnerships, communicating complex information, coordinating project activities, and applying technical expertise to develop, implement, and disseminate innovative research solutions. Ability to design, implement, and improve data science methods, workflows, and governance practices that support research objectives, enable effective use of data and computing resources, and promote the responsible application of emerging technologies. Ability to develop, implement, test and debug high-performance computing clusters (HPCC), and networking infrastructure for several research organizations that are integrated together in one system, gained through work experience. Important Note: Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

How to Apply

Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page. Please Note: You must apply for this position online through the 'Apply Online' button and submit required supplemental documents (if they are relevant to you). Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages. You may submit required documents by uploading them online during the application process. The complete application package, including any required documents, is due in the Smithsonian Office of Human Resources on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. If you are unable to apply online, paper applications may be accepted with prior approval of the Contact Person listed below.

What to Expect Next

At the end of the application process you will be able to create and save a PDF file that contains your responses to the assessment questions. You may save this file as initial receipt of your application. After the job announcement closes, you will receive an email from the Smithsonian with confirmation of receipt. The Smithsonian receives many applications for each job. Each application is reviewed carefully which may take a few weeks. We will send you an e-mail to update you as we go through phases of the application review process. You may also check your application status by logging into www.usajobs.gov and selecting the tab "My USAJOBS;" e-mailing vacancy.info@si.edu; or by contacting the Office of Human Resources Representative listed. Additional Information: Tips on applying for Smithsonian jobs are available at https://www.si.edu/OHR/howtoapply. The Smithsonian does not pay relocation expenses. The Smithsonian Institution is an equal opportunity employer. Additional information can be found on our website at (www.si.edu/oeesd).

Required Documents

Your application package should include the following documents: Resume - Your resume can be uploaded and attached to your application or created using the USA Jobs on-line resume builder. Ensure your resume contains the job title (including the occupational series and grade if it is Federal), job-related qualifications, starting and ending dates (month and year), and hours worked per week, for each employment period. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is submitted. Failure to include this information may result in disqualification for the position. For assistance with creating a resume, please click USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? Current and former employees MUST submit a copy of their Standard Form (SF)-50, “Notice of Personnel Action,” that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. SI Trust employees are ineligible for Merit Promotion consideration unless you submit a Standard Form (SF) - 50, "Notice of Personnel Action", that indicates proof you previously held a 'status' position and proof of time-in-grade. The SF-50 must include your position title, series, grade, step, salary, type of service (competitive or excepted in block 34), and tenure (1 or 2 in block 24). Please provide a SF-50 that shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade level. Examples of appropriate SF50s include: Appointments, Reassignments, Within-grade/range increases or Promotion actions. NOTE: Pay adjustments and award SF-50s do not include the length of time in your current position, therefore, they are NOT acceptable SF-50's on their own. You may need to provide more than one SF-50. Failure to provide the appropriate SF-50(s) may prevent you from receiving consideration for this position. Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment. Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable.

Benefits

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/

Other Information

This position is 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. ATTENTION: Due to the large number of qualified applicants for positions of this type, this job announcement will close at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on either: (A) The closing date listed above or (B) The date that 150 applications are received; whichever occurs first. We will not consider applications which are late due to the announcement closing date or once the above number of applications is reached.