Information Technology Specialist

Summary

The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is a major bureau of the Smithsonian Institution that is responsible for the acquisition, curation, and preservation of collections of objects and specimens of natural history, which tells the history of the planet and a record of human interaction with the environment and one another.

Duties

• The Information Technology Specialist (Database Administrator) is located in the Informatics and Data Science Center (IDSC), National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), and reports to the IDSC Digital Stewardship Lead and is responsible for the design, development and administration of databases related to the Research and Collections Information System (RCIS) and other research and collections-based database projects requested by other NMNH departments. As such, the database administrator is a technical resource to database development project teams. In this position, you will: Independently support the administration of the Research and Collections Information System (RCIS) databases by monitoring system performance, performing routine maintenance, and ensuring reliable day-to-day operations across database environments. Assist in the design, development, and implementation of database applications by gathering user requirements, contributing to functional specifications, and supporting testing and validation throughout the system development lifecycle. Apply established data standards, governance practices, and security controls to maintain data integrity, consistency, and compliance with Smithsonian and NMNH policies. Analyze and resolve routine to moderately complex system and data issues, evaluate system performance, and provide recommendations to improve functionality, reliability, and integration. Communicate with users, project teams, and stakeholders to provide technical support, coordinate system updates and changes, and assist in promoting consistent database practices across collaborating organizations.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions on OPM website.

Education

Education cannot be substituted in lieu of Specialized Experience for this grade level.