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Archeological Technician

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
NPS Regions 6,7,8
This job announcement has closed

Summary

These positions may be filled for a six month seasonal period, but can vary due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: March-July 2023.

Since this position is open to multiple positions, Click here for the OPM Salaries and Wages to calculate locality pay.

Not all locations listed will be filling positions. Eligibility and qualifications will be verified if there is a vacancy for the location and grade for which you applied.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
12/08/2022 to 12/28/2022
This job will close when we have received 950 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$17.31 to - $21.44 per hour

Salary does not include locality pay. For specific wage information, reference the OPM Salaries and Wages link in the Additional Information section.

Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 7
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Flagstaff Area Parks
Flagstaff, AZ
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon, AZ
Glen Canyon NRA
Page, AZ
Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified Forest National Park, AZ
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - not to exceed 1039 hours
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
IM-1541-IMAO-23-11742464-DE
Control number
693366700

Videos

Duties

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**This announcement's open period has been extended until 12/28/22**

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At the GS-5 level

  • Participates in basic archeological field surveys by walking over the landscape and searching for archeological features and artifacts.
  • Conducts limited supervised excavation and testing of sites, including the careful recovery of sample Materials.
  • Maintains related databases, forms, maps, and files.
At the GS-6 level
In addition to the GS-5 duties
  • Processes specimens in the field
  • Conducts record searches and interviews, and synthesizes information collected for scientific, historical, and interpretive values.
At the GS-7 level
In addition to the GS-5 and 6 duties
  • Retrieves and compiles data as required for resource management reports, interpretive exhibits, etc.
  • Provides leadership to field crews by assigning tasks and monitoring the status of those assignments.
  • Prepares specimens for specialized analysis to be sent to dating and other laboratories. Identifies, labels and packages artifacts for curation.
At Flagstaff Area National Monuments, selectees primarily will be performing archeological site assessments and preservation maintenance of maintained archeological sites.

At Rocky Mountain National Park, selectees will assist with a variety of projects including Cultural Resources Inventory System (CRIS)/geodatabase management and post-fire recovery efforts.

Positions will be filled at one grade level and have no promotion potential.

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.
  • Depending on location, occupancy of government quarters may be required.
  • Depending on location, government housing may be available.
  • You may be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and/or shift work.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home occasionally.
  • You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
  • You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
  • If selected for a position/location that requires search and rescue, emergency response, use of firearms, or watercraft operation, you will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. Not all position have this requirement. In addition, these positions are subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
  • If selected for a position/location required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
  • Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-12/28/2022-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 at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:


SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-4 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: assisting archaeologists or senior technicians in conducting cultural resource inventory surveys, assisting professionals in archeological field surveys; assisting in archeological excavation projects or prehistoric architectural assessments; documenting findings or assisting in the data collection and recording.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least a full 4 year course of study leading to a bachelors degree with related coursework (anthropology, archeology, or related fields). You must include transcripts with your application materials.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example 6 months of the specialized experience described (50% of the experience requirement), and three years (90 semester hours) of college study as defined above in an accredited educational institution (50% of the qualifying education requirement) Note: only education beyond the first 60 semester hours can be considered. You must include transcripts with your application materials.

To qualify for this position at the GS-06 grade level, you must possess the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as :work assisting archaeologists or senior technicians in field archaeological type work. Participating in basic archeological field surveys, assisting in basic excavations or assisting in more complex excavations; processing archaeological specimens, identifying and labeling artifacts for curation; or recovering artifacts in soils.
-OR-
Successfully completed one full year of graduate level education (18 credits) directly related to the work of the position (i.e. archeology, anthropology with courses in archeology, etc.). You must include transcripts with your application materials.
To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, you must possess the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-6 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: conduct excavation and testing of sites, including the careful recovery of sample materials (include completing standard feature and level forms, screening soils to recover artifacts and performing flotation of soil samples. Conducts record searches and interviews, and synthesizes information collected for scientific, historical, and interpretive values.
-OR-
Successfully completed one full year of graduate level education (18 credits) directly related to the work of the position (i.e. archeology, anthropology with courses in archeology, etc.). You must include transcripts with your application materials.
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.

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.

Additional information

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Non-Competitive Rehire Eligibility: Temporary seasonal employees can only maintain their non-competitive rehire eligibility if they work no more than a combined total of Temporary NTE less than 1040 hours anywhere in the National Park Service (NPS) within their established service year. Accordingly, non-competitive rehire eligibility allows for re-appointment to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements (5 CFR 316.402[b][7]), based on series and grade, anywhere in the major subdivision (NPS).

If you have held a temporary seasonal appointment in the past 12 months and have already worked the maximum temporary appointment less than 1040 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1040 hours in your established service year will result in the loss of your non-competitive rehire eligibility.

The limit can be exceeded by working multiple temporary seasonal positions that result in a combined total greater than 1040 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1040 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM.

Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations.

Physical Demands: The work is partially sedentary with prolonged standing, walking, and bending often required. Heavy items (e.g., packs up to 50 pounds) must be lifted and carried on a routine basis.

Working Conditions: The work is performed both in an office setting and in the field. Survey and excavation work is typically performed in isolated areas; the incumbent must therefore be familiar with outdoor safety and survival skills and must be able to operate a vehicle on rough roads. Sustained periods of camping under primitive conditions are routine.

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:
  • Leadership
  • Standards
  • Technical Competence
  • Technology Application

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