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Archivist

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Inflation Reduction Office
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, in the Northeast Region.

  • This is a term position (more than 1 year) with an initial appointment expecting to last at least 13 months but may be extended up to a total of four years. Term positions do not convey permanent status in the Federal service.
Open to the first 100 applicants or until 04/04/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
03/21/2024 to 03/30/2024
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$81,963 to - $106,549 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Pawtucket, RI
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Term - 13 months
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NPS-IRA-24-12353251-DE
Control number
782586600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens; Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP).

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Duties

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Blackstone River Valley National Historic Park has a rich history, including one hundred years of history and stewardship of Old Slater Mill in Pawtucket, RI. The Archivist will help evaluate, describe, and arrange the archives and collections of the Old Slater Mill Association and the research collections stored at the park. Duties may include creating digitization processes and workflows; recommending and developing systems to expedite research; working with partner organizations; and conducting archival and historical research for the park.

This is a shared position between Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, Roger Williams National Memorial, and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. Other duties will include assisting each park to comply with records management policy at their respective locations by managing official records according to National Park Service guidelines.

Major duties include, put are not limited to the following:

  • Manages a comprehensive archival and records management program and the management of the park library including the planning, development, and supervision of functions, setting goals and maintaining operations to acceptable archival and library standards.
  • Accessions appropriate collections into the park museum collection, using the National Park Service automated collections management system.
  • Evaluates all records, archival and manuscript collections with the records management guideline.
  • Evaluates records against scope of collection statement and archival appraisal criteria.
  • Arranges the collection.
  • Creates, edits, and indexes folder lists, box/container lists, and updates/edits and indexes the collection-level survey description.
  • Produces finding aids and repository-level guide.
  • May represent park when working with others on archives matters.
  • Develops and maintains liaisons and effective working relations with related groups.
AREA INFORMATION:
Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park

Located on the banks of the lower Blackstone River in Pawtucket, RI, Slater Mill Historic Site is a component of the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park. Pawtucket, RI is a diverse city of about 72,000 people located just north of Providence, RI and is part of the Providence metropolitan area. It is on a bus route, and only a few blocks from two exits of Interstate 95. Pawtucket is about one hour north of the Rhode Island Beaches and an hour south of Boston. Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

Roger Williams National Memorial
Located at the foot of College Hill in downtown Providence, Roger Williams National Memorial is a small urban park established by Congress to commemorate the founder of Providence and his significant contributions to the principles of freedom in the United States. Providence is the capital city of Rhode Island and has a population of nearly 180,000. Providence is a diverse city with a vibrant arts and culture scene and is home to numerous institutions of higher learning including Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design and Providence College. The city is served by interstate 195 which connects to Route 95. Boston is less than an hour to the north and NYC is less than four hours to the south. Roger Williams National Memorial (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
Located in the heart of New Bedford, MA, New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park was established by Congress in 1996, New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park commemorates the heritage of the world's preeminent whaling port during the 19th century. New Bedford, a city of about 100,000 is located on the southeastern coast of Massachusetts where the Acushnet River empties into Buzzard's Bay. The city is served by Interstate 195 which connects Providence, Rhode Island (about 30 miles to the west) with Cape Cod (about 20 miles to the east). New Bedford is also connected to Boston (about 60 miles north) by state highway Routes 140 and 24. The city of New Bedford is a wonderfully diverse and culturally rich community that has retained much of its heritage through thoughtful restoration and preservation efforts. This authentic seaport city is also home to one of America's largest fishing fleets. The quality of life in New Bedford is enhanced by a full calendar of fairs and festivals, including Summerfest, the Working Waterfront Festival, the traditional Blessing of the Fleet and the largest celebration of Portuguese culture in the nation, the Fest of the Blessed Sacrament. More than fourteen galleries, studios, museums, and cultural institutions in downtown New Bedford are testament to the region's emerging artistic hub. Also, the many parks and beaches in the area make the city a great place to visit, work and live. New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

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 operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to 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 discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
  • You will be required to complete a one-year trial period.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 1 night per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
  • 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-04/04/2024-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.

INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • EDUCATION: Successful completion of a full four-year course of study at an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's degree in archival science or bachelor's degree with a major that includes 18 semester hours in archival science, history and/or in political science or government, and 12 semester hours in one or any combination of the following: archival science, history, American civilization, economics, political science, public administration, or government. You must submit all college transcripts that demonstrate the requirements with your application.
-OR-
  • COMBINATION EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: Combination of education and experience that included at least 30 semester hours that included courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Professional experience must have been in archival science, or in a directly related field of work such as history that involved the collection, appraisal, analysis, or synthesis of information having historical or archival values. The following are illustrative of kinds of experience that may be accepted as meeting the professional experience requirements: (1) experience as an archivist in Federal, state, religious institution, business, or other archives, or in manuscript depositories, and (2) experience of an archival nature that involved research in archival science, or in a directly related field such as history, government, economics, political science, international relations, or international law. You must submit a copy of all your transcripts and include hours per week and months per year worked in your resume.

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must possess at least one 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). This experience includes activities such as: Providing technical professional support and assistance in the organization, description, and preservation of archival or manuscript historic document collections including those related to the history of land use and cultural and natural resources management and experience conducting research using archival collections on cultural and natural (biology, geology, or paleontology) topics. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a course of study (e.g., Archival Science or History) that directly reflects the job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position, and to satisfy the minimum qualification requirements. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first calculate your percentage of qualifying graduate education by dividing your number of semester hours in excess of 36 semester hours by 18 or the number your school uses to represent one year of full time graduate academic study. Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. For example, 45 semester hours of graduate education (50% of education requirement) plus 6 months specialized experience (50 % of experience requirement) would qualify an applicant for this position. Only graduate education beyond the first two years is creditable toward the GS-11. You must include transcripts.

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

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.

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

Physical Demands: The work requires frequent retrieval of records and books from storage areas with some bending and lifting of cartons of papers (weighing up to 50 pounds). Operation of standard office equipment is required and some operation of motor vehicles. Work requires travel to various locations for the purpose of acquisitions and collection of materials to other NPS and non-NPS sites with archival and manuscript collections, and to training and professional meetings. Documentary research and report writing work is sedentary, which entails the ability to concentrate and write for long periods of time.

Working Conditions: Most of the work is performed in the archives (and library) of park or central office. However, the position also requires performing work in the offices of other research bureaus, museums, national parks, public program offices, administrative offices, and other libraries and archives.

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.

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:
  • Manages and Organizes Information
  • Organizational Awareness
  • Project Management
  • Technical Competence

QUALITY RANKING FACTOR: Technical Competence: 1) A Masters in Library Science (MLS) from an American Library Association (ALA) accredited program OR 2) Digital Archives Specialist Certificate from the Society of American Archivists.

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