Archaeological Monitor- Field Lead

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants seeks a Wyoming Bureau of Land Management (BLM) permittable Archaeological Monitor – Field Lead (HR Title: Staff Compliance Monitor) to join our team in the Rocky Mountain Plains subregion (Bismarck, North Dakota; Denver and Fort Collins, Colorado; and Sheridan, Wyoming). This is a distributed position, welcoming applicants from outside these office locations.

As part of this role, you will engage in project work that involves independent tasks such as coordinating with construction crews, monitoring construction progress, maintaining detailed records, and documenting cultural resources. Additionally, you will conduct inspections of construction areas, identify cultural materials, utilize tablets for data collection, adhere to state-specific protocols for site recording, and conduct evaluations for the National Register of Historic Places. Supervising an archaeological monitor in the field will also be a significant responsibility.

This position offers on-call, hourly, regular-status employment with benefits for the duration of the monitoring project, which is expected to run from mid-April to mid-November 2024. In alignment with the construction schedule, work hours typically range from 8 to 12 hours per day, Monday through Saturday, with Sundays off. Lodging and per diem expenses are covered. This multi-year project may offer opportunities for returning work annually, with efforts made to extend employment to other projects upon seasonal project completion. Compensation ranges from $27.30 to $34.65 per hour, commensurate with experience and role, with overtime pay at time-and-a-half. Additional benefits include paid sick time, travel reimbursement to and from the project location, and single-occupancy lodging in SWCA-leased apartments. Per diem is $59 per day.

What you will accomplish

• Work collaboratively with a construction crew to ensure safe and efficient monitoring practices.
• Perform various fieldwork tasks (survey, testing, data recovery) and assist project managers as needed.
• Coordinate field crew progress and ensure daily data transfer.
• Prepare accurate daily monitoring reports.
• Collect, organize, and conduct quality assurance and quality control for field data.
• Potentially assist with technical reporting.
• Demonstrate and uphold SWCA’s high standards of scientific ethics and quality assurance, resolving challenges creatively.
• As a staff compliance monitor, you will be asked to supervise a small crew while conducting archaeological monitoring field work.  This includes:

• independently assigning and directing the activities of others on behalf of SWCA, often in remote areas without immediate guidance from senior managers, to ensure quality and on-time delivery;
• ensuring that employees understand their responsibilities and delegated tasks and being held accountable if crew members under your supervision are not performing their activities correctly, productively, and safely;
• serving as a conduit of communication between employees and senior managers, including communicating issues to relevant senior managers;
• receiving and resolving complaints from employees in the field; and
• monitoring team productivity and providing timely performance feedback, including deciding when disciplinary action is necessary and delivering discipline.

Experience and qualifications for success

Requirements: 

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in archaeology, anthropology, or a closely related field; master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of one (1) year of experience in various field methods, including survey, testing, and excavation.
• Ability to be listed on a project-specific Wyoming BLM survey and testing permit.
• Current valid driver’s license and the capability to safely operate a four-wheel-drive vehicle on rugged backcountry roads.
• Ability to travel to different locations, conduct fieldwork for extended hours, sometimes in challenging weather conditions, rugged terrain, and at high altitudes. Must be able to carry equipment and supplies weighing up to 40 pounds.
• Ability to spend several hours per day, up to the entire day, away from the vehicle.

Preferred:

• Experience in archaeological monitoring of construction sites.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in various field methods, including survey, testing, and excavation.
• Ability to be listed with relevant archaeological permits.
• Secretary of the Interior qualified.
• Demonstrated leadership and supervision abilities, including problem-solving, constructive conflict resolution, and decision-making.

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full spectrum of environmental services. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms.

SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees.  In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges in all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency.

An employee in this Denver, C0-based position can expect an hourly pay rate of $27.30 to $34.65 /hour. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law. Regular-status employees are also eligible for performance bonuses. Candidates are also encouraged to consider SWCA’s Total Rewards package, which includes a competitive Benefits package, forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more.

Application deadline: Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission.

EOE – women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success.

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA’s continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.

If you would like to contact SWCA regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the online application process due to a disability, please email accommodations@swca.com or call 1-480-581-5378. This contact information is for disability accommodation requests only. All other inquiries will not receive a response.