Virtual Explainer (Remote Museum Aid)

<p><strong>Application Deadline: </strong>10 March 2026</p><p><strong>Department: </strong>National Air and Space Museum</p><p><strong>Location: </strong>Washington, DC</p><p><strong>Compensation: </strong>$19.48 / hour<br><br></p><strong>Description<br><br></strong><strong>OPEN DATE:</strong> February 23, 2026 <strong> <br></strong><strong>CLOSING DATE: </strong>March 10, 2026 <strong>* </strong>Please note that the announcement may close prior to the posted closing date if the applicant limit of 200 is reached.<strong> * <br></strong><strong>POSITION TYPE: </strong>Trust Fund<br><strong>APPOINTMENT TYPE: </strong>NTE - 1-year <br><strong>SCHEDULE:</strong> Intermittent<br><strong>DUTY LOCATION: </strong>Remote<br><br><br><strong>Position sensitivity and risk: </strong>Non/Sensitive (NS)/Low Risk <br><br><strong>Open to all qualified applicants<br><br></strong><strong>What are Trust Fund Positions?<br></strong>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).<br><br><strong>Conditions of Employment</strong><ul><li>Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.</li><li>Complete a Probationary Period.</li><li>Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.</li><li>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.</li><li>Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.<br><br></li></ul><strong>OVERVIEW<br><br></strong>The Virtual Explainers present live, virtual demonstrations to audiences on behalf of the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution. The position is in the Museum's Education Department under the supervision of the Gallery Programs Manager.<br><br><strong>DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES<br><br></strong><ul><li>Virtual Explainers present demonstrations that explain various scientific principles and concepts related to topics in aeronautics and space flight and exploration. Our dynamic portfolio of virtual visitor experiences includes a digital planetarium show and a story time program for kindergarten through 2nd grade participants.</li><li>Virtual Explainers also assist with developing new virtual programs.</li></ul>Virtual Explainers are scheduled for shifts Monday- Saturday, between the hours of 9am- 5pm. Hours are flexible according to your academic schedule.<br><br><br><br><strong>QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS<br><br></strong><strong>Education (if positive education is required) and Experience: <br><br></strong>To be an Explainer, you must:<ul><li>Be at least 18 years of age</li><li>Currently be enrolled in a degree-granting program</li><li>Maintain a 2.7 GPA</li><li>Provide availability for a minimum of two shifts per week. Shifts are three hours long, either morning (9 AM -12 PM ET), afternoon (12 PM - 3 PM ET), and Evening (3 PM - 6 PM ET), Monday through Friday. </li><li>Be able to commit to, at minimum, 12-months of work with the program</li><li>Be able to engage diverse audiences in a virtual classroom setting</li><li>Have good written and oral communication skills</li><li>Have consistent access to a robust internet connection, quiet work environment, reliable computer, webcam, and microphone</li><li>Be willing to attend ongoing virtual trainings and proactively engage in self-study on topics related to aeronautics and space science<br><br></li></ul>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.<br><br>Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.<br><br>Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."<br><br>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. <br><br><strong>What To Expect Next:</strong> 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.<br><br>Relocation expenses are not paid.<br><br>The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact NASM-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.<br><br>The Smithsonian Institution is an <strong>Equal Opportunity Employer</strong>. To review The Smithsonian's EEO program information, please click the following: https://www.si.edu/oeo

Back to blog

Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...