Lead Archaeologist - Principal Investigator in Pacific NW U.S.
SWCA, INCORPORATED · Oregon
📍 UNAVAILABLE, ORvia icimsPosted 2026-09-18
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About the opportunity
SWCA Environmental Consultants is looking for a Cultural Resources Lead-level Archaeologist - Principal Investigator to join our Pacific Northwest Subregion. Our team of accomplished environmental and cultural resources scientists is growing, and we are looking for dynamic individuals who are following their passion in delivering the highest-quality cultural resources compliance services. Your role will be to work with staff in business development, draft proposals, oversee and improve team procedures, develop and lead projects, oversee fieldwork, assist with field logistics, complete analysis of results, and draft technical reports.
This requisition can hire at two levels:
Lead Archaeologist -- Six (6) years of relevant industry experience and expertise; eight (8) years preferred.
Senior Archaeologist -- Eight (8) years of relevant industry experience and expertise; ten (10) years preferred
Our Pacific Northwest offices offer a collaborative, supportive environment specializing in natural and cultural resources, environmental planning, permitting, and restoration engineering. We are known for high-quality work grounded in sound science and meaningful client relationships. This is a regular (with benefits), full-time, salaried, exempt position that may be based anywhere within the Pacific Northwest reporting to our Pacific Northwest Cultural Resources Director. We offer a hybrid and remote (= distributed) work environments.
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:
Serve as Principal Investigator, primary, or co-author on small to large technical reports, research designs, and other technical documents.
Conduct technical edits and ensure quality standards of cultural resources compliance documentation.
Oversee field research, data collection, inventory, analysis, and final report production, ensuring these tasks are conducted in accordance with QA/QC standards.
Assist with training and mentoring of staff in topics including NRHP eligibility, implementation of research designs, technical reporting, and cultural resources recording protocols.
Comply with SWCA and client safety programs and assist in the development of such programs.
Maintain good working relationships with state and federal agency contacts, Tribe contacts, and clients.
Additional duties as needed: manage projects, prepare and contribute to proposals, provide technical expertise to our clients, and supervise staff, as applicable.
Minimum Qualifications
Six years of relevant, progressively responsible experience, including some experience managing others or any equivalent combination of experience, performance,
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