Summary
This position is located within the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Park Service, Midwest Region, Division of Interpretation/Cultural Resources, in Harrison, Arkansas.
Responsibilities
At the full performance level (GS-11) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following: The archeologist serves as the lead cultural resources specialist for Buffalo National River. Serves on an interdisciplinary team of resource specialists responsible for the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. The position will oversee a diverse cultural resource program including archeology; cultural landscapes; historic structures; ethnography; museum collections, compliance with Section 106 and Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and coordination with outside agencies including the Arkansas State Historic Preservation Act and with Tribal Historic Preservation Offices for eight tribes. The position will serve as an advisor to park management on cultural resources management and will provide significant input into management plans and environmental documents. The position will supervise temporary and contract employees on an intermittent basis. 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. Work Environment: 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, fire lines, arctic environments, swamps, deserts, and forests. Flying in fixed-winged aircraft and helicopters is possible. Area Information: Buffalo National River was established in 1972 as the country's first national river; the park protects 135 miles of river from near its origin in the Boston Mountains to the confluence with the White River in Northwest Arkansas. Nearly 100,000 acres in size, roughly one third of the park's land base is designated wilderness. Heavily wooded and extremely rugged terrains are found throughout the park along with numerous hidden caves and waterfalls. There are over 100 miles of maintained trails for hiking and horseback use. There are two developed campgrounds and eight primitive campgrounds throughout the entire park. Of the two developed campgrounds, only one offers amenities such as water and electricity hook ups for visitors. There is one visitor center in each of the three districts, two of which are staffed and open to the public year-round.Harrison has a population of approximately 14,000 people. Harrison offers K-12 schools, a community college, restaurants, shopping, groceries, a movie theatre, a performing arts theatre, a hospital, and specialized clinics. There are several rental properties, as well as homes to purchase within Harrison and Boone County. For more information, see the parks website: www.nps.gov/BUFF
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 10/07/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. Selective Placement Factors: This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. If you do not provide evidence that you possess the following selective factor(s), you will be rated not qualified. Secretary of Interior Professional Qualification Standard for Archeologist: Possess a graduate degree in archeology, anthropology, or closely related field plus:1.) One full year of professional experience or equivalent specialized training in archeological research, administration or management.2.) At least four (4) months of supervised field and analytic experience in general North American archeology, and 3.) Demonstrated ability to carry research to completion. In addition to these professional qualifications, a professional in prehistoric archeology shall have at least one (1) year of full-time professional experience at a supervisory level in the study of archeological resources of the prehistoric period, or a professional in historic archeology shall have at least one (1) year of full-time professional experience at a supervisory level in the study of archeological resources of the historic period. -AND- BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: All applicants must meet the basic education requirement for their discipline: Archeology GS-0193 AND the experience listed below. Please note: It is your responsibility to show how you satisfy the course requirements for the series(s) you are applying for. If you do not provide information that clearly shows how your completed college course work meets all of the requirements, you will be rated ineligible. Your rating will be based solely on the information you submit with your application. No attempts will be made to verify with you, or the school you attended, whether or not your course work meets all of the requirements. YOU MUST SUBMIT ALL YOUR COLLEGE TRANSCRIPTS. Archeology GS-0193: A. 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. -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- Archeological field school. 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 in A 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. -AND- To qualify for this position at the GS-9 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Examples of qualifying specialized experience for this position includes: conducted archeological investigations at a crew chief level or higher; prepared reports on archeological investigations; prepared Section 106 compliance documentation for submittal to the State Historic Preservation Office; conducted surveys using GPS mapping techniques and preparing GIS maps and overlays; and having experience conducting historical and archeological field investigations and report preparation. Technical experience alone may not be creditable to meet this specialized experience requirement. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Master's Degree or higher, or completion of all requirements for a Master or equivalent graduate degree. To be qualifying, graduate study must have been in archeology, anthropology, or other closely related field. The total education offered to meet this provision must have provided you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the work of this position. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and graduate experience as described above (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level). To be qualifying, graduate study must have been in archeology, anthropology, or other closely related field. The total education offered to meet this provision must have provided you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the work of this position. You must include transcripts. Additional Qualifications located under Education -
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 https://www.e-verify.gov/. Must possess (by EOD) and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment. You are required to wear a uniform and comply with uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest. 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 or trial 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
Qualifications Continued - To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) 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). Examples of qualifying specialized experience for this position includes: planning, implementing, and leading surveys and monitoring efforts of archeologic sites and other cultural resources associated with the Colorado Plateau and adjacent cultural provinces; preparing funding proposals or developing grants to conduct archeology-related research; utilizing Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information System (GIS), Photogrammetry, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), Ground Penetrating Radar, and various sources of aerial imagery (e.g. satellite imagery) to capture, analyze, display, and share digital archeological data; developing simulations of archeological data and features using three-dimensional models; providing recommendations for management decisions based on collected archeological data. Technical experience alone may not be creditable to meet this specialized experience requirement. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion at least three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. To be qualifying, graduate study must have been in archeology, anthropology, or other closely related field. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To be qualifying, graduate study must have been in archeology, anthropology, or other closely related field. The total education offered to meet this provision must have provided you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the work of this position. You must include transcripts. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. 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. This position has a mandatory education requirement. 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. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications