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Archeologist (Fire/Fuels) - Direct Hire Authority

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
BLM Fire - Nevada
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This is a Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans preference is not applicable to this advertisement. Learn more about this authority at: Direct Hire Authority

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

These positions are located in Battle Mountain, NV. Information about the surrounding area may be found here.

We expect to fill 2 vacancies at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/28/2025 to 08/18/2025
Salary
$61,111 to - $96,116 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Battle Mountain, NV
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—The BLM has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.
Travel Required
25% or less - Travel is required to attend training, conferences, workshops, and/or field visits.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - This is a permanent appointment.
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11 - This position is considered a career ladder opportunity, with a full performance level of GS-11. Please see "Additional Information" for more details.
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
FADHA-25-12765974-AO
Control number
841768000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens - No previous federal service is required. This position is being advertised under an OPM government-wide Direct Hire authority. CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.

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Duties

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  • Ensures collections from public lands and the associated records, are deposited in repositories that meet federal curatorial facility standards.
  • Designs and implements resource inventory strategies and sampling designs to obtain required data on heritage resources within a given project area.
  • Provides professional recommendations on the significance of archeological sites, historic or prehistoric structures, or objects identified during surveys.
  • Ensures compliance with Section 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
  • Ensures heritage program accomplishments and targets identified are reasonable and achievable.
  • May serve as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or a Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) for contracts, and/or as a Program Officer for assistance agreements.
  • Informs and consults with management, land owners, state government officials, tribal governments, consulting parties and the public to provide information, develop partnerships, meet legal requirements, and explain and apply new technologies.
  • Advises higher level officials of any deficiencies in the heritage resource program and recommends what resources are needed to eliminate short falls.
  • Conducts outreach and education activities about heritage resources and values at schools, in the field, or at other community venues.
  • Writes and prepares heritage and paleontological resource input for portions of environmental documents such as environmental assessments and planning documents.
  • Ensures that inventory and site data are entered, managed and utilized in various databases.
  • Utilizes the heritage resource and other resource spatial data to perform 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 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 Land.
  • Direct Deposit Required.
  • Background Investigation Required.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination. Failure to possess or obtain a favorable determination will result in the cancellation of the offer or will be grounds for termination.
  • Driver’s License required – GSA Form 3607 will be required to be completed during onboarding process.
  • May require completion of a one year probationary period.
  • Applicants appointed to this position must POSSESS and maintain a valid state driver's license.

Qualifications

Basic Requirement: As a basic requirement for this position, the incumbent must have one of the following (A, B or C):

A.) Education (must have option 1 or 2)
1. Degree that included 3 semester hours each in the following course areas:
  • History of archeology:
  • 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.
  • Theory and methods of archeology. Methods include, but are not limited to, typology, classification, sampling, cultural evolution, diffusion, dating, and analytical techniques.
  • 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.
  • Archeology of a major geographical area such as North America or Africa.
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
OR
2. Related Curriculum: A 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).

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.

Additional Experience Required: In addition to meeting the basic education requirements, you must meet specialized experience requirements.

Specialized Experience Requirements: In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement(s); please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade of the position to be filled.

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.

To qualify for the GS-09 grade level: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-07 is required. Examples of work experience include, but are not limited to: conducting cultural resource inventories and reporting in compliance with Section 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act, coordinating with interdisciplinary teams to provide input into planning documents in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, ensuring inventory and site data are entered, managed, and utilized in various geospatial databases.

To qualify for the GS-11 grade level: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-09 is required. Examples of work experience include, but are not limited to: implementing heritage resource management strategies in accordance with National Historic Preservation Act Section 106, 112, and other regulations; documenting, reporting, or determining the importance of archeological inventories, and/or historic mining resources; recommending strategies to mitigate/resolve heritage resource conflicts or controversial issues; coordinating with various tribal entities and diverse stakeholders to address the implementation/completion of agreements.

Substitution of Education for Experience:
GS-09: Two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree at an accredited college or university. Course work must be directly related to the position and must clearly provide applicants with the knowledge and skills necessary for successful job performance in the position to be filled. (NOTE: You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts);
OR
Combination of Education and Experience.

GS-11: Three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree at an accredited college or university. Course work must be directly related to the position and must clearly provide applicants with the knowledge and skills necessary for successful job performance in the position to be filled. (NOTE: You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts);
OR
Combination of Education and 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

See Qualifications Section.

Additional information

** THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN EXTENDED; PREVIOUS APPLICANTS NEED NOT REAPPLY ** Applicants who previously applied do not need to apply again to be considered but may take this opportunity to update information/resume/responses or submit required documentation outlined in the vacancy announcement.

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 www.dhs.gov/e-verify.

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.

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.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources website at CTAP or ICTAP. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration or that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) This vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) You apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) You are found well-qualified for this vacancy. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form.

CTAP and ICTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they meet minimum qualifications for this position.

Reemployment Priority List (RPL): The RPL is the mechanism agencies use to give reemployment consideration to their former competitive service employees separated by a RIF or who have fully recovered from a compensable injury after more than one year. If you are currently on a RPL, you may be given priority consideration.

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 Incentives (OPM.gov), or Relocation Incentives (OPM.gov), or Student Loan Repayment (OPM.gov)

The BLM has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.

Government facilities are required to provide a smoke free environment for their employees. Smoking will be permitted only in designated areas.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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 your application materials reflect the qualification requirements of this position.

Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

Once the job opportunity announcement closes, your resume and all supporting documents will be reviewed by HR to determine your eligibility for Federal employment and your qualifications for this position specifically. Due to this vacancy being filled through OPM's Direct Hire Authority, Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to positions filled under this announcement. Applications received as a result of job fairs, recruitment events, and emergency hiring mechanisms in support of this hiring initiative will also be accepted during the duration of the announcement. All qualified candidates will be referred for consideration; the hiring office may conduct interviews at their discretion. Interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis.

Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) in the following areas:

  • Research
  • History and Archeology
  • Sociology and Anthropology
  • Oral Communication
  • Writing
  • Spatial Orientation

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