2. JOB SUMMARY / OVERVIEW

experienced Professional Genealogist to serve as Principal Investigator (PI) for a one‑year National Park Service (NPS) contract that will identify and engage living descendants of 130 named U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) veterans buried in Vicksburg National Cemetery. The PI will lead all genealogical phases—archival review, multigenerational lineage reconstruction, sensitive outreach to descendants, and authorship of a multi‑chapter illustrated report—while collaborating closely with an SOI‑qualified historian and Vicksburg National Military Park staff. This position is pivotal to fulfilling a 2023 Memorandum of Agreement with the Mississippi State Historic Preservation Office and will inform future cemetery stabilization, stewardship, and interpretation.

4. MANDATORY REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

(Only requirements explicitly mandated in the solicitation are listed here.)

• Experience: Minimum five (5) years of professional genealogical practice, with documented completion of projects of comparable size and complexity.
• Standards Compliance: Demonstrated ability to apply National Genealogical Society Guidelines in daily work.

5. PREFERRED / OPTIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in history, genealogy, archival studies, anthropology, or related field.
• Accreditation (AG®) or board certification (CG®) in genealogy.
• Proven success locating and engaging African American descendant communities.
• Expertise with genealogical DNA analysis and privacy protocols.
• Proficiency with leading genealogy databases and tools (e.g., Ancestry ProQuest, FamilySearch, Fold3, NARA records, GIS mapping).
• Strong writing, public‑history, and stakeholder‑engagement skills, including Section 508 remediation.
• Familiarity with National Park Service cultural‑resource management and federal contracting environments.

Core Responsibilities

• Review existing documentation supplied by the historian and NPS, verifying the identities of 130 USCT veterans and synthesizing prior research findings (Part 1).
• Plan and execute exhaustive genealogical research in non‑Park archives, repositories, and online databases to trace each veteran’s lineage to the present day (Part 2).
• Maintain rigorous methodological standards that meet National Genealogical Society (NGS) guidelines and the Chicago Manual of Style, documenting sources to a professional, publishable level.
• Coordinate continuously with the SOI‑qualified historian to exchange data, reconcile findings, and ensure historical and genealogical narratives are fully integrated.
• Identify and contact living descendants with tact and cultural sensitivity, working through Park staff and the Superintendent to foster engagement and invite participation in cemetery‑related consultations and events (Part 3). May involve emailing and telephoning surviving descendants, and or coordinating such contact via the Park staff and Superintendent.
• Author and deliver a 100 % draft, peer‑reviewed final report, and archival copy—including lineage narratives, contact lists, maps, images, social‑media‑ready content, and Section 508‑compliant digital files—within the 12‑month contract period (Part 4).
• Produce quarterly progress reports and attend a post‑award scoping meeting; incorporate NPS and peer comments into final deliverables.
• Manage project schedule, budget inputs, and quality‑control processes to ensure on‑time, on‑budget completion and adherence to all contract requirements.

Secondary Responsibilities

• Supervise and coordinate with project historian.
• Contribute to interpretive products (e.g., wayside panels, social media posts) that stem from the research.
• Support Manutek’s proposal compliance documentation and invoicing with genealogical substantiation when requested.

Reporting Structure

• Reports to: Manutek Project Manager and NPS staff at Vicksburg National Military Park.
• Supervises: Any project historian assigned to the project.