Archeologist

Summary

You will serve as an Archeologist at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Boulder City, NV Please visit find a park for additional park information. This is a Permanent, Competitive, Full-time appointment.

Duties

• At the full performance level (GS-11) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following: Plans and conducts archeological research for planning documents, including general management plans, resources management plans, environmental impact statements, environmental assessments, archeological overviews and assessments, and archeological field investigations of all types, as required to meet the needs of the park. Incorporates appropriate Geographic Information Systems technology into job to provide comprehensive and scientifically sound answers to inquiries from mangers and others by using automatic methods of data collection, analysis, or illustration. Inputs data into digital form and uses computer applications for data analysis, manipulation, and presentation. Serves as an advisor to park management on cultural resources. Identifies, evaluates, and monitors cultural resources, identifies potential threats, and makes recommendations to management regarding status and mitigation of impacts (present and future). In cooperation with appropriate staff, researchers, and partners, the incumbent designs, implements, and oversees multi-phased archeological projects involving documentary, archival, and collections research; field investigations (both survey and excavation); laboratory analysis of recovered data; and professional report writing. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 09/24/2026 - unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either 40 hours a week or Part-Time with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state: the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position; starting and ending dates of employment (month/year); and total hours worked (as indicated above). If position was developmental in nature, resume must breakdown duties and start/end dates per grade level. Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: Basic Educational Requirements: In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following: 1. Education - all appropriate transcripts must be submitted for proper crediting A. Degree: Completed a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's degree or higher that included: 3 semester hours or the equivalent in EACH of the following course areas: History of archeology; and Archeology of a major geographical area such as North America or Africa; and 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; and 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 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; AND Archeological field school. -OR- B. 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 above (including archeological field school) -OR- 2. Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of college level education or training that provided knowledge equivalent to that described in A above, plus appropriate technical experience or additional education.) -OR- 3. Experience: 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. Specialized Experience Requirement for GS-11: In addition to meeting the Basic Education requirements for this position, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience includes: Plans for and executes archeological investigations required to meet Section 106 and/or Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act guidelines and research needs Utilizes GIS to make and support technical recommendations Experience managing or maintaining GIS geodatabase Demonstrates leadership skills, such as train, mentor, and review the work of archeology technicians Participation in and contribution to interdisciplinary teams, providing information on cultural resource concerns Drafting or reviewing scopes of works for contracting/contract development and/or research proposals Contributing to or drafting portions of compliance (or consultation) documents (related to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act). -OR- Three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a PhD or equivalent graduate degree, in archeology, anthropology, or other closely related field. -OR- An equivalent combination of graduate education and specialized experience as described above, that when calculated as a percentage of each requirement and added together, equals at least 100%. Only graduate education beyond the second year is creditable to meet this standard. Specialized Experience Requirement for GS-09: In addition to meeting the Basic Education requirements for this position, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience includes: Received formal and on-the-job instructions and training on the practical application of archeological principles, theories, methods, practices, and techniques Assist in conducting background studies and document reviews pertaining to archeological project development Identification of cultural artifacts, features, and sites Participated in archeological pedestrian survey, site documentation, and site evaluation work Preparation of technical reports (or sections of reports) Used Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to record archeological sites and survey/project locations Use of GIS to produce maps for reports or site forms. -OR- Two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree, in archeology, anthropology, or other closely related field. -OR- An equivalent combination of graduate education and specialized experience as described above, that when calculated as a percentage of each requirement and added together, equals at least 100%. Only graduate education beyond the first year is creditable to meet this standard. 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.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Direct Deposit participation required. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/. Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. You must be at least 18 years of age or older to operate government vehicles. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

This position has a mandatory education requirement. All appropriate transcripts must be submitted for proper crediting. You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/24/2026 --unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13058325 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status, visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.