Consultant, Archaeologist

ERM (Environmental Resources Management); Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

ERM in Salt Lake City is seeking an early‑career archaeologist to advance field leadership on cultural heritage projects across the Great Basin. This full‑time role offers hands‑on investigations that support federal and state compliance and provide meaningful outcomes for environmental planning.

You’ll travel up to 75% during peak seasons, lead surveys and reporting, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to strengthen ERM’s presence in archaeology and heritage consulting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Archaeology, Anthropology, or related field.
• 2–3+ years field and reporting experience.
• Eligible to serve as Field Director on BLM and other permits.
• Experience leading surveys, testing or data recovery projects.
• Authoring agency-reviewed technical reports.
• NHPA Section 106 and NRHP knowledge.
• Independent or collaborative work in multi-disciplinary teams.
• Willingness to travel across the U.S. up to 75%.
• Physical ability for demanding field conditions.
• Experience with GPS and GIS tools.
• Driver's license required; immigration sponsorship not offered.

Responsibilities

• Prepare portions of technical reporting for investigations and impact assessments.
• Coordinate field investigations, surveys, testing and construction monitoring.
• Interact with SHPO and BLM during projects.
• Perform research and draft sections of technical reports.
• Communicate with senior staff and partners to support analyses.
• Provide technical consulting to grow ERM’s archaeology business.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams across ERM’s U.S. geography.
• Represent ERM in client meetings and with stakeholders.

Skills

Field leadership

GIS

NHPA 106

Teamwork

Communication

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Archaeology

Tools

GPS

ArcGIS FieldMaps

Survey123

Job description

Step into the field and help shape how cultural heritage is preserved across the Great Basin. If you’re an early-career archaeologist ready to grow your field leadership, expand your technical expertise, and make a real impact on environmental and cultural projects, this role offers hands‑on experience with meaningful, high‑visibility work.

Why This Role Matters

Cultural resources are critical to understanding our shared history—and protecting them is essential to responsible development. As a Consultant, Archaeologist , you’ll contribute directly to archaeological investigations that inform major energy and environmental projects across the Great Basin. Your work will help ensure compliance with federal and state regulations while preserving sites of historic and cultural significance.

This is a full‑time, salaried role based in Salt Lake City, UT , with flexibility for candidates located throughout the Great Basin region. If you’re ready to grow your career while contributing to impactful, real‑world projects, this is your opportunity to build both technical depth and field leadership.

What Your Impact Is

• Support and lead archaeological studies that guide environmental decision‑making
• Evaluate and document cultural resources for NRHP eligibility and Section 106 compliance
• Contribute to high‑quality technical reports that influence project approvals
• Partner with clients, agencies, and interdisciplinary teams to deliver defensible, compliant outcomes
• Help strengthen ERM’s presence and reputation in archaeology and cultural heritage consulting

What You’ll Bring

Required

• Bachelors degree in Archaeology, Anthropology, or a related field
• 2-3+ years of progressive archaeological field and reporting experience
• Eligibility to serve as a Field Director on BLM and other cultural resource permits in the Great Basin
• Demonstrated experience leading surveys, testing, or data recovery projects
• Experience authoring or co‑authoring agency‑reviewed technical reports
• Working knowledge of NHPA Section 106, NRHP criteria, and regional regulatory frameworks
• Ability to work independently or collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams
• Willingness to travel across the U.S. and perform fieldwork up to 75% during peak season
• Physical ability to work in demanding field conditions (e.g., long hikes up 10 miles per day, variable weather, lifting up 50 lbs, wildlife encounters)
• Experience with field technologies (e.g., GPS, GIS tools such as ArcGIS FieldMaps or Survey123)
• 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.
• This position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship.

Preferred

• Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA) designation
• Knowledge of prehistoric and historic artifact assemblages
• Experience with historic structures
• Strong initiative and a self‑directed, adaptable work style

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare portions of technical reporting for desktop‑level or field‑based cultural resources investigations or impact assessments, including contributing to cultural resources sections of larger federal and state environmental documents.
• Coordinate and participate in field investigations, including reconnaissance‑and pedestrian‑level surveys, testing/excavations, and construction monitoring for cultural resources.
• Interact with various State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO).
• Interact with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
• Perform research and author portions of technical reports under the supervision of principal investigators, project managers, and partners.
• Communicate with senior staff and teaming partners to support environmental analyses.
• Provide technical consulting skills to support the growth of ERM’s business and client base in the area of archaeology and cultural heritage.
• Collaborate with different multi‑disciplinary teams consisting of environmental planners, biologists, wetland specialists, GIS specialists, engineers, etc. across ERM’s United States geography to serve our clients in the energy sector.
• Represent ERM through communications and meetings with our clients, teaming partners, subcontractors, stakeholders, and agency counterparts.

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.

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.

Thank you for your interest in ERM!