Senior Archaeologist (NPS, Death Valley National Park)

Job Details: Job Location: Death Valley, CA - Death Valley, CA, Position Type: Seasonal, Salary Range: $35.00 - $42.00Hourly, Job Category: Cultural Resources Services, The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the NPS, is recruiting (1) Senior Flood Response Archaeologist to supervise a unique group with a unique mission. In 2022 and 2023 Death Valley National Park experienced two 1000-year level floods. This led to impacts ranging from mild to profound in all corners of the park. Roads are still being repaired from these floods. In response, the Park brought in over 80 archaeologists of all skill levels to survey along roadsides as a part of their cleanup. This has resulted in a massive amount of data that still needs to be verified, cleaned up and written into reports. Additionally, emergency actions taken were to open roads, so sites and structures across the park away from roads still need to be visited and documented.

This position would lead a team of one archaeologist, three archaeological technicians, and a GIS specialist to 1) create a GIS model to determine which areas would be most impacted by flooding and then to revisit around 150 cultural resources located in those areas to assess their condition and evaluate flood damage. 2) Additionally, the position would be responsible for field verifying and cleaning up previously collected data, completing field work, and revisiting known sites to complete re-recordings and condition assessments. Afterwards, they (and their team) would rectify new and existing data and write up site and isolate forms, survey reports, condition assessments and evaluate and write determinations of NRHP eligibility and prepare documentation for Park Section 106 compliance and Section 110 projects. The Senior Flood Archaeologist will also implement and conduct mitigation and protection measures, data entry, damage assessments, condition assessments, direct and review field and office project work of archaeological technicians, and work with volunteers. This position requires good communication and management skills, flexibility, and the ability to create order from chaos.  

Duties include completing Section 106 compliance inventories, assessments, documentation and implementing mitigation measures. Documentation includes, but is not limited to, writing cultural resource survey reports, creating reports and site maps, writing monitoring reports, completing standard site records, feature and level forms, writing assessments of effects, damage assessments, artifact forms, attending tribal consultation meetings, drafting letters to Tribes and the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), and completing compliance documentation in NPS databases such as PEPC.

Additional Duties Include:

Maintain field equipment and supplies
Maintain related databases, forms, maps, and files
Review the work of archaeologists and archaeological technicians, assuring accurate and complete records and documentation
Coordinate field work to meet project timelines, and supervise the work of direct reports
Retrieve and compile data as required for resource management reports, interpretive exhibits, etc.
Perform supervised research
Conducts record searches and interviews, and synthesize information collected for scientific, historical, and interpretive values.
Completing archaeological surveys in the desert southwest requires the physical endurance to walk over a variety of terrains and in a variety of weather conditions, including extreme heat, while carrying a heavy pack. Overnight camping for several days at a time in remote areas may be required. Death Valley does follow a heat safety policy. 

LOCATION
Death Valley National Park encompasses nearly 3.4 million acres in southeastern California and western Nevada, a 70-minute drive from Pahrump, Nevada (the nearest grocery story), 2- to 3-hour drive to Las Vegas. Death Valley National Park is in the transition zone and contains both the Mojave Desert and the Great Basin. Aside from the outdoor recreation opportunities and natural wonders within the park, the Mojave Preserve, the Eastern Sierras, as well as Lake Mead and Spring Mountains National Recreation Areas are nearby (2-3 hours) and afford a diversity of outdoor activities ranging from hiking, mountain biking and rock hounding to fishing, boating and skiing/snowboarding. Nearly everything, including a major airport, can be found in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Field conditions at Death Valley National Park include hot, arid days with high exposure to the sun, as well as cold, winter weather and elevation ranges from -282 feet to over 11,000 feet. Resources of the region include threatened and/or endangered species habitat, big game habitats, abandoned mine lands, and historic and precontact cultural sites. The Death Valley National Park comanages with the local Timbisha Shoshone Tribe on many projects. 

