USAJOBS - Job Announcement

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our greatest natural resource.

BLM is seeking a dynamic and energetic individual to join the seasonal team to serve as an Archaeologist Technician for the Western Montana District Office, Missoula Field Office, in Missoula, Montana. Information about the Missoula area can be found at the Missoula Chamber of Commerce website.

Housing is not provided for this position.

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Reviewing applications

Open & closing dates

11/18/2019 to 12/02/2019
Salary

$16.27 - $23.57 per hour
Pay scale & grade

GS 05 - 06
Location
- Missoula, MT Few vacancies
Telework eligible

No
Travel Required

Occasional travel - Overnight travel may be required on a regular and recurring basis and employee will be required to obtain and use a government charge card, when travel is necessary.
Relocation expenses reimbursed

No
Appointment type

Temporary - This is a temporary appointment, not to exceed 1039 hours (6 months). 2020 summer season - generally from May-November.
Work schedule

Full-time - Work Schedule is full-time
Service

Competitive
Promotion potential

No - These positions have no promotion potential; to be considered for a higher grade, you must apply for the higher grade.
Job family (Series)

0102 Social Science Aid and Technician
Supervisory status

No
Security clearance

Not Required
Drug test

No
Announcement number

MT-TEMP-2020-0003
Control number

551704400

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The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens - No previous Federal Service is required.

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The Archaeological Technicians assist Archaeologists with preserving the history of our natural resources. They assist other professional resource specialists with on-the-ground field studies to identify cultural, historical, and/or paleontology resources. Work may involve designing and conducting inventories; compiling and interpreting collected data; researching reference materials; writing reports on inventory activities; excavating sites and searching surface areas for historic and prehistoric remains and artifacts; and preparing documents for determination of eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places.

Note: This position requires the incumbent to often work alone for extended periods in remote areas, traveling on foot or on an ATV over rugged terrain while carrying/transporting equipment.

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Conditions of Employment

U.S. Citizenship is required
You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can
You have interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Land
Direct Deposit required
Background Investigation is required
Be sure to read the "How to Apply" and "Required Documents" sections.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirement - please be sure to include this information in your resume.

Qualifications

Selective Placement Factors: This position requires special qualifications that have been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as screen out elements. Those who do not provide evidence in their resume/application package they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified:

A valid state driver's license.

In addition to the Selective Placement Factor:

For GS-5: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-4 level. Examples of specialized experience may include assisting professional archaeologist in performing actual field studies; and carrying out field studies to identify cultural, historic and/or paleontological resources for planning systems regarding cultural resources; OR Successful completion of a full 4 year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with related course work; OR A combination of experience and education to meet total experience.

For GS-6: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-5 level. Examples of specialized experience may include working with a professional archaeologist, planning and carrying out field studies to identify cultural, historic and/or paleontological resources and writing reports based on findings; and applying and adapting a wide range of established data analysis methods to fit a variety of circumstances; OR Successful completion of one full year of graduate education directly related to the work of the position; OR A combination of experience and education to meet total experience.

Specialized Experience: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade 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, 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

See qualifications section above.

Additional information

RELOCATION EXPENSES: Travel, transportation and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
HOUSING: There is no government housing available – securing housing will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources website at CTAP or ICTAP. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration or that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) This vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) You apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) You are found well qualified for this vacancy. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form. CTAP and ICTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they fall within the Well or Best Qualified categories on the rating criteria for this position.
Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act: If selected from this or a similar competitive, seasonal announcement, your appointment may be creditable for consideration under PL-114-47, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA). The Act allows certain individuals, who have or had time-limited appointments at land management agencies, to compete for any permanent position in the competitive service under “internal” merit promotion procedures. For more information, see the section under Eligibility, which starts with Question #15 (Q15. Who is eligible for appointment under these provisions?).
MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT: Employees required to operate a motor vehicle must be at least 18; otherwise, you must be at least 16 at the time you report for work.

Benefits

Temporary seasonal employees are eligible for the following:

Annual and Sick Leave
Depending on tour of duty – Sunday, holiday, shift differential
Paid Federal Holidays
Participation in the Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) program - Employees electing to participate in the FEHB will be responsible for the employee share of the premium while on the official agency roles, which is deducted from bi-weekly earnings. After separating from federal employment, employees will be offered to continue participation in FEHB under the Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) option. Employees electing to continue coverage under the TCC provision will be responsible for the full premium amount plus a 2% administration fee.

Review our benefits

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Upon receipt of your complete application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. Your rating will be based on your responses to the Job Specific Questionnaire and the information stated in your resume. If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. In addition, interviews may be conducted for this position. The interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis or may be scored. The job specific questions relate to the following knowledge, skills and abilities required to do the work of this position:

GS-05/06:

Knowledge of terminology and commonly used rules, procedures and operations pertaining to archaeology.
Knowledge of computer capabilities sufficient to produce reports with graphics; produce increasingly complex maps; develop spreadsheets; and enter, retrieve and manipulate data.
Ability to read maps and use GPS to record site datums, site boundaries, and navigate to site locations.
Ability to use common tools associated with archaeological fieldwork.
Ability to safely operate 2 and 4 wheel drive vehicles and ATV's.

To preview questions please click here.

Temporary seasonal employees are eligible for the following:

Annual and Sick Leave
Depending on tour of duty – Sunday, holiday, shift differential
Paid Federal Holidays
Participation in the Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) program - Employees electing to participate in the FEHB will be responsible for the employee share of the premium while on the official agency roles, which is deducted from bi-weekly earnings. After separating from federal employment, employees will be offered to continue participation in FEHB under the Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) option. Employees electing to continue coverage under the TCC provision will be responsible for the full premium amount plus a 2% administration fee.

Review our benefits

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the specialized experience as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must be adequately reflected in your resume/application material.

