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Archeologist

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 Bakersfield Field Office. Information about Bakersfield, CA and the surrounding area can be found linked.

We expect to fill one vacancy 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
07/31/2025 to 08/14/2025
Salary
$71,244 to - $112,053 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Atascadero, CA
Bakersfield, CA
San Simeon, CA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
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
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-25-12755722-JP
Control number
842217200

Duties

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  • Provides Field Office employees technical advice and information regarding cultural resource management laws, regulations, and policies.
  • Consult internally with other archeologists and resource specialists in Field, District and State Offices and externally with State and Federal Agency cultural resource professionals and educators.
  • Conducts inventories, which may include compiling and analyzing existing data from institutional files and databases, professional literature, archival and other historical documents, original interviews, and other indirect sources.
  • Participate as a team member in preparing multiple-use resource management plans and environmental impact documents, identifying special cultural resource considerations, potential multiple-use conflicts, and potential impacts to cultural resources.
  • Review applications for cultural resource use permits and fieldwork authorizations, recommending approval or denial and/or changes in work proposed or personnel to be utilized.
  • Works closely with other Division of Resources team members and Managers in District and Field Offices to resolve challenges facing the cultural resources program.

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.
  • 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. Only the 1st 2 pages of the resume will be used to determine eligibility/qualifications.
  • You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position.
  • 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 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

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-09 grade level, in addition to meeting the education requirement identified above, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 in the Federal Service. Examples of specialized experience include but not limited to; Assisting in conducting background studies and document reviews pertaining to archeological project development. Utilizing Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to record archeological site and features. Conducting routine field reconnaissance searches in areas planned for such activities as wildlife habitat improvement/road construction/recreational development concerning possible effects that proposed resource management activities may have on existing archeological remains. Conducting Section 106 inventory and monitoring projects. Prepare determination of effect for such projects identified during project inventories.
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.

To qualify for the GS-11 grade level, in addition to meeting the education requirement identified above, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 in the Federal Service. Planning and carrying out specific project and assignments to their completion. Planning and conducting archeological research, excavations, documentation, and investigations. Incorporating appropriate geographic information system (GIS) technology to provide comprehensive and scientifically sound answers to complex issues. Preparing or interpreting a variety of technical documents, such as, archaeological evaluations, completion reports, management summaries, permits, publications and/or peer reviewed journal articles.
OR
Successful completion of three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D.
degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in an accredited college or university.
OR
A combination of graduate education and experience. 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 requires physical exertion such as long periods of standing or walking through rough, uneven, or rocky terrain. Physical work requires some bending, crouching, reaching, use of hand tools and lifting moderate to heavy equipment or samples.

Work Environment: May be exposed to moderate risks, adverse weather conditions, hazardous chemicals, and wildlife. May require travel via off road vehicles, government, or commercial transportation. Office work may be completed in a typical office setting.

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.

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
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.

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 on a situational basis with supervisor approval.

This position is not eligible for Telework.

This announcement is being advertised concurrently under number CAMP-25-12757963-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.

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.

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 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:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Teamwork


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