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Summary

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

About the Position: You will perform work as an Archeologist to apply a thorough understanding of accepted archeological theories and practices applicable to site surveying, excavation, and field investigation.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
01/13/2026 to 01/27/2026
Salary
$50,460 to - $97,087 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Sault Ste. Marie, MI
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
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
CEDB-26-12863619-DHA-R
Control number
854131500

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Duties

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  • Review documents submitted by other agencies, and prepares review comments.
  • Address civic groups, archeological societies, local and state officials, and non-professional organizations, and prepares briefings on cultural resources for presentation.
  • Conduct cultural resources investigations including records and literature searches, archival studies, and fieldwork consisting of archeological surveys, test excavations, and data recovery excavations at proposed construction sites.
  • Research available archeological report data and State and Federal requirements to determine the regulatory and procedural limitations on proposed sites of investigation.
  • Confer with contractor prior to commencement of work to insure agreement on contract provisions.
  • Evaluate applications for permits, and the modification of permits, for activities on project lands, involving navigation infrastructure or in waters of the United States.
  • Recommend acceptance of completed work, or withholding of payments pending correction of identified deficiencies. Reviews and cross-checks contractor's payment estimate submittals.
  • Review contractor's draft and final reports for adequacy and adherence to original contract provisions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Position requires field investigations which include: walking over sites and to/from sites, potentially in rough terrain; digging investigation test units with hand tools; and monitoring investigations where digging is done with heavy equipment.
  • Duties may be performed in inclement weather.
  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education/specialized experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement in the education section, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

To qualify at the GS-07 grade level, you must have:

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes knowledge of archeological, cultural, and historic factors, principles, techniques, theories, and methodology and familiarity with pertinent laws and regulations, particularly regarding cultural resources; experience with applications for permits. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05);
OR
Successfully completed one full academic year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as Archeology. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)
OR
Claiming Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in B above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on: - (1) Class Standing - You must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR- (2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - You must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR- (3) Honor Society Membership - You may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/). (NOTE: You must attach a copy of your transcripts and/or verification of class standing for further verification.)

To qualify at the GS-09 grade level, you must have:
Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes conducting work with cultural, historic, environmental, and archeological investigations, studies, and reports related to Planning and Operations; preparing, coordinating, and reviewing reports and permit. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07);
OR
Successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position, such as Archeology. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)


To qualify at the GS-11 grade level, you must have:
Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes engaging in the preparation, administration, and inspection of archeological surveys, archeological testing, and excavation contracts; preparing the required documentation and
correspondence for compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and other federal directives; utilizing knowledge to conduct cultural resources investigations including records and literature searches, archival studies, and fieldwork consisting of archeological surveys, test excavations, and data recovery excavations at proposed construction sites to determine and record the presence of archeological sites. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09);
OR
Successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position, such as Archeology. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

Education

Basic Education Requirement for Archeologist:

Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) that included 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 which include, but are not limited to, typology, classification, sampling, cultural evolution, diffusion, dating, and analytical techniques; (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 semester hours of related course work in: (1) geography, geology, or cultural geography; (2) history, historiography, or historical archeology; (3) environmental studies; (4) scientific writing (nonfiction English composition); and/or (5) surveying; AND archeological field school. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)
OR
Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in anthropology (with emphasis on ethnology, physical anthropology, or scientific linguistics), history, American studies, or a related discipline which satisfies in full the educational requirements, provided the curriculum supplied academic course work sufficiently similar to the requirements as shown in A above (including archeological field school). (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)
OR
A combination of education and experience which includes 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 attach a copy of your transcripts.)
OR
Have four years of archeological work experience that demonstrates 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.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the 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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • One year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • Direct deposit of pay is required.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a Career Field (CF) 18 Engineering and Scientific position
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information.
  • Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
  • Relocation/Recruitment incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate and an agency determination that payment is in the Government Interest.
  • If incentives are authorized a service agreement is required.
  • To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to

    Executive Order 14043

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.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.?

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