Project Archaeologist

SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking a Project Level Archaeologist – Principal Investigator for either our Minneapolis, MN, or Bismarck, ND office. This role is a core member of our Cultural Resources Program, responsible for managing small to medium cultural resources projects, including proposals, fieldwork, research, report writing, quality assurance/quality control reviews, and managing client, agency, and tribal relationships.

This is a regular, full-time, salaried position with benefits. Annual pay will be commensurate with individual qualifications and experience. While we prefer candidates based in the greater Minneapolis or Bismarck areas, we will consider distributed employees in nearby geographies for the right candidate.

Under this requisition, we may hire for one of the following roles:

• Associate Project Archaeologist – Typically requires at least five years of relevant industry experience and expertise.
• Project Archaeologist – Typically requires at least seven years of relevant experience, including up to two years of project management experience in cultural resources.

What you will accomplish

The Project Archaeologist will manage larger, more complex tasks and projects, while the Associate Project Archaeologist will primarily handle sub-tasks or smaller projects under supervision.

• Manage all aspects of cultural resource projects, including budgeting, scheduling, research, fieldwork, report writing, and curation. More junior candidates will manage sub-tasks and/or smaller projects.
• Work with clients and agency representatives to ensure successful project implementation.
• Assist in developing high-quality proposals, work plans, reports, and literature reviews, with oversight from subject matter experts.
• Nurture and develop client relationships.
• Oversee and conduct fieldwork and deliverables, ensuring compliance with SWCA’s Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) program.
• Supervise personnel in the field, office, and/or laboratory.
• Take responsibility for team safety by developing safety plans (when applicable) and anticipating potential hazards.
• Collaborate with SWCA personnel across role levels and disciplines.
• Maintain SWCA’s high standards of scientific ethics and quality assurance.
• Identify and resolve problems creatively.
• Collaborate as part of an interdisciplinary environmental team.
• Work independently and responsibly to resolve project challenges.
• Takes responsibility for team safety, developing safety plans (when applicable), and anticipating potential safety hazards.

Experience and qualifications for success

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in Archaeology, Anthropology, or a closely related field.
• At least five years of experience in cultural resource management (CRM), gained through a combination of educational and professional experience, across various project types, sizes, regions, and agencies, with increasing levels of responsibility.
• At least two years of supervisory experience in CRM, either in the field or office.
• Proven experience managing CRM tasks, including budgets, scheduling, and scopes of work.
• Familiarity with Section 106 and Historic Preservation regulatory requirements in Illinois or nearby Midwest states.
• Demonstrated experience as a primary report author in a CRM context for diverse project types, sizes, regions, and agencies.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to meet SWCA’s driver requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• At least seven years of experience in cultural resource management (CRM) across various project types, sizes, regions, and agencies, with increasing levels of responsibility.
• Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA) certification or eligibility for RPA status.
• Experience conducting QA/QC reviews of field documents, site forms, and reports.
• Proven leadership experience managing archaeology crews on diverse projects.
• Ability to coordinate personnel and resources within budgetary constraints.
• Familiarity with cultural resource regulations and processes in Minnesota, North Dakota, and/or South Dakota.

Skills and Knowledge:

• Experience in marketing, business development, client management, and/or leading large proposal efforts.
• Collaborative experience working on interdisciplinary teams of scientists and planners.
• CPR and First Aid certification (training provided if not currently certified).
• Adaptability to changing project needs, agency requests, and evolving priorities.
• Strong ability to work both independently and collaboratively with colleagues, clients, and agency representatives.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven technical writing skills, including primary report authorship, with a strong track record of completing technical reports and projects on time.

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full-spectrum of environmental and cultural resources 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 Minneapolis, MN or Bismarck, ND office – based position can expect a salary of:  Associate Project Archaeologist:  $62,129.60 to $79,268.80/year; Project Archaeologist:  $$69,092.40 to $88,374.00/year.  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 480-581-5378. This contact information is for disability accommodation requests only. All other inquiries will not receive a response. 

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