WORK SCHEDULE

Full-time (40 hours/week); some overtime and weekend work may occasionally be required.
52-week appointment beginning September or October 2026, and/or upon completion of a Department of the Interior background investigation.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS 
Wage: $35 to $42 DOE an hour
Benefits:

Premiums 100% GBI-paid: comprehensive medical, dental (with an optional coverage upgrade), visual insurance, and a $25,000 Life/AD&D policy;

Enrollment eligibility begins the first day of the month following the first day of service. 

401(k) retirement savings with up to 4% GBI match;
Paid Leave Benefit: Paid Time Off accrued at 4.61 hours per 80-hour pay period starting on the first day of employment;
Paid holidays (12 per year);
Pro gear/equipment deals through various companies and websites

Per diem: Field per diem for any required overnight camping stays

Housing: In-Park housing may be available for this position
Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, employees must be able to satisfactorily carry out each essential duty. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Be a U.S. Citizen (required to access US government computer networks)
Bachelor’s degree in anthropology, archaeology, or a closely related field. Applicants with advanced degrees are encouraged to apply.
A minimum of 3 years of previous, relevant field experience in archaeology at the crew chief level or lead cultural/heritage resources staff position; archaeology field methods coursework AND an accredited Archaeological Field School.
Ability to communicate information professionally and tactfully in a clear and concise manner.
Conflict management and communication skills, particularly in management or supervisory positions.
Knowledge and experience with U.S. Cultural Resource law including NHPA, NEPA, NAGPRA, AIRFA, and ARPA, or similar.
Knowledge of historic and/or precontact artifacts, preferably of the Mojave and Great Basin regions of the southwest.
Ability to understand, implement and adhere to established data collection, inventory, recording, and monitoring protocols.
Capacity to collect and maintain field data in an organized manner that is easily understood and accessible to other resources staff (GBI or NPS).
Experience completing archaeological site forms (or portions of site forms) and/or entering site form data into database programs.
Ability to utilize ArcGIS software to build maps, organize and manage data, and manipulate data layers;
Knowledge of GIS modeling a plus!
Experience operating hand-held GPS equipment for navigation and electronic field data collection; experience post-processing field data, a plus.
Ability to read and interpret topographical maps and navigate using a compass.
Possess a clean, valid, state-issued driver’s license with the ability to safely operate and maintain a 4WD vehicle on and off paved roads.
Ability to work productively and cooperatively as part of a team focused on accomplishing mutual goals and communicate effectively, both written and orally, with a diverse audience.
Possess good organizational skills and be detail-oriented.
Ability to work in harsh and rapidly changing environments, camp in the backcountry for consecutive days, work in all types of weather conditions, traverse uneven terrain, carry a heavy pack in excess of 40lbs, and be in overall good physical condition. Prior experience working in the desert southwest or similar desert climates, desirable.
Knowledge of the technical methods and procedures of archaeology to perform a variety of routine technical tasks.
Basic understanding of the principles and theory of archaeology to support the broader archaeological function.
Knowledge of the precontact and historic cultures of the area to reliably identify and record cultural remains in surveys, excavation, and laboratory analysis.
Knowledge of basic laboratory methods in order to prepare artifacts for testing, curation, and storage.
Skill in using basic tools and equipment common to archaeological functions.
Knowledge of database management, word processing, and specialized software programs
essential to archaeological description, management, and reference.
Knowledge of research methods.
Background Check: Successful completion of a criminal background check is required as a condition of employment for this position.

TO APPLY
Please submit an up-to-date resume, a one-page cover letter that details your interest in the position, and any qualifications not fully outlined in your resume, and contact information for nine professional references to the unique application link.  Qualified applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview. For questions regarding this position, please contact [email protected]

PHYSICAL DEMANDS  
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands, stand, walk, bend, and have specific vision abilities to include close and distance vision, and ability to adjust focus working with computer business equipment and other job/industry specific equipment. The noise level in the work environment is usually low.

NOTE:  This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the organization's ongoing needs. All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Disclaimer: Although the organization has attempted to accurately and thoroughly describe this position, GBI reserves the right to change the same, including to change, add to or subtract from the duties outlined, within the sole discretion of the organization, at any time, with or without advance notice.