Educational Technician; Spark!Lab Facilitator

Department: National Museum of American History

Location: Washington, DC

Compensation: $19.96 - $22.62 / hour

Final date to receive applications: 26 October 2026

Open to all qualified applicants

* This position is being recruited at the grade 4 with promotion potential up to grade 5. The incumbent may be non-competitively promoted to the next grade level upon satisfactory completion of qualifications/performance and at the management’s discretion. Meeting these requirements does not entitle the incumbent to advancement.

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).

• 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.

This position is located in the Lemelson Center, Division of Public History, National Museum of American History (NMAH), Smithsonian Institution (SI). The Lemelson Center’s mission is to promote public understanding of the history and role of invention and innovation in society.

The Lemelson Center’s Spark!

Lab, located at NMAH, is a hands-on invention learning space which provides museum visitors, particularly children and their families, the opportunity to engage in the invention process through history, engineering, science, and creative activities.

The primary purpose of this position is to serve as an invention education facilitator in the Lemelson Center’s Spark!

Lab, supporting operations of an invention education interactive exhibit and supporting children and adults in hands-on activities with inquiry-based facilitation.

This position has promotion potential to the IS-1702-05 grade level. This position requires work on one weekend day (Saturday or Sunday) per week and may require occasional work on evenings, weekends, or holidays in accordance with Smithsonian Institution policy.

• Supports meaningful engagement with the invention process through hands-on activities based in inquiry, creatively inspiring children and families to identify problems, imagine solutions, create prototypes, and test ideas in order to practice skills such as collaboration, perseverance, and curiosity.
• Ensures a positive visitor experience by greeting visitors, engaging visitors…