Associate Project Archaeologist

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking an Associate Project Archaeologist or Associate Project Architectural Historian to support our Midwest operations, with our principal office being in Chicago, IL. This role is a core member of our Cultural Resources Program, responsible for managing small cultural resources projects, including proposals, fieldwork, research, report writing, quality assurance/quality control reviews, and managing client, agency, and tribal relationships.

 

This position offers an excellent opportunity for a motivated professional to grow their career while developing strong project management expertise. The successful candidate will take on increasing responsibility for planning, coordinating, and delivering cultural resource projects, working closely with multidisciplinary teams and clients. This role is ideal for someone looking to advance their leadership skills, drive successful project outcomes, and build a long-term career in project management.

 

This is a regular, full-time, hourly position with benefits. Qualified individuals can either work in a hybrid work environment near our Chicago or Cincinnati offices, or be remote (= distributed) in the Midwest. Annual pay will be commensurate with individual qualifications and experience. This is a hybrid role with 75% office work, and a potential for up to 25% field work.

 

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.

What you will accomplish

• Manage budgeting, scheduling, research, fieldwork, report writing, and curation for cultural resources projects. For larger cultural resources projects this will be accomplished with oversight from Principal Investigators and Project Manager.
• 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. 
• Take responsibility for team safety, developing safety plans (when applicable), and anticipating potential safety hazards.

Experience and qualifications for success

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Archaeology, Architectural History, Anthropology, or a closely related field.
• At least three (3) 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.
• Familiarity with Section 106 and Historic Preservation regulatory requirements in Illinois or nearby Midwest states.
• Familiarity with other cultural resource regulations and processes in Illinois and/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

• Master's degree in Archaeology, Architectural History, Anthropology, or a closely related field.
• At least five (5) 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 one (1) year of experience managing cultural resources projects
• Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA) certification or eligibility for RPA status.
• SOI Qualified
• Collaborative experience working on interdisciplinary teams of scientists and planners.
• Experience conducting QA/QC reviews of field documents, site forms, and reports.
• Proven leadership experience managing archaeology or architectural history crews on diverse projects.
• Ability to coordinate personnel and resources within budgetary constraints.
• Proven experience assisting with the management of CRM tasks, including budgets, scheduling, and scopes of work.

Skills and Knowledge

• 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.
• Comfortable working in ambiguous environments and proactively resolving challenges as they arise.
• Strong critical thinking and analytical skills. Exercises independent judgment while collaborating appropriately with stakeholders on high-impact decisions.
• 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.

 

Why Work at SWCA:

 

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full-spectrum of environmental services.  Our Vision (the North Star) is to make SWCA the best workplace and industry leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges while maintaining a dedication to employee-ownership. We live our core values: we collaborate as #OneSWCA; we are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack.

 

We are 100% employee-owned, and we build our success together. 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. We offer a supportive, team-oriented work environment and competitive wages and benefits, including an 100% employee stock ownership plan (retirement).

 

If you need assistance accessing SWCA’s website, completing the online application, or require accommodations at any point during the hiring process due to a disability, please contact us at [email protected] or call 1-480-581-5378. We’re committed to providing an inclusive and supportive experience for all candidates. This contact information is specifically for accommodation requests; other inquiries will not receive a response.

 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 Chicago-office based position can expect a rate of $31.36/hour to $40.02/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 (https://www.swca.com/careers/benefits-wellness/), forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more.

 

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.