Archeologist (DETAIL/TEMP PROMOTION NTE 1 YEAR)

Full Job Description

This position is in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farm Service Agency (FSA), Environmental Activities Division (EAD).

This position serves as the FSA Federal Preservation Officer (FPO), National Archaeologist, and Cultural Resources Specialist for FSA-wide cultural resources management and historic preservation.

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement.

For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts.

Basic Requirement: GS-0193: A. Education 1.

Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study 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.

AND 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; AND 2.

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).

OR B.

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 C. 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.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education listed below.

Specialized Experience Requirement For the GS-14 grade level: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in federal service or comparable experience not gained through federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as: Planning, directing, coordinating, and executing surveys for the location and verification of archaeological and historic sites; Developing immediate and long-range archaeological objectives integrated with resource activities; Consulting with recognized Indian Tribes or State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) under provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) to discuss concerns, ensure compliance, and assess impact; Representing an organization at regional and national scientific organization and society meetings to present and exchange information; Experience training staff on the NHPA Section 106 consultation process.

Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-12 level.

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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Time-in-Grade Requirement: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

You must meet this requirement by the closing date of this announcement. Major Duties:

• Provides oversight into FSA implementation and compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and other preservation laws
• Responsible for developing innovative approaches to FSA’s compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act as well as compliance with related state and federal historic preservation laws and policies.
• Develops authoritative guidance, regulation, policy, and technical guides and training to states.
• Develops cutting edge national training programs associated with the preservation, protection and/or recovery of cultural resources
• Provides innovative training and guidance on cultural resources policies, regulations, and federal legislative requirements.
• Advises the EAD Director, the Team Lead, other National Headquarters Program Managers, and FSA partner agencies, state, and field state regarding regulations, policies and guidance for historic properties, cultural resources.
• Conducts complex studies and analyses and evaluates and presents professional opinions affecting FSA’s Historic preservation and cultural resource activities.
• Provides direct consultation with FSA State Executive Directors (SED) and State Environmental Coordinators (SEC), as well as NRCS’ NHQ Archaeologist, on emerging critical and highly controversial issues.