Historian (Seasonal)

Position Overview

You will serve as a Historian (Seasonal). This position is located with the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Yosemite National Park, with a duty station of El Portal, CA. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate. Open to the first 30 applicants.

Major Duties & Responsibilities

• At the GS-5 level you will: Assist with simple presentations and observes higher-graded staff conducting briefings, lectures, and visitor programs. Conduct basic historical research using reports, archives, and other sources; assists in preparing charts, tables, and drafting basic text. Learn to provide introductory historical education and visitor interaction. Learn to collect basic cultural resource field data and identify historical/cultural objects or sites using established manuals and protocols. Draft limited sections of reports and participate as a team member on simple projects (oral histories, written histories, conservation tasks, etc.). Learn how to investigate cultural/historic sites not documented in park files. Assist in coordinating visiting professionals under close supervision. In addition to the duties above, at the GS-07 level you will perform the higher graded duties listed below. Expand knowledge through independent study, developmental assignments, literature review, on-site studies, and fieldwork. Participate more substantively in archaeological field studies, geological mapping, consult with Native organizations, and broader historical reporting. Write letters and responses to inquiries using developed knowledge of park resources, policy, prior research, and available sources. Provide full historical education and visitor interaction, delivering content independently. Collect, analyze, and report on cultural resource conditions, including measuring impacts of management actions (restoration, visitor dispersal, development). Draft more complex report sections, work plans, and implementation strategies, and complete small historian actions independently. Investigate undocumented cultural/historic sites to a level enabling identification, protection, or interpretation. Assist in coordinating visiting professional work with increased responsibility and less supervision. Apply standard historian practices with judgment, selecting methods, approaches, and sources. Exercise greater judgment when guidelines require interpretation or selection among alternatives. GS-09 Duties in addition to the duties above Assists in advising on the park's cultural resources, particularly history. In concert with the supervisor or higher-graded specialist, identifies, evaluates, and monitors cultural resources, identifies potential threats, and makes recommendations to management regarding status and mitigation of impacts (present and future). Develops and maintains liaisons and effective working relations with related groups and individuals, agencies, and the public. Attends management and professional conferences and other events for the purposes of exchanging information and advancing advocacy for park stewardship. Creates and develops limited segments of cultural resources management plans, interpretive prospectus documents, and spin-off documents such as specific plans, action plans, revisions, and fiscal and budget documents. Coordinates park historical and other cultural resources strategies and programs with activities on adjacent lands for the purposes of achieving broad protection strategies and minimizing human impacts. Conducts historical research for planning documents, including general management plans, special history studies, resources management plan, environmental impact statements, environmental assessments, and special resource studies as required to meet the needs of the park. Locates source material within and outside the park and makes recommendations and/or determinations of significance for additions to the park's museum and archives collection. Conducts oral history interviews based on available precedents and oversees their transcription. Assembles bibliographies and acquaints park staff with recent historical scholarship pertinent to the park's resources and themes. Summarizes material for park staff. Maintains a site-specific database. Provides peer review for NPS and non-NPS historical studies, as requested. Seeks peer review for own work. Assists with making contributions to the preparation of historic preservation documentation, compliance, and background materials for clearances, permits, licenses, etc., as required by Section 106 and Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), NPS Management Policies, and cultural resources management guideline for all park undertakings. Recommends, plans for, and executes historical investigations required to meet NHPA, NPS guidelines, and the research needs of the park. Reviews projects initiated by park staff and makes recommendations for approval to park managers. Assists in providing professionally accurate interpretive programs that discuss historical and/or cultural resources. May represent park on NPS regional task groups or similar organizations.

Qualifications & Requirements

GS-05 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-4 level in the federal government (obtained in either the public or private sectors) or a degree in history, historic preservation or a related field. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience include: planning and conducting historical research; researching, writing, conducting site documentation fieldwork; participating in Section 106 reviews; preparing historic preservation related recommendations, as well as interpretive and educational materials for public distribution (i.e. articles, booklets, social media posts, and Teaching with Historic Places lesson plans). OR A combination of education and experience of courses equivalent to a major in history, or a major in a related field that included at least 18 semester hours in history, plus appropriate experience or additional education. **Graduate study in the social sciences or humanities may also be credited when such study included training in historical research methodology; or the thesis approached the subject from a historical viewpoint and used professional historical research methodology and techniques in its preparation. GS-7 Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 level in the federal government (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience include: - Planning and conducting historical research such as literature reviews or on-site studies - Researching, writing, and conducting site documentation fieldwork - Participating in Section 106 reviews - Preparing historic preservation related recommendations, as well as interpretive and educational materials for public distribution (i.e. articles, booklets, social media posts, and Teaching with Historic Places lesson plans). - Investigate undocumented cultural or historic sites OR A combination of education and experience: At least one year of graduate-level education in history or related field of study OR a 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree and Superior Academic Achievement. And appropriate experience GS-09 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level reviewing, analyzing, evaluating projects, studies and planning initiatives related to history and cultural resource management which includes planning and conducting historical research (i.e. National Register of Historic Places (NR) nominations, historic contexts and reports); researching, writing, and reviewing NR nominations or Determinations of Eligibilities; conducting site documentation fieldwork; participating in Section 106 reviews; preparing historic preservation related recommendations. OR A combination of education and experience that together meet the qualification requirements for this position as described above. Master's Degree or equivalent graduate degree in History or a related field that included at 18 semester hours in History plus appropriate experience.