Senior Archaeologist: Principal Investigator

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants is looking for a Senior Archaeologist - Principal Investigator to join our growing New Mexico/Four Corners business (with offices in Albuquerque and Durango). The selected individual will lead and grow a developing team and support various projects in the New Mexico/Four Corners area. We work to support our client’s needs across multiple service areas including renewable generation, oil and gas, transportation, site development, transmission, and ecological restoration. 

The successful applicant will serve as a Principal Investigator to ensure technical rigor and Section 106 Compliance. This position will be instrumental in leading and growing a robust cultural resources program that includes supporting existing clients and projects, capturing new work and clients, supervising and mentoring junior staff, encouraging teamwork and cooperation, working with other offices, and driving overall scientific and business excellence. 

This is a regular (with benefits), full-time, salaried/exempt position based in Albuquerque, NM. Hybrid work environments are fully supported.

Application Deadline: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and interviews may be scheduled as qualified candidates are identified. This position may close without prior notice once a strong candidate pool is established. 

About SWCA

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm providing full spectrum environmental services across the United States. Our North Star is to be the best place to work and a leader in sustainability, delivering sound science and creative solutions to complex environmental challenges.

 We are guided by our core values every day. We collaborate as #OneSWCA, we are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack to our communities. With offices nationwide, SWCA offers a collaborative, team focused environment where employees can build meaningful and long-term careers.

What you will accomplish

• Strategic Project Leadership: Strategically consults on and leads complex projects in pursuit of client objectives, overseeing the technical approach and ensuring quality assurance and quality control.
• Exemplary Leadership: Leads by example in both technical and soft skills, navigating client and team priorities to deliver projects that meet professional and oversight agency standards.
• Technical Expertise & Innovation: Innovates standards and practices to enhance the quality and efficiency of client projects and outcomes, ensuring alignment with industry and regulatory standards. Serves as a go-to technical expert and consultant, providing novel project strategies and applying technical excellence that considers client needs to meet project requirements.
• Project Accountability: Continuously guides projects, executing accountability for the performance of projects or delegated tasks and ensuring that project milestones are met and outcomes align with SWCA’s values and client expectations. Assesses risks and implements strategies for problem-solving. Revises or suggests revisions to project scopes, schedules, and budgets as necessary to meet evolving project requirements and ensure successful outcomes.
• Business Growth & Innovation: Drives business growth and client success through technical excellence, innovation, and development of new methods and standards that advance SWCA's technical reputation. Contributes to SWCA's strategic planning.
• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Champions cross-disciplinary collaboration, working closely with specialists to provide comprehensive technical support for projects.
• Mentorship & Team Development: Mentors staff for impactful influence, coaching others in technical excellence, leadership, and strategy, and also develops specialized programs and protocols. Fosters team development and cross-training, modeling and promoting knowledge sharing and collaboration among team members to enhance project outcomes, as well as team depth and redundancy.
• Relationship Management: Establishes and grows effective consultative relationships with external and internal clients and/or agency regulators and industry partners (if applicable) to support successful projects.
• Follows applicable federal, Tribal, state, local, industry, contractual, and company regulations, standards, and specifications.
• Performs related work as assigned.

Additional Job-Specific Responsibilities

• Direct cultural resources field research, data collection, inventory, analysis, survey planning, and final report production.
• Serve as the primary author and subject-matter expert for major technical reports, research designs, treatment plans, and related cultural resources documents.
• Manage project financial performance and ensure established profitability and other financial metrics are achieved or exceeded.
• Directly supervise cultural resources personnel and support their professional growth in alignment with SWCA’s Career Landscape.
• Assign staff to appropriate projects based on project requirements, technical qualifications, development opportunities, and employee engagement.
• Support recruitment and hiring in partnership with senior leaders and Talent Acquisition.
• Implement SWCA and client safety programs and contribute to developing project- or service-specific safety procedures.
• Expand SWCA’s state and regional client base and revenue in archaeology, historic architecture, permitting, NHPA, NEPA, and related cultural resources services through agency and industry engagement.
• Identify and manage prospects and proposals; prepare technical proposal content, develop competitive and profitable pricing, and make pursuit recommendations to the Program Director.

