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Archaeologist

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position serves as an Archaeologist in a Bureau of Land Management office located in Springfield or Salem, OR. The incumbent applies a professional knowledge of standard archaeological principles, theories, concepts, methods, and techniques in performing heritage resource management duties.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
12/05/2024 to 12/19/2024
Salary
$64,504 to - $83,854 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Salem, OR
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
Permanent
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
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
OR-25-DE/MP-12613572-WDS
Control number
821959400

Duties

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The position serves as an Archeologist in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), OR/WA NW Oregon District Office in the Division of Resources as part of the Cultural Resources Team. The position performs professional work in heritage resource management within the framework of BLM's multiple use mission. At this grade level, the incumbent applies a professional knowledge of standard archeological principles, theories, concepts, methods, and techniques to perform recurring, well-precedented projects.

Major Duties (detail / itemized):

Curation: With guidance and oversight, ensures artifacts from public lands, and the associated records, are deposited in repositories that meet Federal curatorial facility standards. Documents and reports to management information regarding collections deposited at curation facilities and assists with compiling data for the annual heritage report.

Archeological Inventories: Conducts routine cultural resource inventories for determining impacts to cultural resources due to developmental activities in accordance with applicable federal laws, regulations, and policies. Conducts site testing and excavation, and provides professional recommendations on the significance of sites, structures, or objects identified in surveys. Drafts professional reports and studies in accordance with legislative and regulatory requirements and the needs for approval of BLM management.

Consultation: Interacts with BLM management, land owners, state government officials, tribal governments, interested parties and the public to provide information and develop opportunities for partnerships. Participates in discussions regarding the significance of cultural resources found during surveys and recommends to management, tribal entities, consulting parties, and the public strategies for avoidance, minimization, data recovery, and/or mitigation of adverse effects to heritage resources.

Heritage Resources Management: Ensures compliance with Section 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act. In accordance with established practice, reviews eligibility of heritage resources for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places and provides recommendations for reducing or eliminating adverse project impacts. Ensures that heritage resource services are adequate to meet multiple resource planning and project requirements. Makes higher level supervisory officials aware of any deficiencies in heritage resource program and project proposals, and recommends what is needed to achieve compliance and eliminate resource conflicts. Provides data regarding heritage activities for inclusion in the annual heritage report.

Heritage and Paleontological Resources Environment Analysis and Planning Documents:
Drafts heritage and paleontological resource input for portions of environmental documents such as environmental assessments, planning documents, and coordinates with other specialists for multiple use documents, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and Federal Land Policy and Management Act. Reviews routine plans and projects to assure coordination, evaluation, or protection of heritage and paleontological values.

Education and Outreach: Conducts outreach and educational activities about heritage resources and values for the public and interested parties at schools, in the field, or at other community venues. May provide professional instruction, guidance, information, and interpretation of historic and prehistoric heritage resources.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Ensures that inventory and site data are entered, managed, and utilized in various geospatial databases. Ensures that reports and data meet the format specifications mandated by BLM policy and that the heritage resources data in the system is updated, timely and accurate. Utilizes the heritage resource and other resource spatial data to perform precedented analyses to assist with land use planning, decision making, and day-to-day management activities.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • May be required to complete background investigation.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents) prior to the closing date of this announcement.
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
  • If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • Status applicants must meet time-in-grade requirements.
  • You may be required to occasionally travel overnight away from home. You must be eligible to obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions may affect your rating.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the experience and/or education requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. If qualifying based on education, a copy of your unofficial transcripts must be provided with your application.

You must meet the BASIC Requirement *AND* meet the ADDITIONAL Requirement in order to qualify for this position.

BASIC Requirement for the 0193 series:
A. Education

1. Degree that included three (3) semester hours each in the following course areas: 1) History of archeology; 2) Archeology of a major geographical area such as North America or Africa; 3) Regional archeology, archeological cultures, or sites in a specific part or portion of a major geographical area to acquire or develop a foundation for regional specialization for professional development; 4) Theory and methods of archeology. Methods include, but are not limited to, typology, classification, sampling, cultural evolution, diffusion, dating, and analytical techniques; and 5) Archeological field school, to provide a basic understanding of theoretical and practical approaches to research design implementation, field preservation techniques, and report preparation by participation in actual field work;
-AND-
Six (6) semester hours of related course work in: geography, geology, or cultural geography; history, historiography, or historical archeology; environmental studies; scientific writing (nonfiction English composition); and/or surveying;
-AND-
Archeological field school. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts as proof of any claimed education.)
OR
2. Related Curriculum: Degree in anthropology (with emphasis on ethnology, physical anthropology, or scientific linguistics), history, American studies, or a related discipline may be accepted as satisfying in full the educational requirements, provided the curriculum supplied academic course work sufficiently similar to the requirements in A. (including archeological field school). (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts as proof of any claimed education.)

