Northwest Youth Corps

Individual Placement – 640 Hour

National Park Service

Minidoka National Historical Site – Jerome, ID

Position Title: Archeology Technician Individual Placement

Position Summary:

The Archeology Program for South Idaho Parks is looking to fill two Archeology Technician Individual Placements for the field season of 2026 (May to August). The Individual Placements will be stationed at Minidoka National Historic Site and will travel out to all South Idaho Parks. The position will support National Historic Preservation Act (Sections 106 and 110) compliance projects in the parks. Some overnight travel is anticipated.

About Northwest Youth Corps (NYC):

Northwest Youth Corps was created in 1984 to offer teenagers and young adults an education-based, work experience modeled after the historic Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930's. Today, we serve over 1,000 youth and young adults each year across a four-state region who restore critical habitat, build trails, lead volunteers, and educate youth and young adults to learn, grow and experience success.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Individual Placement will serve as field crew for archeology projects. This will include cultural resources pedestrian surveys and site recording, previously documented site relocation and documentation updates, and site testing and/or excavation. Some basic caving will be required. These positions will be expected to be in the field 90% of the time. The other 10% of time will be spent in the lab doing data entry. Approximately 6 weeks of the term will require overnight trips. Each Individual Placement will be asked to select a topic they are interested in and complete research on it during the summer and present their findings at the end of the term.

Required Qualifications:

• Ages 18-30 (up to 35 for veterans)
• U.S. Citizen or lawful, permanent resident
• Must pass a background/driver check
• Be pursuing, or have an undergraduate degree in, anthropology with a focus in North American archeology or a related field.
• Be able to follow instructions.
• Be willing to follow all safety plans and be a field safety leader.
• Have a valid driver’s license.
• Have a good attitude.
• Be able to work long hours in adverse conditions.
• Projects will include hiking over uneven terrain in adverse weather (heat, cold, rain, wind, etc.) carrying up to 25 lbs. of gear.
• Projects will include standing, bending, kneeling, digging, shaking screens, and lifting buckets.

Desired Qualifications:

• Personal transportation
• Have good attention to detail.
• Be willing to learn. If you don’t have field experience yet, that is okay, we will train you.

Duty Location:

Most of this work will be completed in the field at one of four South Idaho Parks. The parks include Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Minidoka National Historic Site, and City of Rocks National Reserve. The environments of these parks are all different; they include lava fields, caves/tunnels, cliffs, mountains, and deserts. Animals that can be encountered in the parks include a variety of insects, bears, mountain lions, deer, elk, snakes (both venomous and non-venomous), raptors, and small mammals. Office work will be completed at Minidoka and occasionally the lab at Hagerman.

Terms of Employment:

One Individual Placement will complete a term of service (length dependent on commitment of hours), starting May through August for a total of 16-Weeks (640 hours). The Individual Placement will average 40 hours of labor per week, minus holidays. 

Individual Placements are responsible for providing their own personal transportation and food.

Park housing is not available for this position. Short-term rentals and extended stay accommodation can be found in Twin Falls and Jerome, Idaho. It is strongly recommended that you have your own transportation as public transportation is limited in southern Idaho.

Program Benefits:

Individual Placements will earn $10,240 living allowance dispersed on a monthly basis throughout the 16-weeks.

The living allowance are taxable. Housing fund may be available.

Application Instructions:

Application Deadline: Until Filled

Interviews: Will occur as qualified applications are received.

Type of position: Individual Placement

Service Dates: May through August 2026 (start date flexible depending on availability)

Length of Term: 16-Weeks (640 Hours)

How to apply:

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references and completely fill out the application form found at https://nwyouthcorps.workbrightats.com/jobsearch/?job_board_classification=Internships

Please select “Minidoka National Historic Site - Archeology Technician Individual Placement” when applying.

Additional Information

If you have questions about the position, please reach Northwest Youth Corps Internship Deptartment at interns@nwyouthcorps.org or Archeologist at tara_mcclure-cannon@nps.gov.

All job offers are contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check (criminal history and driving history).