This position is located in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Technical Services Staff, State, Area, or Field Office in Corozal, Puerto Rico. This position serves as a developmental staff Archeologist for NRCS activities. Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized.

Duties

Researches archeological databases and other records systems to identify potential sites. Utilizes Geographic Positioning System (GPS) equipment, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and other applications and technology to gather archeological data. Utilizes GIS to capture, edit, extract, and archive cultural resources data and produce maps and reports. Serves as agency liaison, as assigned, to other federal, state, and local agencies involved with cultural resources issues. Prepares reports of findings and recommendations for NRCS and other agencies and provides guidance and training on cultural resource issues to the field.

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. If selected you will be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are not able to reimburse any fees incurred for fingerprints.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state motor vehicle operator's license for the type of vehicle(s) operated to perform the duties of this position.
• This is a bargaining unit position.
• Fluent in speaking, writing and reading in English and Spanish.
• The incumbent must meet criteria to be placed on NRCS State Land permit with the State Cultural and Historic Resources Committee to be able to survey state owned land.
• Physical Demands: Some work requires physical exertion related to conservation work requiring walking on rough terrain, jumping ditches and furrows, climbing steep banks, and the typical physical requirements of archeological survey work.
• Work Environment: However, the field work involves exposure to moderate risks and discomforts such as high levels of dust, low or high temperatures, animals, poisonous insects, plants, adverse weather conditions.
• Work Environment: Regular and recurring exposure to operating equipment such as 4x4 vehicles and ATVs. Employee is required to wear proper personal protective equipment.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: A. Education 1. Completed bachelor's or higher degree that included 3 semester hours each in the following course areas; (1) History of archeology; (2) Archeology of a major geographical area such as North America or Africa; (3) 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; (4) Theory and methods of archeology. Methods include, but are not limited to, typology, classification, sampling, cultural evolution, diffusion, dating, and analytical techniques; (5) 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 6 semester hours of related course work in; (1) geography, geology, or cultural geography; (2) history, historiography, or historical archeology; (3) environmental studies; (4) scientific writing (nonfiction English composition); and/or (5) surveying; AND Archeological field school. (You must submit transcripts.) OR B. Education - 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) (You must submit transcripts.); OR C. 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 (You must submit transcripts.); OR D. Experience: Four (4) 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 one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level(s) in which you are applying: GS-5: Applicants that meet the Basic Requirements listed above meet the minimum qualifications at the GS-05 grade level. (You must submit transcripts.) GS-7: Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties: Assisting with archeological surveys; Assisting with reports of findings and recommendations of archeological surveys; and Helping staff collect archeological data for maps and report using geographic positions system (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS) equipment, and/or other applications or technology. OR Education: Must have successfully completed at least one full year of graduate level education in a related field such as Archeology; anthropology (with emphasis on ethnology, physical anthropology, or scientific linguistics), history, American studies, or a related discipline. One full year is generally equivalent to 18 semester hours. (You must submit transcripts.) OR Combination of Education and Experience: Must have a percentage of the graduate education and experience above which when combined totals 100% of the necessary education and experience to qualify for this position. (You MUST submit supporting academic transcripts.) OR Superior Academic Achievement: Must meet the qualifications for Superior Academic Achievement, which include a bachelor's degree in Archeology; anthropology (with emphasis on ethnology, physical anthropology, or scientific linguistics), history, American studies, or a related discipline and one of the following methods: A grade point average of B (3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for your completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; A grade-point average of B+ (3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in the major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision; or Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. Note: If more than 10 percent of your courses were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim must be based on class standing or membership in an honorary society. (You must submit transcripts.) GS-9: Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties: Searching databases and other record systems to identify potential cultural sites; Conducting archeological surveys; and Utilizing geographic positions system (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS) to collect archeological data for maps and reports. OR Education: Must possess two years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Master's degree or Master's or equivalent graduate degree in Archeology; anthropology (with emphasis on ethnology, physical anthropology, or scientific linguistics), history, American studies, or a related discipline. (You must submit transcripts.) OR Combination of Education and Experience: Combination of the above described education and specialized experience such that they total 100% when combined. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent. (Only graduate level education beyond the first year or 18 semester hours may be combined with specialized experience. You must submit transcripts.) IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). 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. The OPM Qualification Standards for this position can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series

Education

You must submit a copy of your college transcripts or a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify all education requirements (i.e. substitution of education and/or basic education requirement). If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement. You must document all requirements on every vacancy; we cannot use previous determinations as a basis for rating. All required information must be received by the closing date of this announcement, and non-submission of all required documents/documentation will result in non-consideration. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. This information must be received by the closing date of this announcement. Non-submission of these documents will result in non-consideration. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)

Contacts

• Address Natural Resources Conservation Service 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 US
• Name: Midwest Services Branch
• Phone: 8164265706
• Email: [email protected]