Assistant Vice President Architectural Historian

This Opportunity

WSP is seeking an Assistant Vice President, Architectural Historian to join our Reno, NV or Seattle, WA office.

The Assistant Vice President, Architectural Historian will provide strategic leadership and technical expertise within WSP’s Cultural Resources practice. This role is responsible for advancing historic preservation and architectural history services, ensuring technical excellence, regulatory compliance, successful project delivery, and business growth. The successful candidate will serve as a trusted advisor to clients, lead multidisciplinary teams, mentor staff, and support the continued expansion of WSP’s cultural resources practice across the Western United States.

Your Impact

• Provide strategic and proactive leadership for WSP’s Architectural History practice, offering technical direction, mentorship, and subject matter expertise to project teams.

• Support and oversee cultural resource projects throughout California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and other regional markets as needed. 

• Lead the preparation and review of historic resource assessments, historic property evaluations, National Register of Historic Places eligibility determinations, historic context studies, and regulatory compliance documentation. 

• Serve as Principal Investigator and technical lead on complex architectural history and historic preservation projects. 

• Lead multidisciplinary teams through all phases of project planning, execution, budgeting, scheduling, and delivery. 

• Ensure compliance with applicable Federal, State, Tribal, and Local regulations, including the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Section 106, CEQA, NEPA, and related preservation laws. 

• Support business planning initiatives and contribute to annual growth strategies for the Cultural Resources practice. 

• Drive business development efforts by identifying opportunities, cultivating client relationships, and expanding WSP’s presence within the historic preservation marketplace. 

• Lead client meetings, presentations, contract negotiations, and agency coordination efforts. 

• Review technical deliverables to ensure quality, consistency, and adherence to industry standards and regulatory requirements. 

• Serve as a senior liaison with clients, agencies, Tribal representatives, preservation organizations, and other stakeholders. 

• Develop scopes of work, project schedules, cost estimates, and proposals. 

• Interpret and synthesize historic, architectural, and archival data to support sound preservation and regulatory recommendations. 

• Collaborate with planning, environmental, engineering, transportation, and infrastructure professionals to deliver integrated solutions for clients. 

• Mentor and develop staff through technical guidance, performance management, and professional development opportunities. 

• Stay current on evolving preservation methodologies, regulations, technologies, and industry best practices. 

• Support recruitment, retention, and growth initiatives within the Cultural Resources team. 

• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company resources and conduct, while adhering to WSP policies and standards. 

• Perform additional responsibilities as required to support business objectives.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Architectural History, Historic Preservation, History, Architecture, Anthropology, or a closely related field. 

• Meets or exceeds the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for Architectural History. 

• 10+ years of progressive professional experience in architectural history, historic preservation, or cultural resources consulting. 

• Demonstrated experience leading complex cultural resource and historic preservation projects. 

• Strong knowledge of NHPA Section 106, NEPA, CEQA, National Register criteria, and related Federal, State, and Local preservation regulations. 

• Proven ability to manage project budgets, schedules, scopes, and multidisciplinary project teams. 

• Established experience interacting with public agencies, regulatory authorities, clients, and stakeholder groups. 

• Strong technical writing, analytical, organization, and communication skills. 

• Demonstrated success in client management and business development activities. 

• Ability to mentor staff and support team growth through effective leadership and collaboration. 

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and standard project management tools. 

• Proven commitment to workplace safety and compliance with company health and safety standards. 

• Ability to travel periodically to project sites, client meetings, and industry events as needed.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree is preferred.
• Essential professional licensure/certification.
• 40-Hour OSHA Health & Safety Training (HAZWOPER) (29 CFR 1910.120) preferred.
• Basic First Aid and Adult CPR training desired.
   

WSP Benefits:  

 WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.  

Compensation: 

Expected Salary (Washington only): $123,600 - $183,600

 WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and/or offer for this position within the state of Colorado, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law. 

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