Historian 2 (PCN 10-5049)

State of Alaska; Anchorage (AK); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, seeks a Local Government Coordinator/Architectural Historian in Anchorage, Alaska.

This full-time role combines CLG coordinator duties with architectural history, requiring training within a year to meet professional qualifications; travel statewide to support historic preservation projects, nominations, grants, and standards while engaging with communities and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in history, architectural history, or closely related field.
• At least 1 year experience in collection, synthesis, evaluation, and presentation of historical data.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with local governments and preservation commissions to provide assistance and training.
• Provide technical assistance on National Register nominations, preservation tax credits, and grants.
• Engage with property owners, developers, planners, and preservation professionals to offer technical preservation guidance and identify grant sources.
• Assist with Secretary of the Interior Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties and related documentation.

Skills

History & Archeology

Oral & Written Communication

Grants Management

Architecture

Accountability

Education

Master's degree in history/architectural history

Job description

The Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, is recruiting for a Local Government Coordinator/Architectural Historian in Anchorage, Alaska.

This position is open to Alaska Residents only.

The Historian position is a two-pronged position that serves as both Certified Local Communities Coordinator and Architectural Historian. The full-time position is contingent upon completing training in architectural history and historic preservation programming, including regulations, plans, and grants, within one year of hire to meet the job's professional qualifications.

Duties of the Historian 2 position include:

• Coordinating with local governments, primarily Certified Local Governments and their historic preservation commissions, to provide assistance, training, and support for historic preservation programs.
• Providing technical assistance on nominations for the National Register of Historic Places, historic preservation tax credit projects, and historic preservation grants.
• Engaging with members of the public (property owners, developers, real estate professionals, planners, preservation professionals), providing them with technical preservation expertise, rehabilitation recommendations, and possible grant sources, as well as non-profits that promote and advocate for historic properties in the nation, state, and local communities.
• Providing technical assistance on the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties, including documenting the structural condition of historic properties, preparing correspondence and reports, writing and reviewing preservation plans, and supporting state and federal agencies in reviewing Section 106 undertakings and other planning activities.

Mission and Values/Culture:

The Office of History and Archaeology (OHA) is Alaska's primary office with knowledge and expertise in historic preservation, dedicated to preserving and interpreting Alaska's past. It serves as Alaska's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The office works with federal and state agencies, tribes, local governments, the public, and educational and not-for-profit organizations to identify, preserve, protect, and interpret the state's cultural, historic, and archaeological resources, ensuring that our heritage is passed on to future generations.

Benefits of Joining Our Team:

Opportunity to work with a group of dedicated professionals willing to provide meaningful mentorship. The position helps to shape historic preservation policy, offers insight into federal-state cultural resource programs, and assists local communities in preserving Alaska’s historic and culturally significant places. Work schedules may be flexible, especially during episodes of inclement weather.

The Working Environment You Can Expect:

OHA is an open office environment where the incumbent has access to desk space and a personal computer and participates in weekly in-person and virtual meetings. Fieldwork includes traveling to cities, towns, communities, and remote locations throughout Alaska to conduct field investigations, document historic properties, and prepare reports, including historic structure reports and documentation for National Register of Historic Places nominations. The position may entail occasional exposure to high levels of noise and working around moving machinery and mechanical parts.

We are looking for a candidate who possesses the following position-specific competencies.

• History and Archeology: Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and impact on particular civilizations and cultures, and of preservation and archival techniques.
• Oral and Written Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral and written presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
• Grants Management Laws, Regulations, and Guidelines: Knowledge of principles, laws, regulations, policies, practices, and guidelines (for example, Executive Orders, Code of Federal Regulations, OMB circulars) of grant or agreement programs, including their order of precedence.
• Architecture: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and practices used in planning, designing, constructing, and maintaining buildings or other structures, considering aesthetic and functional concerns.
• Accountability: Holds self and others accountable for measurable, high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results. Determines objectives, sets priorities, and delegates work. Accepts responsibility for own actions and decisions. Complies with established control systems and rules.

Minimum Qualifications

Master's degree from an accredited college in history, architectural history, or closely related fields and one year experience in the collection, synthesis, evaluation and presentation of historical data as an Historian 1 with the State of Alaska or the equivalent elsewhere.

Substitution: Additional graduate study in history, architectural history, or closely related fields beyond the specified master's degree may substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis. Two years of professional historical research experience beyond the bachelor's degree will substitute for the required master's degree.

SPECIAL NOTICES

• Requires a master's degree in history, historic preservation, or a closely related field, or at least two years of full-time experience with an academic institution, historical/cultural organization, agency, museum, or other professional institution, and attainment of suitable training to meet federal professional qualifications within one year of hire.

• Coursework in Alaska History is preferred.

• Requires statewide travel; some may not have commercial accommodation.
• Public engagement along with virtual and in-person meeting coordination are a part of this position's essential functions.

Driver’s License Requirement

Applicants must possess a valid driver's license. Proof of licensure will be required prior to reporting to duty.

EEO STATEMENT The State of Alaska complies with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Individuals with disabilities who require accommodation, auxiliary aids or services, or alternative communication formats should call 1-800-587-0430 or [phone] in Juneau or TTY: Alaska Relay 711 or 1-800-770-8973 or correspond with the Division of Personnel & Labor Relations at P.O. Box 110201, Juneau, AK 99811-0201. The State of Alaska is an equal opportunity employer.

Contact Information

Katherine Ringsmuth

Historian 3

Phone:[phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Phone [phone] (Statewide toll-free number)
[phone] (Juneau and out-of-state callers)