Cultural Heritage Lead

Sheladia Associates, Inc.; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 105,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

401(k) matching

Dental insurance

Employee assistance program

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Life insurance

Long-term disability

Medical insurance

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Vision insurance

Job summary

SHELADIA Associates, Inc. seeks a seasoned OBO Core Team Cultural Heritage Lead to direct historic-building, cultural-resource, and heritage-landscape assessments.

You will balance preservation with diplomatic mission needs, modernization, security, and sustainability in support of overseas facilities and Washington, DC-area offices. The role requires leadership of preservation projects, coordination with diverse disciplines, and adherence to U.S.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in historic preservation, architecture, architectural history, archaeology, landscape architecture, conservation, or a closely related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in historic preservation, cultural-heritage management, conservation, or related professional services.
• Demonstrated leadership of at least two major historic-preservation, cultural-resource, heritage-landscape, or adaptive-reuse assignments.

Responsibilities

• Lead historic-structure reports, cultural-resource assessments, heritage-impact studies, archival research, and preservation-planning assignments.
• Assess historic buildings, cultural landscapes, materials, archaeological considerations, and culturally significant sites.
• Develop preservation, rehabilitation, adaptive-reuse, maintenance, conservation, and treatment recommendations.
• Integrate cultural-heritage requirements with modernization, infrastructure upgrades, physical security, accessibility, sustainability, and mission continuity.
• Coordinate architecture, structural engineering, landscape architecture, materials conservation, building envelope, MEP, security, cost, and scheduling disciplines.
• Conduct field documentation, conditions assessments, stakeholder consultations, and evaluations of proposed project impacts.
• Coordinate with host-country cultural authorities, preservation organizations, local consultants, facility managers, and Government stakeholders.
• Apply applicable U.S. historic-preservation standards while addressing host-country heritage laws, cultural protocols, review processes, and technical practices.
• Prepare and review technical reports, treatment plans, scopes of work, design criteria, cost inputs, schedules, and decision documents.
• Provide quality-control reviews and mentor preservation staff; support proposals, interviews, and client presentations as needed.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Technical writing

Communication

Multidisciplinary coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in historic preservation/architecture/archaeology/landscape architecture

Tools

GIS

CAD/BIM

Documentation

Survey

Photography

Data visualization

Presentation tools

Job description

SHELADIA Associates is a multi-disciplinary international professional consulting firm with demonstrated experience in the successful management and implementation of development projects worldwide. SHELADIA believes practicality and sustainability in development projects require flexible resource management, active participation of all stakeholders, and a shared goal of strengthening institutions and operational systems to optimize available resources.

Equal Opportunity and Affrimative Action Employer.

Job Description

This position is contingent upon IDIQ contract award and subsequent task-order award(s) and requirements. It is intended to support SHELADIA's pursuit of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), 2026 Worldwide A/E Support Services IDIQ. Employment, assignments, travel, and project responsibilities will be based on the awarded contract and applicable task orders.

The program may support planning, design, construction, facility rehabilitation, system replacement, security upgrades, communications facilities, and building maintenance at Foreign Service posts worldwide and OBO offices in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Services may include professional support services, constructability reviews, critical-path schedule and risk analyses, and project-budget analyses.

The OBO Core Team Cultural Heritage Lead will direct historic-building, cultural-resource, and heritage-landscape assessments and preservation assignments. The successful candidate will balance preservation and stewardship with diplomatic mission requirements, modernization, security, resilience, accessibility, sustainability, and host-country cultural considerations.

• Lead historic-structure reports, cultural-resource assessments, heritage-impact studies, archival research, and preservation-planning assignments.
• Assess historic buildings, cultural landscapes, materials, archaeological considerations, character-defining features, and culturally significant sites.
• Develop preservation, rehabilitation, adaptive-reuse, maintenance, conservation, and treatment recommendations.
• Integrate cultural-heritage requirements with modernization, infrastructure upgrades, physical security, accessibility, sustainability, and mission continuity.
• Coordinate architecture, structural engineering, landscape architecture, materials conservation, building envelope, MEP, security, cost, and scheduling disciplines.
• Conduct field documentation, conditions assessments, stakeholder consultations, and evaluations of proposed project impacts.
• Coordinate with host-country cultural authorities, preservation organizations, local consultants, facility managers, and Government stakeholders.
• Apply applicable U.S. historic-preservation standards while addressing host-country heritage laws, cultural protocols, review processes, and technical practices.
• Prepare and review technical reports, treatment plans, scopes of work, design criteria, cost inputs, schedules, and decision documents.
• Provide quality-control reviews and mentor preservation staff; support proposals, interviews, and client presentations as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in historic preservation, architecture, architectural history, archaeology, landscape architecture, conservation, or a closely related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in historic preservation, cultural-heritage management, conservation, or related professional services.
• Demonstrated leadership of at least two major historic-preservation, cultural-resource, heritage-landscape, or adaptive-reuse assignments, including experience with historic structures, cultural landscapes, materials conservation, facility-condition assessments, or heritage-impact assessments.
• Professional registration, certification, or demonstrated professional qualification appropriate to the discipline.
• Working knowledge of U.S. historic-preservation standards and Government facility requirements, including coordination with host-country heritage laws, permitting processes, and cultural practices.
• Strong preservation planning, stakeholder engagement, technical writing, communication, and multidisciplinary coordination skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government personnel security clearance when required by the assigned work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in historic preservation, architecture, architectural history, conservation, archaeology, landscape architecture, or related field preferred.
• Proficiency with GIS, CADD/BIM, documentation, survey, photography, data-visualization, and presentation tools preferred.
• Experience with diplomatic, federal, defense, institutional, campus, mission-critical, or high-security facilities preferred.
• International experience coordinating with host-country cultural authorities, local consultants, preservation professionals, permitting agencies, and/or community stakeholders preferred.
• Experience integrating security, infrastructure, accessibility, sustainability, resilience, and modernization upgrades into historic properties while preserving character-defining features preferred.

Additional Information

International and domestic travel is expected and may include short-notice trips to overseas diplomatic facilities and other project locations. Travel requirements may vary based on assigned projects, task orders, and client requirements.

Salary: $105,000–$150,000 per year, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Sheladia Associates, Inc. has made the best effort to accurately represent the pay range for this position, however, base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, and any applicable cost of living data relevant to the position/candidate.

Other compensation: opportunities for annual increase and bonus, and other types of bonuses

Sheladia provides employees with the opportunity to work in a diverse, multi-cultural environment with exposure to and collaboration with multiple disciplines on a variety of projects. You will work in a hands-on, collaborative team environment.

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health Savings Account (HSA; with eligible medical plan enrollment)
• Life insurance
• Long-term disability
• Medical insurance
• Paid holidays
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Sheladia Associates, Inc. provides our employees with plenty of free on-site parking, free access to a fitness center, complete with locker rooms, showers and towel service, a yoga studio/meditation room, lovely outdoor seating and dining area, and next to a community park with walking paths and sports fields.