Consultant, Archaeologist

Environmental Resources Management (ERM); Austin (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Environmental Resources Management (ERM) seeks a Consultant, Archaeologist to join our Cultural Resources Services team in Texas (Austin, Dallas, or Houston). You will lead fieldwork, evaluate sites, and ensure compliance across projects, integrating heritage stewardship with infrastructure development.

The role emphasizes collaboration, rigorous documentation, travel up to 70%, and readiness to work in diverse field conditions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, Archaeology, or a closely related field plus 2–3 years of related paid experience.
• Experience completing inventory, survey, testing, and/or data recovery.
• Experience contributing to technical reports.
• Strong attention to detail in documentation.
• Excellent verbal, written, and computer communication skills.
• Knowledge of Gulf Coast archaeology and survey standards.
• Experience using mapping and field equipment (GPS, tablets).

Responsibilities

• Lead field crews conducting pedestrian Phase I and Phase II archaeological surveys.
• Supervise recording of artifacts, features, and sites using tablets and GPS equipment.
• Evaluate archaeological sites for eligibility to the National and State Registers of Historic Places.
• Maintain detailed daily field logs and ensure field safety procedures are followed.
• Assist with managing report production to meet project deadlines.

Skills

Field leadership

Archaeology

Documentation

GPS/tablets

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology/Archaeology

Graduate degree preferred

Tools

GPS

Tablets

Microsoft Office

Job description

Help preserve the past while shaping responsible development for the future. ERM is seeking a highly motivated Consultant, Archaeologist to join our Cultural Resources Services team at a global consulting firm recognized for delivering sustainable solutions. This full-time, salary-based role is ideally based out of Austin, Dallas, or Houston, supporting projects across the region. In this role, you will serve as a trusted technical contributor throughout the entire project lifecycle—leading fieldwork, guiding evaluations, and ensuring compliance while working at the intersection of cultural heritage, environmental stewardship, and infrastructure development.

Why This Role Matters?

Cultural resources play a critical role in responsible project development. As a Consultant, Archaeologist at ERM, your work ensures that archaeological and historic resources are identified, evaluated, and thoughtfully considered in compliance with federal, state, and municipal regulations. Your work enables projects to move forward ethically, responsibly, and in alignment with regulatory and community expectations.

What Your Impact Is:

• Lead and support archaeological field investigations that inform complex development decisions
• Evaluate archaeological sites for eligibility under the National and State Registers of Historic Places
• Produce defensible findings that stand up to regulatory review and client scrutiny
• Serve as a field leader who upholds ERM’s safety, quality, and scientific standards
• Contribute directly to ERM’s mission of sustainable and responsible development

What You’ll Bring:

• Proven archaeological field expertise with regional knowledge of Gulf Coast archaeology
• A collaborative and safety-first approach to project execution
• Strong organizational, communication, and technical documentation skills
• The ability to work independently in field conditions while supporting multidisciplinary teams

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, Archaeology, or a closely related field plus 2-3 years of related paid experience
• Demonstrated experience completing inventory, survey, testing, and/or data recovery
• Experience contributing to technical reports
• Strong attention to detail in documentation
• Excellent verbal, written, and computer communication skills
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team
• Knowledge of Gulf Coast archaeology, including artifacts and survey standards
• Experience using mapping and field equipment (e.g., tablets, GPS)
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Must be locally available for projects
• Ability and willingness to travel to field sites in and out of the region Travel expected to comprise approximately 70% of the role, including weekend deployments
• Ability to walk long distances (up to 10 miles per day) in varying terrain and adverse conditions, including inclement weather and wildlife encounters
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds
• Ability to excavate shovel tests and archaeological units, including trench walls
• Driver's License Required: This position requires a valid driver's license and/or the ability to operate a company vehicle due to the nature of job duties, which include frequent travel to various client locations across a large geographical area

Preferred:

• Graduate degree in Archaeology, Anthropology, or a closely related field
• Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA) Ability to be listed on archaeological permits
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Detail-oriented and resourceful approach to problem solving
• Positive, energetic attitude with strong initiative and self-motivation

Key Responsibilities:

• Complete online and in-person records searches in preparation for fieldwork
• Assist with coordinating field preparations, including health and safety planning, logistics, and survey protocols
• Lead field crews conducting pedestrian Phase I and Phase II archaeological surveys
• Supervise the recording of artifacts, features, and sites using tablets and GPS equipment
• Follow all field safety procedures and conduct daily morning safety tailgates
• Evaluate archaeological sites for eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places and State Registers of Historic Places
• Assess potential project impacts to cultural resources
• Maintain detailed daily field logs
• Assist with managing report production to meet project deadlines
• Maintain complete and accurate field records in both hard copy and digital formats

Who We Are:

As the largest global pure play sustainability consultancy, we partner with the world’s leading organizations, creating innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and unlocking commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunity for future generations. At ERM we know that creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment is an essential part of making our company a great place to build a career. We also see our diversity as a strength that helps us create better solutions for our clients. Our diverse team of world-class experts supports clients across the breadth of their organizations to operationalize sustainability, underpinned by our deep technical expertise in addressing their environmental, health, safety, risk and social issues. We call this capability our “boots to boardroom” approach for its comprehensive service model that allows ERM to develop strategic and technical solutions that advance objectives on the ground or at the executive level.

At ERM, sustainability is our business, we are the world’s largest advisory firm focused solely on sustainability, offering unparalleled expertise across business and finance. ERM partners with clients to operationalize sustainability at pace and scale, through our unique combination of strategic transformation and technical delivery capabilities.

Our diverse global team of experts works with the world’s leading organizations to help them set clear sustainability targets, measure progress and operationalize strategy through deep implementation and business transformation.

With more than 50 years of experience, our ability to integrate sustainability solutions and our depth and breadth of technical knowledge are why organizations choose to partner with us as their trusted advisor.

Every one of us firmly believes in the potential to create value for our clients through an integrated approach to sustainability (because we have personally seen it and professionally achieved it).

Our team members are passionate about client service. We work closely with our clients to help them operationalize their sustainability goals and meet their environmental, health and safety objectives while advancing ERM’s purpose through delivering tangible progress in what the United Nations coined The Decade of Action.

Organizing our people across globally integrated communities of technical and strategic talent positions ERM to be a “boots to boardroom” leader in bringing that value creation to our clients, partners, and the world.

We recruit exceptional professionals with a personal and professional passion for sustainability and nurture them to even greater success as specialists. We prepare our consultants to bring integrated, innovative and sustainable solutions to our clients and provide opportunities for ongoing development across a variety of subject areas related to technical, business, and personal growth.

At ERM, effort pays off and becomes career defining work that leaves a positive imprint on our planet.

ERM is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.