Seasonal Archeologist Job at National Park Service in Baker

Seasonal Archeologist position at National Park Service

Summary

The Pacific West Region is recruiting for a summer seasonal Seasonal Archeologist position intended to assist permanent staff with archeology field work. This is an open continuous vacancy announcement; final application disposition will be completed once all positions have been filled or the announcement reaches the end of the open period. The first cut-off date is 11:59 pm (EST), 12/08/2025. Please see the “Next Steps” section for additional cut off dates.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for or makes significant contributions to the resources management plan, interpretive prospectus, and spin-off documents such as specific plans, action plans, revisions, fiscal and budget documents.
• 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).
• Coordinates Park Cultural Resource strategies and programs with those on adjacent lands for the purpose of achieving broad protection strategies and minimizing human impacts.
• Determines research needs and coordinates efforts towards obtaining research through various programs, grants, and contracts. Reviews archeological research project proposals, scope of work, and task directives prepared for planning and other management purposes, including resources management plans.
• 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.

Physical Demands

The position may require strenuous physical activity including periods of standing, walking, climbing, and lifting and carrying heavy objects. Some activities will 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, firelines, arctic environments, swamps, deserts, and forests. Flying in fixed‑wing aircraft and helicopters is possible.

CTAP/ICTAP Statement

Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP.

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
• Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
• May be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of official duties; must maintain a valid state‑issued driver’s license and submit copies annually.
• Must wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
• Travel, transportation & relocation expenses will not be paid; relocation expenses will be the employee’s responsibility.
• Applicants must be at least 18 yrs. old or at least 16 yrs. old and meet qualifying educational or student employment criteria.

Qualifications

Basic Requirement

1. Education – Six semester hours of related coursework in the areas listed below.
   • 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.
   • Geography, geology, or cultural geography.
   • History, historiography, or historical archeology.
   • Environmental studies.
   • Scientific writing (nonfiction English composition); and/or surveying.
2. Archeological field school – You must include all transcripts.
3. 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 as satisfying the educational requirements, provided the curriculum supplied academic coursework sufficiently similar to the requirements above (including archeological field school). You must include transcripts.
4. Combination – College‑level education or training that provided knowledge equivalent to that described in (1) or (2) above, plus appropriate technical experience or additional education to total four years. This combination must demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work of an archeologist comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full four‑year course of study. You must include hours per week worked and transcripts.
5. 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 part of a larger archeological project. You must include hours per week worked.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Experience – At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS‑09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: develop and complete archeological research, including problem definition and work planning, implementation of data collection, written summary of methods and results, and final publication of work; contribution to interdisciplinary environmental planning and resources management teams, providing information on archeological resources and contributing to, or reviewing, planning, inventory, assessment, and compliance documents; design, implement, and supervise archeological projects involving documentary, archival, and collections research; field investigations (both survey and excavation); laboratory analysis of recovered data; and professional report writing. You must include hours per week worked.
2. Education – Successful completion of at least three years of progressively higher‑level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Archeology, Anthropology or related coursework from an accredited college or university in a field directly related to this position. You must include transcripts.
3. Combination – Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. NOTE: Only progressive graduate education in excess of the first two years is creditable. For example, 6 months of the specialized experience equivalent to GS‑09 (50 percent of the experience requirement) and 45 semester hours or 68 quarter hours of appropriate directly related graduate education (50 percent of the education requirement). Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include hours per week worked and transcripts.

Volunteer Experience

Volunteer work through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social) is considered qualifying experience. Credit will be given for all qualifying volunteer experience.

Education Submission Instructions

To qualify based on education, 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 you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. If education was completed in foreign colleges, show credentials evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and has been deemed equivalent to a U.S. accredited program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional Information

For additional information about these positions, contact:

Crater Lake National Park
Jason Allen
jason_allen@nps.gov

Great Basin National Park
Margaret Horner
margaret_horner@nps.gov