Summary You will serve as an Archeologist at Dinosaur National Monument located in Dinosaur, Colorado.
Please visit find a park for additional park information.
This is a Permanent, Competitive, Full-time appointment.
Duties At the full performance level (GS-11) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:
- Serves as the Section 106 compliance specialist for the monument, leading compliance processes as required by Sections 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Archeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA), NPS Management Policies, and cultural resource management guidelines for planning, infrastructure, and other projects.
- Conducts field monitoring and archeological surveys, and prepares compliance documentation for park undertakings, coordinating consultations with Colorado and Utah State Historic Preservation Offices, 36 traditionally associated Tribes, and other state and federal agencies as needed.
- Serves as an advisor to park management on cultural resources. Identifies, evaluates, and monitors cultural resources, identifies potential threats, and makes recommendations to management regarding status and mitigation of impacts (present and future).
- Determines research needs and coordinates efforts toward obtaining research through various programs, grants, and contracts.
- Reviews archaeological research project proposals, scopes of work, and task directives prepared for planning and other management purposes.
- Manages archeological collections according to established museum procedures.
- In cooperation with appropriate staff, researchers, and partners, the incumbent designs, implements, and supervises multi-phased archeological projects involving documentary, archival, and collections research; field investigations (both survey and excavation); and laboratory analysis.
- Incorporates use of GPS, GIS and other computer software in support of data collection and reporting activities.
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 11/10/2026 - unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state "40 hours a week" or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service from the military branch is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.
Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state:
- the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position;
- starting and ending dates of employment (month/year); and
- total hours worked (as indicated above).
- If position was developmental in nature, resume must breakdown duties and start/end dates per grade level.
Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:
Basic Educational Requirements: In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following:
- Education - ALL appropriate transcripts must be submitted for proper crediting of individual course requirements
A. Degree: Completed a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's degree or higher that included: 3 semester hours or the equivalent in EACH of the following course areas:
- History of archeology; and
- Archeology of a major geographical area such as North America or Africa; and
- 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; and
- Theory and methods of archeology. Methods include, but are not limited to, typology, classification, sampling, cultural evolution, diffusion, dating, and analytical techniques; and
- 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: geography, geology, or cultural geography; history, historiography, or historical archeology; environmental studies; scientific writing (nonfiction English composition); and/or surveying;
AND
Archeological field school.
-OR-
B. 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 above (including archeological field school)
-OR-
- Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of college level education or training that provided knowledge equivalent to that described in A above, plus appropriate technical experience or additional education.)
-OR-
- Experience: 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.
Specialized Experience Requirement for GS-11: In addition to meeting the Basic Education requirements for this position, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Qualifying specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience with, but not limited to, the following:
- Planning and conducting archeological investigations;
- Conducting archeological surveys, testing, excavation, and monitoring of projects;
- Performing field inspections, research, and project resource assessments;
- Reviewing cultural resource permits and fieldwork plans;
- Utilizing computerized systems to process, and analyze archeological data;
- Planning long range protection and management of cultural resources;
- Writing Determinations of Eligibility and National Register Nominations for archeological properties
-OR-
Three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a PhD or equivalent graduate degree, in archeology, anthropology, or other closely related field.
-OR-
An equivalent combination of graduate education and specialized experience as described above, that when calculated as a percentage of each requirement and added together, equals at least 100%. Only graduate education beyond the second year is creditable to meet this standard.
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. Education This position has a mandatory education requirement. All appropriate transcripts must be submitted for proper crediting.
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. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification
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 www.dhs.gov/EVerify/.
- You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
- You must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.
- You must be at least 18 years of age or older and have a valid state driver's license to operate government vehicles.
- As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.
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 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.How you will be evaluated Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of any additional assessment(s) required for this position.
Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the documents submitted as the "Resume" and/ or "Transcripts" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.
Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into the following categories:
• Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
• Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
• Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Compliance
- History and Archaeology
- Research
- Technical Competence
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessment(s), including a structured resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.
Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.
Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. How to apply Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application.
To apply for and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/10/2026 unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement to receive consideration.
The application process is as follows:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13094525
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status, visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.
Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. Other information Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.
Continued Service Agreement: A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a paid permanent change in duty station (PCS).
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.
Ethics: All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions.
Telework: The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.
Probationary Period: 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.
