Biologist

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.

Overview

Posted today · Apply by 07/02/26

Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 2, 2026

Work site options

Telework eligible

Yes—Ad Hoc Only

Remote job

No

Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

Salary

$85,447 - $111,087 per year

Pay scale & grade

GS 11

Promotion potential

11

Work schedule

Full-time - Full-Time, Permanent

Travel Required

Occasional travel - 25% or less

Appointment type

Permanent - Federal

This job is open to

Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Clarification from the agency

Current Smithsonian Institution Internal Employees/Agency Employees Only may apply including current Smithsonian Institution employees with Federal career/career-conditional status or eligibility. More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

Duties

The Biologist will carry out experiments for specific projects in a research program; providing program coordination for colleagues, interns, fellows and volunteers; and performing research, including preparation of publications and presentations.

In this position, you will:

• Conduct scientific research activities in a laboratory setting or in the field, either independently or in collaboration with colleagues as appropriate.
• Coordinate research and program activities.
• Ensure sound data management by using rigorous, approved approaches to collect, curate, quality-control, submit and manage data.
• Provide training to colleagues, interns, fellows, postdocs, and/or collaborating scientists regarding scientific protocols; data collection, management, and analysis.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

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

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.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements

• Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

• Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to the basic qualification requirement above:

Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as conducting research, analysis, and training others in a molecular laboratory focused on a large diversity of biodiversity specimens and environmental samples processing from broad taxonomic sources, to include DNA extraction, PCR amplification, genomic library preparation, sequencing, and high-throughput robotic instrument operation, troubleshooting, and training others.

Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual experience.

Education

See under qualifications

Additional information

This position is not 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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

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:

• Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of the biological, physical or social sciences in an appropriate field related to the position.

• Ability to work well with and through others on an independent and self-directed basis.

• Knowledge and experience in computerized statistical analysis of complex data.

• Knowledge of various systematic methodologies and experience giving oral presentations of scientific results.

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.

Next steps

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).