ARCHAEOLOGIST SENIOR

Description

Senior Archaeologist

Applications will be accepted through 4:59 PM MST on the posting end date

About Us

Be part of an organization that makes History every day! Join a highly motivated team in a fast-paced environment dedicated to inspiring, enriching and engaging all Idahoans by leading the state in preserving, sharing and using history and cultural resources relevant to today to inform and influence the future.

The Idaho State Historical Society is a trusted guide through the state’s history and how it has shaped every aspect of our lives, our land, our communities, our government and our people. Created in 1881 and established as a state agency in 1907, the Idaho State Historical Society (ISHS) is an extraordinary system of cultural and historic resources comprised of the Idaho State Museum, Idaho State Archives, Idaho State Historic Preservation Office, Old Idaho Penitentiary and Historic Sites Program.

Summary

The Senior Archaeologist reviews federal projects under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The incumbent evaluates historic and pre-contact sites for eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places and project impacts, review reports, writes comment letters and technical documents, and provides technical assistance to agencies, tribes, consulting firms and the public. The Senior Archaeologist may occasionally conduct field work and give public presentations on Idaho archaeology.

The Senior Archaeologist also provides professional management and oversight for the Archaeological Survey of Idaho’s Western Repository, a 36CFR part 79-accredited curation facility and fulfills some of the functions of the State Archaeologist related to administration of the Archaeological Survey of Idaho and the issuance of permits for archaeological work on state managed lands.

Job Responsibilities

Compliance Review (typical responsibilities)

• Represent the interests of the State of Idaho in Section 106 consultation with federal agencies
• Interpret and apply federal laws and regulations
• Work on both project- and program-level activities.
• Review federal project documents for sufficiency, technical accuracy, and compliance with federal law and regulations, and SHPO standards
• Make determinations of National Register of Historic Places eligibility and project effect on archaeological properties
• Provide technical support to federal and state agencies, and local government staff for Section 106 cultural and environmental resource areas
• Coordinate federal project review with federal and state agencies, local governments, Tribal Historic Preservation Offices and staff, consulting parties, and consultant firms
• Develop and present training for federal and state agencies, local governments, and private consultants
• Conduct site visits to gather and analyze project eligibility and effect information
• Consults with federal agencies to identify scope of undertakings, area of potential effects, and survey methodologies
• Review reports describing data collection, evaluation, and conclusions for sufficiency, technical accuracy, and appropriateness
• Participates in project siting
• Define scope activity for federal Section 106 responsibilities.
• Determine and analyze impacts to cultural resources, including direct, visual, auditory, and indirect effects.
• Review cultural resource information from federal, state, local governments, and consultants.
• Conduct field reviews to identify scope and magnitude of impacts
• Reviews, recommends, authors, and implements procedures, policies, and guidance.
• Monitor projects for federal compliance.
• Develop process improvement and/or streamlining tools
• Develop and participate in training and/or presentations.
• Develop and negotiate agreement documents—Memoranda of Agreements and Programmatic Agreements—between SHPO and federal agencies, and other interested parties.
• Develop and negotiate measures to minimize and mitigate adverse effects to cultural resources.
• Implements and tracks performance measures and reporting.
• Review and provide comments on cultural resources and environmental information from federal agencies and consultants.
• Determine and analyze impacts to cultural resources
• Assist and advise internal colleagues with plan and context document review and analysis
• Make recommendations and advise federal agencies regarding cultural resource managements issues.
• Advises Compliance Manager and SHPO Administrator on issues of federal project compliance.
• Review and comment on nationwide programmatic agreement proposals
• Review and comment on EIS and other environmental documents as appropriate.
  
  

Archaeological Survey of Idaho Management (typical responsibilities)

• Fulfill some of the administrative functions of the State Archaeologist under IC 33-39
• Maintain documentation for the Archaeological Survey of Idaho (ASI), including annual meeting minutes, and schedules meetings of the ASI advisory board
• Administers the ASI Western Repository (ASI-WR), including providing professional oversight for curation of federal and state archaeological collections
• Maintain records associated with the ASI-WR, including those associated with accessions, loans, and curation agreements
• Negotiate and develop curation agreements for incoming collections.
• Prepare proposals for grants and stipulations for purchase requisitions related to archaeological collections.
• Ensures completion of stipulations associated with any agreements, grants, and purchase requisitions related to archaeological collections.
• Trains and supervises SHPO and ASI interns assisting in the collection’s duties described above.
• Ensure the ASI-WR collections are managed in accordance with the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and the state Protection of Graves Act (IC 27-5), including preparing inventories, summaries, and notices, as well as leading consultation on repatriation of individuals in the control of the ASI-WR
• Issue and manage permits for archaeological excavations and testing on State of Idaho managed land pursuant to IC 67-4120
  
  

Supervision

• Participates in the hiring and training of compliance staff
• Establishes annual performance measures; conducts annual evaluation of compliance staff.
• Provides staff supervision and technical assistance
• Monitors work to ensure accuracy and conformance with department and national standards
  
  

Additional Responsibilities

• Seeks, interviews, and supervises interns and volunteers.
• May conduct research and/or perform archaeological fieldwork
• Some weekend and/or evening hours will be scheduled
• Some statewide travel will be required.
• Provide support to agency public programs and outreach efforts as assigned
• Support the Mission, Vision, and Values of the Agency
• Support and demonstrate the Work Culture Standards
• Performs other duties as assigned
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

Meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for Archaeology [36CFR61].

Good Knowledge Of

• Federal cultural resource and environmental laws- Typically gained through at least 2 years working in a position that applied relevant U.S. cultural resource and environmental laws.
• Archeological survey requirements and techniques- Typically gained through college-level coursework and at least two years’ experience as a professional archaeologist in the U.S.
• Archaeological field and laboratory methods including surveying and excavation procedures-Typically gained through college-level coursework and at least 3-years’ experience as a professional archaeologist.
• Western United States History and prehistory-Typically gained through college-level coursework in Western U.S. History OR at least 3-years’ experience as a professional archaeologist in the American West.
  
  

Demonstrated Ability To

• Interpret and apply federal and state cultural resource laws and regulations- Typically gained through at least 2 years working in a position that applied relevant cultural resource and environmental laws.
• Assess the impacts of proposed projects on archaeological sites and historic properties-Typically gained through 3 years working in a position responsible for Section 106 compliance
• Negotiate and develop mitigation agreements-Typically gained through at least 2 years’ experience working in a position responsible for Section 106 compliance.
• Effectively communicate technical information orally and in writing to a range of audiences, including government agencies, tribal representatives, and the public- Typically gained through at least 3-years’ experience working in a position that periodically required public speaking, and through the preparation of technical reports or other publications.
• Supervise and mentor professional staff-Typically gained through at least 1-year experience supervising, training, or mentoring staff, or through supervisory training.
  
  

Benefits

The State of Idaho offers a robust total compensation package, including medical, vision, and dental insurance; PERSI retirement benefits; paid sick, vacation, and parental leave; and 11 paid holidays per year. For additional information related to benefits and/or State programs, please visit https://dhr.idaho.gov/StateEmployees/Benefits.html.*

EEO/ADA/Veteran

The State of Idaho is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, political affiliation or belief, sex, national origin, genetics, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.

The State of Idaho is committed to access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities, auxiliary aids and services are available upon request. If you require an accommodation at any step in our recruitment process, you are encouraged to contact (208) 334-2263 (TTY/TTD: 711), or email ada.coordinator@dhr.idaho.gov.

Preference may be given to veterans who qualify under state and federal laws and reg