Cultural Resources Field Lead

Burns & McDonnell; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 75,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Burns & McDonnell’s Southwest Region seeks a Cultural Resources Specialist to work with archaeological crews on surveys, monitoring, testing, and data recovery for infrastructure projects. The role offers growth toward project director or Principal Investigator responsibilities.

You will plan and execute field tasks with the project team, supervise field crews, ensure safety and data quality, and prepare field records and technical report sections.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in archaeology, anthropology, or a closely related field from an accredited program and at least 4 years of relevant archaeological field experience, including field crew leadership.
• Master’s degree in archaeology, anthropology, or a closely related field preferred; candidates on the PI path should meet qualifications.
• Experience directing or supervising archaeological field crews; cultural resources consulting experience preferred.
• Knowledge of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and applicable state and agency fieldwork requirements.
• Familiarity with GIS and digital archaeological recording workflows preferred.

Responsibilities

• Conduct archaeological surveys, monitoring, testing, and data recovery in accordance with the approved work plan and safety requirements.
• Prepare for field mobilization by reviewing records, confirming access and equipment, and coordinating staffing and logistics with the PI and project manager.
• Work under the PI and project director authorizations; provide information for permit applications or amendments and comply with permit terms.
• Train field staff in site identification, documentation, digital data collection, artifact handling, and field quality checks.
• Follow Burns & McDonnell’s quality and safety procedures; raise field issues promptly and contribute to consistent field methods and checklists.
• Prepare site forms, field summaries, and report sections; communicate findings to the PI and project manager.
• Travel and overnight field assignments are part of the role.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Field leadership

Safety and compliance

Technical reporting

Written and verbal communication

Training staff

Data collection

Decision making

Adaptability

Team coordination

Attention to field data

Education

Bachelors in archaeology/anthropology

Masters preferred

Tools

GPS

GIS

Microsoft Office

Mobile field data collection tools

Job description

Burns & McDonnell’s Southwest Region seeks a Cultural Resources Specialist to work with archaeological crews on surveys, monitoring, testing, and data recovery for infrastructure projects. The role offers growth toward project director or Principal Investigator responsibilities.

You will plan and execute field tasks with the project team, supervise field crews, ensure safety and data quality, and prepare field records and technical report sections.