OR

B. Combination of Education and Experience: College-level education or training that provided knowledge equivalent to that described in A above, plus appropriate technical experience or additional education. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts as proof of any claimed education and your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience.)

OR

C. Experience:
Four years of archeological work experience that demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the fundamental principles and theories of professional archeology. The work experience must have included archeology field experience, which may include that gained in an archeological field school. Field experience should have included a combination of professional experience in archeological survey, excavation, laboratory analysis, and preparation of written materials. Applicants with such field experience should, after additional experience under the direction of a higher-grade archeologist, be able to demonstrate the ability to be a crew chief, directing the work of others at a single location as a part of a larger archeological project.

*AND*

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level in which you are applying:

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sector) performing 3 or more of the following: (1) conducting routine archeological inventories to include site testing and excavation; (2) documenting, analyzing, and/or reporting curatorial data; (3) interacting and/or providing heritage resources information to various groups such as the management, land owners, state and tribal government officials, and the public; (4) carrying out educational and outreach programs to schools and community events.
OR
B. Education: Have two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree that included a major field of study or specific course requirements generally as stated in the basic requirements. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts as proof of any claimed education.)
OR
C. Combination:
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience. To calculate your combined amount, first determine the amount of your specialized experience as a percentage of the requirement listed in A above. Then determine the amount of your education as a percentage of the requirement listed in B above; then add the two percentages. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts as proof of any claimed education.)

Status merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-07 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-09 level. (Must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted).

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

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".

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made
and compared against your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

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.

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.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

Additional information

  • Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
  • You will be required to obtain and maintain a valid state driver's license.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home occasionally. You must be eligible to obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
Physical Demands: Field work routinely requires physical exertion such as long periods of standing or walking over rough, uneven, rocky surfaces or mountainous terrain; recurring bending, crouching, stooping or reaching; using hand tools such as shovels, trowels, or screening devices; and lifting of moderately heavy items such as equipment and samples.

Working Conditions: The work regularly involves moderate risks or discomforts which may require special safety precautions, e.g., adverse weather conditions, irritating or occasionally hazardous chemicals; hostile wildlife; and travel in off-road vehicles. Incumbent will adhere to all safety rules and regulations as prescribed in manuals/supplements or by the designated Safety Officer.

Telework: The Bureau of Land Management has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

This position is offering a Relocation/Recruitment Incentive, of up to 25% of the annual salary. To be eligible for a Relocation Incentive, you must be a current Federal Employee employed with the Federal Government and be willing to work directly from the BLM OR/WA office in Springfield, Oregon or Salem, Oregon location (not remote). The selectee's current duty location must be more than 50 miles from the duty location of this position. To be eligible for a Recruitment Incentive, selectee must not be employed by the Federal Government.

Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees. If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive or Student Loan Repayment.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) or Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible see http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 90 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please contact San Antonio Services Branch at SASBMailbox@opm.gov or 816-541-8101.

How you will be evaluated

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

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 resume review and/or a panel interview. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed below that are required to successfully perform the job.

You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Administration and Management
  • History and Archaeology
  • Technical Competence
  • Technology Application


Candidates not eligible to apply under merit promotion 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.
Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Candidates who apply under Non-Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Performance Appraisals for Competitive and Non-Competitive Merit Promotion Applicants: In the evaluation process, due weight will be given to job related experience, education, training, incentive awards and performance appraisals. Applicants must submit a performance appraisal with a performance rating of at least the equivalent of fully successful to be eligible for promotion or placement. Applicants may provide a copy of a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months. If the applicant is unable to provide a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months, the applicant may provide a written explanation as to why.

Recruitment incentive awards: Applicants that have received recruitment incentive awards during the last two years, must list them on their resume.

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