- U.S. Citizenship Required
- As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period OR 2-year trial period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated
- A background security investigation will be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
- If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
- Selectee is required to operate a government motor vehicle, must possess a valid driver's license, and have a safe driving record within the 4 year period immediately preceding submittal of GSA Form 3607.
- AN INCENTIVE MAY BE AVAILABLE FOR HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES AT MANAGEMENT DISCRETION. A SERVICE AGREEMENT WILL BE REQUIRED.
EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: (OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards
Professional and Scientific Positions, GS-0193)
BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT FOR ALL GRADES:
Education: 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.
OR
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: College-level education or training that provided knowledge equivalent to that described in A above, plus appropriate technical experience or additional education.
OR
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.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:
Qualifications for GS-07:
I have 1 year of specialized experience that equipped me with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. This experience is related to the work of the position and equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include archeological and historical archival research and analysis; correlation of varied archeological and historical data pertaining to environment, settlement patterns and subsistence practices; field identification and testing of archeological or historic sites; mitigation through excavation for data recovery, and preparation of reports based on the conclusion of findings.
OR
I have 1 full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. (18 semester hours, 27 quarter hours or equivalent)
OR
I have a combination of experience as described in A and education as described in B which totals 100% of the requirement. To compute, determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determine your education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; then add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify.
OR
I graduated with a bachelor's degree which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work AND I have documented Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) during my undergraduate studies. I meet the SAA by one of the following three methods: (1) class standing - upper third of the graduating class based on completed courses in the college, university or major subdivision; (2) grade point average - 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on my official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B " or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR (3) election to membership in a national scholastic honor society (note: membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision). Submit a copy of your transcript and proof of GPA computation, Class standing, or Honor Society membership.
Qualifications for GS-09:
I have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include planning and carrying out the Bureau's cultural resources management and NEPA programs; fulfill and execute the Federal government's legal responsibilities related to cultural resources used by the tribes for sustenance, cultural enrichment and economic development and support; and promote the conservation, development and wise use of these resources for the maximum benefit of Indian people.
OR
I possess a Master's degree or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Master's degree, must be related to position
Qualifications for GS-11:
I have 1 year of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include conducting on-the-ground archeological surveys and investigations, consolidating, and interpreting findings based on work; prepare appropriate documentation for compliance with federal laws and regulations; act as lead field archeologist for lower graded archeologist; fulfill and execute the Federal government's legal responsibilities related to cultural resources used by the tribes for sustenance, cultural enrichment and economic development and support; conduct searches of available records and documents to determine need for field investigations and potential effects; and advise on implementing policies and procedures as they relate to cultural resources and archeology
OR
I possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree if relate.
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur in the same location within 90 days from the closing date.
If you are qualifying based on your education, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education which shows 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: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1). See 2026 Salary Tables and select the pay chart for Aberdeen, South Dakota; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Lakewood, Colorado; Muskogee, Oklahoma. If no specific chart is listed for this geographic location, see the "rest of U.S." chart.
The full performance level of this position is GS-11. Promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. A career ladder promotion is at the discretion of management, and in no way guaranteed.
The probationary or trial 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 -OR- trial period] your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application package will be evaluated against the minimum qualification requirements specified above. In order to qualify, your resume must specifically describe your work history and the duties you performed in each position.
Your resume will be evaluated after the closing date of 06/12/2026 to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position.
Please follow all instructions carefully, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, which may include a structured resume review, structured interview and/or accomplishment record. These assessments measure the critical competencies required to successfully perform the job.
- History and Archaeology
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Information Management
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Interpersonal Skills
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Research
If you meet the minimum qualifications requirements for this position, your application will be evaluated and rated under Category Rating selection procedures. Once the application process is complete, a review of your qualifications will be conducted to determine if you are qualified for this job. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The quality categories are: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within each of these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-preference eligibles.
- Best Qualified: Applicants that possess all of the job related competencies identified as important for successful job performance.
- Well Qualified: Applicants that possess a majority (i.e., more than half but not all) of the job related competencies needed for successful job performance.
- Qualified: Applicants meet the basic eligibility and minimum qualification requirements but do not meet the definition of Best Qualified or Well Qualified as described above.
Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (Title 25, USC, Section 472). Verification Form BIA-4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference. Indian Preference eligibles not currently employed in Federal service may be appointed under the Excepted Service Appointment Authority Schedule A, 213.3112(a)(7). Consideration will be given to Non-Indian applicants in the absence of qualified Indian Preference eligibles. For more information, please visit: https://www.bia.gov/jobs.
REVIEW BEFORE YOU SUBMIT: You may preview the assessment questions here in the https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12973279.
The following documents are required for this position:
- Resume which details work experience including dates worked (mm/yy-mm/yy), position title, Grade (if federal service), and hours worked per week.
- On-line Assessment Questionnaire
- Transcripts (if using education to qualify) - Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, an official transcript may be requested at a later time.
- BIA Form 4432 (if claiming Indian preference)
- Veteran's documentation -
- For 5-point veterans' preference, please provide your DD-214, Copy 4 that MUST show an Honorable Discharge (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty, or other official documentation (e.g., copy of military orders, campaign documents as or expeditionary award citation, etc.) proving your military service was performed under honorable conditions.
- For 10-point veterans' preference, you must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference and the supporting documentation required by that form.
- If you are a disabled veteran you must submit a Veterans Affairs (VA) letter on VA letterhead that states your overall combined rating and a DD214 (copy 4) reflecting an honorable discharge.
ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY
11:59 PM Eastern Time ON THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. If your application package is incomplete in any way, you will not be considered for this position, and requests for extensions will not be granted. Please double check your application package before you submit it.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE SOLICITED OR ACCEPTED BY THIS OFFICE.
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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
