The Cultural Resource Services Program (CRS) at the Great Basin Institute (GBI), in cooperation with the National Park Service at Death Valley National Park, is recruiting one Archaeology Crew Lead to become part of the Flood Response Team. This position will guide a team of two Archaeology Crew Members to complete condition assessments, Section 106 Cultural Resource surveys, site recording, and monitoring for various projects within Death Valley National Park (DEVA). These projects all serve the Cultural Resources program’s greater mission of improving the quality of public lands to ensure they continue to thrive for generations to come.

This position will be a part of a unique group, the DEVA Flood Archaeology Team with a unique mission. In 2022 and 2023 DEVA 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, the emergency actions taken were only to open roads, so sites and structures across the park away from roads still need to be visited and documented. This position will be a part of the larger DEVA cultural resource team which consists of historians, archaeologists, physical scientists and historic preservationists. This work will help document flood impacts to sites throughout the park, stabilize or create plans to stabilize affected sites, and prepare inventories that will help with future flooding event. 

The Cultural Resource Program at Death Valley National Park works closely with the local tribe and there will be opportunities for the selected candidate to participate in tribal consultation meetings and potentially field visits with tribal elders and heritage preservationists. 

The Flood Archaeology Crew Lead will perform a variety of activities to support all stages of project implementation. Crew size will range between 2-3 people.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Collaborating with Archaeologist and agency staff to support field safety, communication, planning, logistics, quality assurance, field implementation and reporting efforts;
• With your team, or alone, complete field surveys, condition assessments, site recordation, or monitoring as well as working to document, assess, and characterize the status of new and known cultural resources;
• Conducting pre-field searches to learn what resources may be present and what was previously recorded;
• Monitoring existing sites and complete site updates and condition assessments;
• Assessing sites for stabilization needs and stabilizing sites with waddles, mats and other means;
• Preparing California DPR site records, GIS maps, and photographic records in addition to adding data to the NPS heritage database and assisting your crew in doing the same;
• Utilizing GPS tablets in the field to collect data and use that data to make maps and update geodatabases. 
• Preparing portions of reports, or assessments of effect documentation for archaeological compliance. 

Timeline:

• Desired start date in November 2026;
• Full time (40 hours/week);
• This project is expected to last for approximately 51 weeks, with the potential to extend, pending the successful completion of a Department of Interior (DOI) Background Investigation (BI).

Location:

Death Valley National Park is located in Nevada and California and boasts some of the hottest and driest climates, and lowest elevation in North America. The park includes a superlative desert of streaming sand dunes, snow-capped mountains, multicolored rock layers, water-fluted canyons and three million acres of wilderness. Death Valley is home to the Timbisha Shoshone people and to plants and animals unique to the harshest desert environment. The closest cities are Pahrump and Beatty, Nevada (both approximately 1 hour away).

Field conditions include hot, arid days with high exposure to the sun, as well as cold, winter weather. Resources of the region include threatened and/or endangered species habitat, big game habitats, abandoned mine lands, and historic and prehistoric cultural sites.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required:

• Be a U.S. Citizen (required to access US government computer networks)
• Bachelor’s degree in anthropology, archaeology or related discipline, including relevant field methods training coursework AND one year of archaeology related field work;
• Experience leading crews in the field, including oversight of crew safety, communication, fidelity to methods and data quality;
•  Proficiency in navigation using GPS, topographic map and compass;
• Ability to recognize and record precontact and historic artifacts, features, and architecture;
• 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 effectively in a team setting with USFS staff, GBI staff, interns, volunteers, academic, state, and federal partners;
• Ability to work safely and productively in remote field settings under adverse conditions. This may include occasionally overnight work & camping in remote areas for consecutive nights;
• Ability to understand, implement and adhere to established data collection, inventory, assessment, and monitoring protocols;
• Capacity to collect and maintain field data in an organized manner that is easily understood and accessible to other resources staff;
• Strong communication skills with diverse audiences, both written and oral;
• Willingness to work a variable schedule in response to project needs, possibly including some weekends, nights, holidays;
• Physically fit to work outdoors, carry up to 50 pounds of personal and/or field equipment, and withstand the rigors of a forested and/or high desert environment in all seasons.

Preferred: 

• Master’s degree in anthropology, archaeology or related discipline and at least one year of field leadership experience;
• Familiarity with Section 106/110 NHPA and California SHPO compliance procedures;
• Knowledge of cultural resource management issues in the Western United States;
• Fieldwork experience and familiarity with the cultural history of the Mojave and/or Great Basin region;
• Familiarity with Section 106/110 NHPA and California and/or Nevada SHPO compliance procedures;
• Advanced skill using specialized software such as Microsoft Office Suite, ArcMap GIS, and Google Earth;

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

This physically demanding work, often in remote locations, will provide crew members with rewarding exposure to some of America's backcountry landscapes. These positions require extensive hiking in sometimes steep terrain at altitudes ranging from 300 feet below sea level to 11,000 ft AMSL. Archaeology crew members will be expected to carry their own personal gear and water on a daily basis, possibly during extreme or inclement weather conditions such as heat, snow, or rain. Work schedules, generally four 10-hour days with 3 days off each week, are subject to change depending on weather and project needs. Camping near a work site for several days may be required to meet project objectives. Death Valley National Park follows a heat safety policy that limits fieldwork to certain temperatures or elevations as heat rises.

Archaeology crew members must be able 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 similar backcountry settings is preferred.

Successful applicants must complete a Department of the Interior (DOI) Background Investigation (BI) or submit paperwork to NPS human resources indicating an active and fully adjudicated BI has already been completed prior to beginning the position. If you already have a fully adjudicated BI, please let us know in your application.

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