Archeologist

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our greatest natural resource.

We expect to many vacancies at this time; and additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

Salary is based on the Rest of US Salary Table and may be higher depending on duty location.

Qualifications:

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.

This position has a Basic Education Requirement (BER). There are multiple ways to satisfy the Education Requirement (see below):

1) A degree which included three (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; AND
- 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 (6) 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; OR

2) A related 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

3) A combination of education and experience - college level education or training that provided knowledge equivalent to that described above, plus appropriate technical experience or additional education; OR

4) Four (4) 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.

For GS-09: Meet the BER above AND have one (1) year of professional archeology experience equivalent to GS-07 in the Federal service. Work requires application of expanded professional knowledge. Examples: assist in the surveying, compiling and interpretation of archeological & historical data of a specific geographical area; make professional recommendations on archeological & historical resources affected by surface disturbances; OR completed two (2) or more years of graduate education leading to a master's degree or masters or equivalent graduate degree in a field of study directly related to the work of this position; OR an equivalent combination of the type and level of experience and education described above.

For GS-11: Meet the BER above and one (1) year of professional archeology experience equivalent to GS-09 in the Federal service: Specialized experience is further defined as planning & carrying out archeological research projects which center on a major historical theme & time period that includes author or review cultural resource sections of resource management plans; develop mitigation strategies to resolve adverse effects to historic properties; supervise activities to protect & improve the conditions of cultural resources; OR completed 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; ORan equivalent combination of the type and level of experience and education described above.

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; 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.