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Archaeologist

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

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource.

This position is located in the BLM Eagle Lake Field Office in Susanville, CA. Information can be found linked.

We expect to fill 1 vacancy at this time; additional positions may be filled from this announcement.

This is a permanent, career seasonal appointment. As a career-seasonal employee, it is expected that you will work at least 6 months, but not more than 11 ½ months in a service year.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
12/03/2024 to 12/09/2024
This job will close when we have received 25 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$49,025 to - $77,955 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Susanville, CA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Career Seasonal
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
9
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
Yes
Announcement number
CADE-25-12619537-AA
Control number
822034800

Duties

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  • Conduct background research using a variety of sources to contextualize geographic locations (project areas) prior to survey and after the identification of resources.
  • Communicate often and clearly with field office staff to ensure cultural values are adequately protected.
  • Identify and rank cultural resources data gaps, including but not limited to inventory and site recording needs.
  • Assist with Resource Advising and Emergency Stabilization and Restoration (ESR) activities in disaster response situations.
  • For projects (undertakings) assist with the development of design features to avoid impacts to cultural values.
  • Train new seasonal archaeological technicians or interns and/or cross-train other specialists on cultural resources, and assist specialists with their surveys, time permitting.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Be sure to read the How to Apply and Required Documents Sections.
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license: nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
  • Direct Deposit Required.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
  • Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
  • An applicant appointed to this position must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.
  • May require a one year probationary or two year trial period.
  • This position is included in a bargaining unit. The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), Local 2052, is the exclusive representative of all employees in this bargaining unit.

Qualifications

Selective Placement Factors: This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified:

  • A drivers license is required in order to perform field work
This position has an individual occupational requirement (IOR). To be considered you must meet one of the requirements outlined in the "Education" section.

In addition to the IOR outlined in the "Education" section, in order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

To qualify for the GS-07: in addition to meeting the IOR outlined in the "education" section, applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05. Examples of specialized experience may include participation in archeological surveys and site evaluation work; involvement in field research; compiling and/or preparing archeological site records and technical reports.
OR
Successful completion of at least one year of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. This education must be directly related to the position being filled. You must include transcripts.
OR
Superior Academic Achievement (See OPM's General Policies, Application of Qualification Standards Section 4.f.) S.A.A. must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.
OR
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above.

To qualify for the GS-09: Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 or 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's equivalent graduate degree. Examples of specialized experience may include participation in archeological surveys and site evaluation work; involvement in field research; compiling and/or preparing archeological site records and technical reports.
OR
Successful completion of at least two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. This education must be directly related to the position being filled. You must include transcripts.
OR
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with 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 meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

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.

Work Environment: The work regularly involves moderate risks or discomforts which may require special safety precautions, e.g., adverse weather conditions, hazardous driving 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.

Education

This position has an individual occupational requirement (IOR). To be considered you must meet one of the below requirement:

A. Education

  1. Degree that included 3 semester hours each in the following course areas:
    • History of archeology.
    • Archeology of a major geographical area such as North America or Africa.
    • 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.
    • Theory and methods of archeology. Methods include, but are not limited to, typology, classification, sampling, cultural evolution, diffusion, dating, and analytical techniques.
    • 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 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
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.1 (including archeological field school), or a combination of education and experience--- courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional 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.

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.

If using education to qualify, you must submit copies of all transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. See Required Documents section for more information.

Additional information

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well qualified for the position with a score of 90 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service

Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.

This position is not eligible for Telework.

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.

This position is considered a career ladder opportunity, with a full performance level of GS-09. If selected at a lower grade level, you may be non-competitively promoted to the next grade level at the discretion of your supervisor and is contingent upon meeting regulatory and legal requirements for promotion, satisfactory performance, and the availability of higher-level work. Promotion is not guaranteed, and no promise of promotion is implied.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. Qualified applicants will be placed in one of three predefined categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified and Qualified. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Candidates placed in the Best Qualified category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be contacted for an interview.

Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

  • Administration and Management
  • History and Archaeology
  • Planning and Evaluating


In the evaluation process, due weight will be given to job related experience, education, training, incentive awards and performance appraisals. Applicants must have 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.

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 the following additional assessment: Subject Matter Expert Resume Panel Review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

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