Minimum Qualifications

Eight years of relevant, progressively responsible experience, including some experience managing others. Ten years of related experience is preferred; or any equivalent combination of experience, performance, training, and/or education.

Experience and qualifications for success

• Master’s degree in Archaeology or Anthropology.
• Eight (8) years of relevant cultural resources experience, including at least three (3) years of progressively responsible experience with cultural resources projects, including fieldwork, consulting, technical QC, primary report authorship, and developing/implementing scopes of work through all stages from pre-field tasks to final report preparation.
• Meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards for archaeology and/or architectural history.
• Strong knowledge of Southwest U.S. archaeology, with experience conducting and leading archaeological projects in this geography. 
• Experience preparing NEPA documents to support Section 106 consultation for a variety of federal agencies.
• Possess advanced skills and knowledge in one or more specialty scientific areas (e.g., lithic, ceramic, or faunal analysis; osteology; historical archaeology).
• Demonstrated experience in supervising, mentoring, and providing leadership for other cultural resources professionals.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ten (10) years of relevant cultural resources experience, including five (5) years of progressively responsible experience with cultural resources projects, including fieldwork, consulting, technical QC, primary report authorship, and developing/implementing scopes of work through all stages from pre-field tasks to final report preparation.
• Strong preference given to applicants with experience in New Mexico and holding New Mexico permits.
• Ability to be listed on New Mexico State and New Mexico BLM cultural resources permits as both field supervisor and Principal Investigator.
• Excellent technical writing skills with a record of completing technical reports in a timely fashion. Must include experience with primary report authorship in a CRM context for a variety of project types and sizes, regions, and agencies
• Involvement with regional and national professional historic or archaeological societies.
• Strong interest in developing business development skills as a “seller/doer” to develop productive business relationships with agency, client, and industry contacts.

Other Job Conditions

When drug testing is required 

Applicants must be willing to participate in drug and alcohol screening as part of the pre-employment process, when required by project or client requirements. 

When driving is required 

Applicants must possess a valid driver's license and meet SWCA's driver requirements. 

When traveling is required 

This position may require domestic travel, including travel by commercial airline. Candidates must be able to obtain and maintain all valid travel documents and identification required for work-related travel throughout the duration of employment.  

Safety Expectations 

 Drives compliance of safety policies and reporting requirements to ensure overall team safety.  

Work Environment 

Work is regularly performed outdoors and involves hiking over uneven terrain, lifting and carrying equipment up to 25–50 pounds, and working in varying/extreme weather conditions. Employees may be exposed to vegetation, wildlife, insects, dust, chemicals, sharp or heavy tools, and other environmental conditions while following required safety procedures. 

Pay Range

SWCA is committed to salary equity and transparency. The expected pay range for this Albuquerque, NM - based position is $87,838.40 to $114,618.40 per year. Actual pay may vary based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other factors permitted by law. Eligible employees may also receive performance-based bonuses.

As a 100% employee-owned company, we invest in your future. Our Total Rewards package includes an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, 401(k) with profit sharing, medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, wellness programs, and professional development opportunities.

Closing

If you need accommodation due to a disability, please contact [email protected] or call 1 480 581 5378. If you require assistance with the application process, please contact [email protected].

Use of Technology in Hiring 

SWCA may use approved technology, including AI-assisted tools, to support parts of the application and recruiting process. All selection and hiring decisions are made by SWCA employees, and candidates are not selected or rejected by automated systems. We are committed to a fair, transparent, and human-centered hiring experience. 

Candidate Use of AI 

Candidates may use AI tools to help prepare application materials and interviews. However, all application materials, assessments, and interview responses must accurately reflect their own experience, skills, and qualifications. AI must not be used to fabricate experience, complete assessments on their behalf, or otherwise misrepresent their background or abilities. 

Equal Opportunity Employer 

SWCA Environmental Consultants is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applications from women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all employees can thrive. 

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.

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