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Seasonal Archeologist

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Colonial National Historical Park

Summary

The primary purpose of these positions is to support the park's cultural resource program by conducting archaeological fieldwork and lab analysis; documenting, evaluating, and protecting sites; and assisting with compliance under the National Historic Preservation Act. Incumbents contribute to surveys, excavations, data collection, artifact processing, research, and reporting to ensure the preservation and stewardship of cultural resources.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
02/13/2026 to 03/02/2026
Salary
$24.54 to - $30.01 per hour
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Yorktown, VA
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
Temporary - Not to Exceed: 1560 Hours. The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for COLO is May to November but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: 5/17/2026
Work schedule
Full-time - You may be required to work overtime.
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
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
NE-1612-COLO-26-12873589-DE
Control number
856791800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All United States Citizens, Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)

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Duties

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GS-0193-07 Duties:

  • Conducts archaeological fieldwork including surveys, shovel testing, excavations, and site condition assessments under the guidance of senior staff.
  • Performs archaeological laboratory work such as washing, sorting, identifying, and cataloging artifacts.
  • Records survey and site data using GPS, GIS, drawings, and detailed field notes.
  • Assists with artifact analysis, data entry, and preparation of basic sections of archaeological reports.
  • Monitors ground-disturbing activities to identify and document potential cultural resource impacts.`

GS-0193-09 Duties:

  • Plans and conducts archaeological surveys, excavations, and site evaluations, including developing sampling strategies and field methodologies.
  • Reviews project proposals and determines appropriate cultural resource compliance requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
  • Analyzes archaeological data, prepares technical reports, and develops Determinations of Eligibility and National Register documentation.
  • Utilizes GIS, GPS, and other digital tools to document site locations, features, and field conditions; prepares maps, figures, and graphics for reports.
  • Coordinates with interdisciplinary teams, contractors, and partner agencies on cultural resource issues and project planning.

Important Note for Applicants

Only one position will be filled at the GS-07 and one at the GS-09 level. This announcement does not have promotion potential and is not a career-ladder position.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males
  • Direct Deposit: Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • Driver's License: You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
  • Minimum Age Requirement: Applicants must be at least (1) 18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.
  • Uniform: You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-03/02/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience.

Basic Requirement for the Archeologist, GS-0193 Series:

A degree that included three 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; theory and methods of archeology, including typology, classification, sampling, cultural evolution, diffusion, dating, and analytical techniques; and archeological field school providing a basic understanding of theoretical and practical approaches to research design, field preservation techniques, and report preparation through participation in actual field work; AND six semester hours of related coursework in geography, geology, or cultural geography; history, historiography, or historical archeology; environmental studies; scientific writing (nonfiction English composition); and/or surveying; AND completion of an archeological field school. 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 if the coursework included academic study sufficiently similar to the requirements above, including archeological field school.
-OR- A combination of education and experience that included college-level education or training that provided knowledge equivalent to that described above, plus appropriate technical experience or additional education.
-OR- Four years of archeological work experience that demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the fundamental principles and theories of professional archeology. This experience must have included archeological field experience, which may include that gained in an archeological field school, and should have included a combination of professional experience in archeological survey, excavation, laboratory analysis, and preparation of written materials. Applicants with such experience should, after additional experience under the direction of a higher-grade archeologist, be able to demonstrate the ability to serve as a crew chief directing the work of others at a single location as part of a larger archeological project.


-AND-

To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, you must possess one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors).This experience includes activities such as: assisting with archaeological surveys, excavations, and site condition assessments; performing basic artifact processing and cataloging; recording field data using GPS, GIS, drawings, and field notes; assisting with compliance tasks related to cultural resource laws and regulations; or supporting archaeological research and laboratory work. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION:
Successful completion of one full academic year of graduate-level education in Archeology, Anthropology, or a directly related field. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
COMBINATION:
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take the number of completed graduate semester hours and divide by 18.Then take the number of months of full-time specialized experience and divide by 12. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.


To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level, you must possess one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors).This experience includes activities such as: conducting archaeological surveys, excavations, and monitoring; planning and performing field inspections, research, and resource assessments; reviewing cultural resource permits and fieldwork plans; analyzing archaeological data using digital tools; preparing archaeological reports; or writing Determinations of Eligibility or National Register Nominations. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION:
Successful completion of two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education, or a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree, in Archeology, Anthropology, or a directly related field. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
COMBINATION:
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take the number of completed graduate semester hours beyond the first 36 and divide by 18.Then take the number of months of full-time specialized experience and divide by 12.Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

Volunteer 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.

NOTE: In support of Executive Order (EO) 14189 "Celebrating America's 205th Birthday" and EO 14314 "Making America Beautiful Again by Improving our National Parks" the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has approved an exception to the 1039 hour time limitation for this position. This approval can extend the time limitation to 1560 hours for this temporary seasonal appointment.

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your 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.

Additional information

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

ADDITIONAL SELECTIONS This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

TEMP NTE Less Than 1040 Non-Competitive Rehire Eligibility: Temporary seasonal employees can only maintain their non-competitive rehire eligibility if they work no more than a combined total of Temporary NTE less than 1040 hours anywhere in the National Park Service (NPS) within their established service year. Accordingly, non-competitive rehire eligibility allows for re-appointment to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements (5 CFR 316.402[b][7]), based on series and grade, anywhere in the major subdivision (NPS).

If you have held a temporary seasonal appointment in the past 12 months and have already worked the maximum temporary appointment less than 1040 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1040 hours in your established service year will result in the loss of your non-competitive rehire eligibility.

The limit can be exceeded by working multiple temporary seasonal positions that result in a combined total greater than 1040 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1040 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM.

Temporary Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations.

Physical Demands: This position may require strenuous physical activity including periods of standing, walking, climbing, and lifting and carrying heavy objects. Some activities may occur in physically dangerous areas or settings. Documentary research and report writing work are sedentary, which entails the ability to concentrate and write for long periods of time.

Working Conditions: Work is performed both indoors and outdoors in all types of weather. Assignments may be performed in potentially hazardous areas including steep slopes, rocky terrain, volcanoes, caves, fire lines, arctic environments, swamps, deserts, and forests. Flying in fixed-winged aircraft and helicopters is possible.

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 well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. You may only submit one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
  • History and Archaeology
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Research
  • Teamwork
  • Technical Competence
  • Technology Application


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.

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