In addition to the online application (resume and responses to the questionnaire), you are required to submit the following forms:

If qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience, a copy of your college transcript(s). If selected for this position you will be required to provide an official transcripts.
If you are claiming Veterans' Preference, you should indicate the level of Veterans' Preference you are claiming on your resume. If you are claiming 0-point Sole Survivorship Veterans’ Preference (SSP), please provide the documentation you received granting this preference. If you are claiming 5-point Veterans’ Preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, confirming dates spent on active duty and your character of military service. If you are claiming 10-point Veterans' Preference, in addition to your DD-214, you must submit documentation that supports your claim (e.g., an official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces certifying the existence of a service-connected disability; or receipt of a Purple Heart). Missing documentation may result in a change or removal of your claim for Veteran’s preference. Additional information on Veterans' Preference can be found in the VetGuide. If you are currently on active military duty, you must provide certification from your command that you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date your application is submitted. For more information on which type of preference is applicable please visit VetGuide.
Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles: documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.

You may submit your documents either via Auto-Requested Fax or by uploading your documents from your USAJOBS Profile. Do not use both options. Auto-Requested Fax: allows you to submit required documentation that will be electronically displayed along with your resume. Uploading Documents: instead of faxing your documents you may use the uploading procedures thru Applicant Manager. Hard copy paper supplemental documents, submitted without prior Human Resources approval, will be considered as an incomplete application. Required documentation must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST, on the closing date of this announcement.

READ THIS: It is the responsibility of the applicant to illustrate that all eligibility requirements are met. This includes ensuring your resume/application documents specific information on each employment listed. Specifically, you must document Agency/Company Name, supervisor's name and contact information, position title, grade/series/salary, and employment dates to include month, day and year. Failure to do so may result in your application being disqualified. If you have questions regarding the necessary documentation to include, contact the HR Specialist listed on this announcement prior to the closing date of the announcement.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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.

THIS IS AN ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS THROUGH USAJOBS. Your application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time by the closing date of this announcement. If you need assistance in applying on-line, please contact the HR Office at 406-896-5002 or apply@blm.gov. If applying on-line poses a hardship for you (i.e. you do not have access to the Internet) you must contact us prior to the closing date of the announcement for an alternative method of applying. PLEASE NOTE: If you have access to a public library, State Job Service Office, etc., you should use these resources to apply online. You must follow the steps described below to complete the application process:

1) YOU MUST HAVE OR CREATE A PROFILE IN USAJOBS. Your profile must contain a current resume for submission. In order to receive proper consideration, your resume should include the following information:
- Current personal contact information.
- Work experience (paid or unpaid) including - starting and ending dates (month and year), employer's name and address, job title (include job series and grade if Federal), duties and accomplishments, supervisor's name and telephone number, indicate if supervisor may be contacted, hours per week, and salary.
-Education and job-related training including - school name, type and year of degrees/diploma received, credits earned and majors; title of training course and year of completion.
- References - personal and professional
- Additional information - skills (languages, tools, machinery, typing speed, etc.), certificates or licenses (current only), and/or honors, awards, and special accomplishments (recognition, professional memberships, publications, leadership activities, etc.).
INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION COULD RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING.

The USAJOBS Resume Builder was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is an available tool when you login to your USAJOBS account.
2) APPLY ONLINE. Start the application process by clicking on the “Apply” button that appears on this announcement.

3) SUBMIT A RESUME. Select your resume or use the USAJOBS resume builder.
4) INCLUDE SUPPLEMENTAL DOCUMENTATION. See the “Required Documents” section.

5) REVIEW. Review your application packet & complete the acknowledgement.

6) SURVEY. Complete the one question survey to let us know how you heard about this job.

7) CERTIFICATION. Certify your application material is complete and accurate.

8) AGENCY WEBSITE. Continue to BLMJobs to complete the application process.

9) FOLLOW UP. Check your application status before the announcement closes. It is your responsibility to ensure that a complete application (including a resume, on-line questionnaire, and applicable supplemental documentation) is received by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. NOTE: Technical problems may take at least 1 business day to resolve; therefore, you are highly encouraged to complete the application process prior to the closing date.

Agency contact information

Human Resources

Phone: 406-896-5002
Fax: 000-000-0000
Email: apply@blm.gov
Address: Bureau of Land Management
BLM Montana State Office,
Branch of Human Resources
5001 Southgate Drive
Billings, Montana 59101
United States

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJobs account. You will receive an acknowledgment email from USAJobs that your submission was successful once we have received your online assessment questionnaire and resume. It is your responsibility to ensure that additional supporting documentation is received. You will be notified of the status of your application and/or referral to the hiring official via your USAJobs account after the evaluation process is complete. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required.

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

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In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the specialized experience as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must be adequately reflected in your resume/application material.

In addition to the online application (resume and responses to the questionnaire), you are required to submit the following forms:

If qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience, a copy of your college transcript(s). If selected for this position you will be required to provide an official transcripts.
If you are claiming Veterans' Preference, you should indicate the level of Veterans' Preference you are claiming on your resume. If you are claiming 0-point Sole Survivorship Veterans’ Preference (SSP), please provide the documentation you received granting this preference. If you are claiming 5-point Veterans’ Preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, confirming dates spent on active duty and your character of military service. If you are claiming 10-point Veterans' Preference, in addition to your DD-214, you must submit documentation that supports your claim (e.g., an official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces certifying the existence of a service-connected disability; or receipt of a Purple Heart). Missing documentation may result in a change or removal of your claim for Veteran’s preference. Additional information on Veterans' Preference can be found in the VetGuide. If you are currently on active military duty, you must provide certification from your command that you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date your application is submitted. For more information on which type of preference is applicable please visit VetGuide.
Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles: documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.