Archeologist

US Western Area Power Administration; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

US Western Area Power Administration seeks an Archeologist to manage cultural resource compliance for ongoing construction and maintenance projects. You will coordinate with local, state, and federal agencies to ensure NHPA and Section 106 compliance, including interactions with tribes.

Responsibilities include conducting surveys, preparing documentation, and guiding fieldwork in support of multiple duty locations across the Western Area.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in archaeology/anthropology with field school experience required.
• Experience in archeological surveys, reporting, and compliance with NHPA/Section 106 workflows.
• Ability to coordinate with tribes and federal/state agencies on cultural resource issues.

Responsibilities

• Manage cultural resource compliance for multiple construction and maintenance activities.
• Coordinate Section 106 processes with tribes and other agencies.
• Prepare survey reports and documentation for cultural resource projects.

Skills

GIS

GPS data collection

Cultural resource compliance

Stakeholder communication

Education

Archaeology/Anthropology degree

Field school / field experience

Related coursework (geography/environmental studies)

Tools

GIS software

NHPA knowledge (regulations)

Job description

This position is for multiple regions within the Western Area Power Administration. As an Archeologist, you will be managing cultural resource compliance for multiple on-going construction and maintenance activities and coordinating with local, state, and other Federal agencies in support of these activities.

THIS IS NOT A REMOTE POSITION. YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO REPORT TO ONE OF THE DUTY LOCATIONS LISTED IN THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy.

This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for the 0193 Series listed below that must be met:

1. Education
   1. Degree that included 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.
      • 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.

• Six 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;

• Archeological field school.
• 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.1 (including archeological field school).

1. Combination of Education and Experience

College-level education or training that provided knowledge equivalent to that described in A above, plus appropriate technical experience or additional education.

1. 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 a part of a larger archeological project.

To qualify for the GS-11: Applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at the GS-9 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service. You must meet 3 of the 5 bullets listed below:

• Using basic geographic information system (GIS) programs and collecting data using global positioning system (GPS) to assist in locating sites.
• Conducting archeological surveys, record sites, field analysis of artifacts, making determinations of eligibility, perform archeological monitoring, write survey and monitoring reports, and communicate results to stakeholders.
• Applying cultural resource laws and regulations to ensure projects and activities are compliant with organization policies, plans, memoranda of agreements, or programmatic agreements.
• Providing technical assistance and guidance to internal and external stakeholders regarding cultural resource compliance.
• Coordinating with tribes and other resource agencies, conduct Section 106 consultation, and represent the organization in technical meetings and workshops.

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: Applicants may have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related.

A combination of education and experience to successfully perform the duties of the position.

To qualify for the GS-12: Applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service. You must meet 3 of the 4 bullets listed below:

• Working with planning teams to develop and coordinate cultural resource compliance strategies for projects and activities.
• Conducting cultural resource background research, surveys, and monitoring to comply with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Section 106.
• Developing and implementing tribal consultation plans, coordinating environmental and cultural resource studies, and preparing documents in compliance with cultural resource related laws and regulations.
• Conducting archeological surveys, record sites, field analysis of artifacts, making determinations of eligibility, perform archeological monitoring, write survey and monitoring reports, and communicate results to stakeholders to comply with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Section 106.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.