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Architect (Historical Preservation)

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Center for Preservation Technology and Training
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The purposes of the position are to develop and distribute preservation and conservation skills and technologies for the identification, evaluation, and conservation of prehistoric and historic resources and to develop and facilitate training for those working in the preservation field, both nationally and internationally.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open date: 10/19/2021
Closed date: 12/18/2021
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Salary
$64,649 - $100,739 per year

New federal employees will begin at the GS-11, step 1 salary ($64,649) or the GS-12, step 1 salary ($77,488)

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Promotion potential
12
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
WO-1614-CRPS-22-11256895-DE
Control number
617755700

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Duties

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*This is not a remote position. If requested, the incumbent and supervisor will negotiate a telework schedule per NPS policy and the needs of the position, and will consist of both in office and at home office hours as well as localized of-the-moment work and project requirements (this is subject to change per supervisory discretion).

The incumbent will serve as Historical Preservation Architect for the Historic Architecture & Engineering component:

  1. Assist the Chief of Architecture and Engineering to develop and administer Historic Architecture & Engineering activities undertaken by National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) and partners in the fields of preservation technology and cultural resource management.
  2. Participate in developing, implementing, managing and monitoring Historic Architecture & Engineering activities undertaken by NCPTT and its partners. NCPTT's partners include federal, state, municipal and county agencies; academic institutions; nonprofit organizations; tribes; and museums.
  3. Work closely with professionals, para-professionals, and technicians in the field of cultural resource management which includes, but is not limited to, the fields of historic architecture, history, archeology, curation, anthropology, planning, historic landscape architecture, materials conservation, and ethnography.
  4. Provide technical support to in-house and cooperative projects between NCPTT and outside organizations receiving funding from NCPTT.
  5. Work with senior architects and engineers to review criteria, standards and policies for preservation architecture and engineering supported through the grant programs, cooperative agreements, or contracts with NCPTT.
  6. Work with constituents to develop and modify architecture and engineering proposals.
  7. Assisting in the development of training that delivers existing and new preservation technologies for architecture and engineering.
  8. Develop relationships with research institutions in public, private and academic sectors and preparing cooperative agreements to pursue areas of joint interest that may result in technology transfer to historic preservation.
Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level of GS-12.This position has a full performance level of GS-12.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
  • If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 3 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-12/18/2021-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience.

To qualify for this position, you must meet both the Basic Requirements and the Specialized Experience.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

Degree
in architecture or related field (e.g. Historical Preservation, Materials Conservation) that included 60 semester hours of course work in architecture or related disciplines of which at least (1) 30 semester hours were in architectural design, and (2) 6 semester hours were in each of the following: structural technology, properties of materials and methods of construction, and environmental control systems

-OR-

Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the arts and sciences underlying professional architecture, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the architectural principles, methods, and techniques and their applications to the design and construction or improvement of buildings.

-OR-

Experience: An applicant lacking a degree in architecture must have had l year of experience in an architect's office or in architectural work for each year short of graduation from a program of study in architecture. In the absence of college courses, 5 years of such experience is required. This experience must have demonstrated that the applicant has acquired a thorough knowledge of the fundamental principles and theories of professional architecture.

REQUIRED SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE - GS-11:

To qualify for the Architect (Historical Preservation) position at the GS-11 grade level, you must possess all of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Experience at this level must include each of the following involving historical preservation work of a more routine and less complex nature (or working under closer supervision or direction):

  1. Working knowledge of historic preservation standards,
  2. Basic knowledge of the experiences and training necessary to progress in the professions of architecture and engineering with particular emphasis in the preservation of historic structures,
  3. Familiarity with the properties of archaic and modern construction materials, and of the construction methods of various periods and types of historic structures, including those of the more recent past,
  4. Experience assisting in planning, coordinating or conducting training activities for the application of technology to the preservation of historic structures, and
  5. Working knowledge of preservation technologies (e.g. ArcGIS, CAD, BIM, etc.) that can be applied to develop new technologies from knowledge base. You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

EDUCATION: Successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree related to the work of the position (e.g. Historical Preservation, Materials Conservation). You must include transcripts.

-OR-

Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, divide your total graduate credits by 54 (if you 54 or more graduate credits, then you are already at 100% for education). Then take the number of months of full time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together and then multiply by 100. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

REQUIRED SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE - GS-12:

To qualify for the Architect (Historical Preservation) position at the GS-12 grade level, you must possess all of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Experience at this level must include each of the following involving historical preservation work of a more complex nature, requiring more advanced professional or technical judgement and working independently:
  1. Expertise in historic preservation standards,
  2. Knowledge of the experiences and training necessary to progress in the professions of architecture and engineering with particular emphasis in the preservation of historic structures, and in the craft trades to the journeyman level with particular emphasis in archaic materials and skills,
  3. Knowledge of the history of the various architectural design periods and of vernacular architecture, both domestically and internationally;
  4. Knowledge of the properties of archaic and modern construction materials, and of construction methods of various periods and types of historic structures, including those of the more recent past,
  5. Experience having planned, coordinated, or conducted training activities for the application of technology to the preservation of historic structures,
  6. Managing or working inside preservation technologies, sharing preservation technology knowledge to a wide audience, and training others in those technologies.

There is no substitution of education for experience at the GS-12 grade level of this announcement.

Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies". Experience listed as full-time will be credited at 40 hours per week.

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

There is no substitution of education for experience at the GS-12 grade level of this announcement.

Additional information

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR §575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive.

A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another.

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

Physical Demands: A portion of the work is sedentary. Some duties require standing and walking in the office and classroom setting. Traveling to and from meetings and training sessions is also required and long working days and physical stamina may be required. Occasional field site visits may require the physical ability to walk to semi-remote areas, and to negotiate scaffolding or climb through historic structures with known safety and health hazards for inspection, investigations, or surveys which require considerable stooping and bending.

Working Conditions: The work is primarily performed in an office environment, but there is occasional exposure to moderate discomforts and safety risks in historic structures which may be in deteriorated and unsafe condition. The office environment is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. Ability to travel by air and drive are required.

The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
  • Architecture
  • Building and Construction
  • Communications and Media
  • Research
  • Teaching Others
  • Technical Competence


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a Subject Matter Expert (SME) Resume Panel Review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

National Park Service

The Department of the Interior (DOI) places a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspectives and encourages applications from all interested eligible candidates. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental principles that guide the Department and allow us to successfully achieve our mission.

Please visit find a park for additional park information.

The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) is the leading research, technology, and training center within the National Park Service.

NCPTT helps preservationists find better tools, better materials, and better approaches to conserving historic buildings and landscapes, archaeological sites, and museum collections. It conducts research and testing in its laboratories, provides cutting edge training around the U.S., and supports research and training projects at universities and nonprofits. NCPTT pushes the envelope of current preservation practice by exploring advances in science and technology in other fields and applying them to issues in cultural resource management.

Agency contact information

Annie Auch
Phone
303-985-6847
Email
annie_auch@nps.gov
Address
Cultural Resources, Partnerships, and Science
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240
US

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https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/index.htm

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