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Archeologist

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
High Plains District-Casper Field Office
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 Casper, WY.

We expect to fill 1 vacancy at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
01/08/2025 to 01/21/2025
Salary
$49,960 to - $96,116 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Casper, WY
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
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
WYMP-25-12659256-JP
Control number
827272900

Duties

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  • Archaeological inventories - Designs and implements resource inventory strategies and sampling designs to obtain required data on heritage resources within a given project area.
  • Heritage and paleontological resources environmental analysis and planning documents - Writes and prepares heritage and paleontological resource input for portions of environmental documents such as environmental assessments and planning documents.
  • Consultation - Informs and consults with BLM management, land owners, state government officials, tribal governments, consulting parties and the public to provide information, develop opportunities for partnerships, and meet legal requirements.
  • Education and outreach - Conducts outreach and educational activities about heritage resources and values at schools, in the field, or at other community venues.
  • Heritage resources management - Ensures compliance with Section 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

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 (or obtain within 30 days of entrance on duty) and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.
  • May require a one-year probationary period.

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:

  • Incumbent must possess and maintain a valid State Driver's License to operate government owned vehicles and/or leased vehicles for the duration of the appointment.
This position has an individual occupational requirement. In addition to meeting the IOR 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.

GS-07: in addition to meeting the individual occupational requirement you must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-05 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples:
  • Professional knowledge of the principles, concepts, theories, and methods of archeology, cultural
  • Ability to analyze and synthesize information in order to prepare and organize heritage resource information for use in reports and planning/environmental documents.
  • Working knowledge of geospatial technologies such as GPS, GIS and the use of computer systems to perform day-to-day tasks and to record and retrieve data related to heritage resource management activities.
-OR-

1 year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement. 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-

Combination of Education and Experience: You have less than the full amounts of both experience and education as described above which, when combined, are equivalent to the full requirement. Official transcripts must be provided to support this.

GS-09: in addition to meeting the individual occupational requirement you must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-07 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples:
  • Professional knowledge of the principles, concepts, theories, and methods of archeology, cultural
  • Ability to analyze and synthesize information in order to prepare and organize heritage resource information for use in reports and planning/environmental documents.
  • Working knowledge of geospatial technologies such as GPS, GIS and the use of computer systems to perform day-to-day tasks and to record and retrieve data related to heritage resource management activities.
  • Knowledge of requirements of federal and state laws and regulations relating to heritage resources (such as the Archaeological Resource Protection Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the National Historic Preservation Act)
  • Ability to communicate orally and in writing to BLM managers and staff, consulting parties, tribal entities, and the public in order to identify and resolve recurring problems; prepare routine reports; and perform outreach to local communities.
  • Working knowledge of geological and paleontological resources in order to write and prepare heritage and paleontological resource input for portions of environmental documents.
-OR-

2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree

-OR-

Combination of Education and Experience: You have less than the full amounts of both experience and education as described above which, when combined, are equivalent to the full requirement. Official transcripts must be provided to support this.

GS-11: in addition to meeting the individual occupational requirement you must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-09 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples:
  • Professional knowledge of the principles, concepts, theories, and methods of archeology, cultural
  • Ability to analyze and synthesize information in order to prepare and organize heritage resource information for use in reports and planning/environmental documents.
  • Working knowledge of geospatial technologies such as GPS, GIS and the use of computer systems to perform day-to-day tasks and to record and retrieve data related to heritage resource management activities.
  • Knowledge of requirements of federal and state laws and regulations relating to heritage resources (such as the Archaeological Resource Protection Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the National Historic Preservation Act)
  • Ability to communicate orally and in writing to BLM managers and staff, consulting parties, tribal entities, and the public in order to identify and resolve recurring problems; prepare routine reports; and perform outreach to local communities.
  • Working knowledge of geological and paleontological resources in order to write and prepare heritage and paleontological resource input for portions of environmental documents.
  • In-depth professional knowledge of the principles, concepts, theories, and methods of archeology, cultural resource management, ethnohistory and history, including a working knowledge of site evaluation, stabilization, and reconstruction methods.
  • General knowledge of paleontology and the BLM's PFYC system sufficient to manage permitted activities and to be able to prepare or review paleontology sections within environmental documents.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain appropriate training and certifications (COR, Program Officer, etc) as needed.
-OR-

3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

-OR-

Combination of Education and Experience: You have less than the full amounts of both experience and education as described above which, when combined, are equivalent to the full requirement. Official transcripts must be provided to support this.

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; travel in off-road vehicles. Incumbent will adhere to all safety rules and regulations as prescribed in the manuals/supplements or by the designated Safety Officer.

Education

This position has an individual occupation requirement, you must meet one of the requirements below to qualify:

  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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.

The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. The selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

This announcement is being advertised concurrently under number WYDE-25-12659255-JP, for status candidates and special hiring authority eligible. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

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-11. 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. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. The best qualified candidates 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:

  • Educational Experience (ACWA)
  • Mathematical Skills (ACWA)
  • Oral Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Rating (ACWA)
  • Social Organizations (ACWA)
  • Technical Competence
  • Technology Application
  • Work Experience (ACWA)


DUE WEIGHT: Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, applicants must provide a copy of a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award Merit Promotion & Staffing Policy Personnel Handbook documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. 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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