Lead Field Archaeologist & PI (Cultural Resources)

ERM; Reno (NV); On-site; USD 90,000 - 126,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Medical & dental insurance

401(k)

Life & disability insurance

Job summary

ERM is seeking a Principal Investigator to lead on-site cultural resource mitigation and compliance during construction for projects in Northern Nevada and Southern Idaho. The PI will guide field decisions, coordinate with managers, and ensure regulatory compliance while managing diverse crews in rugged environments.

The role is full-time for 6 months (60-72 hrs/week) with potential extension, requiring strong field judgment, safety, and effective communication to adapt to changing site

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Archaeology, Anthropology, or closely related field preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of Principal Investigator experience in Great Basin archaeological fieldwork.
• Be permitted as a NV BLM Principal Investigator Statewide for Prehistoric and Historic.
• Experience with mitigation for infrastructure projects.
• Strong familiarity with Section 106, NHPA, and BLM, NV, and ID agency permitting requirements.
• Ability to identify prehistoric and historic-period archaeological materials and features.
• Experience using GPS units, Survey123, ArcGIS, or similar field data collection tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead mitigation by following the Historic Properties Treatment Plan and site specific plan(s).
• Communicate and make live-time decisions on changes to site plans for data quality, regulatory compliance, and schedule drivers.
• Be a safety leader on field crews in active construction environments.
• Identify, document, and evaluate archaeological materials and features with in-field NRHP eligibility assessment.
• Implement unanticipated discovery procedures per project permits.
• Coordinate in real time with project managers and cultural resource leads.
• Maintain compliance with cultural resource permit conditions and environmental commitments.
• Oversee daily field notes, photographs, and GPS data collection.
• Collect data to support future reporting and updates to the BLM.

Skills

Field leadership

In-field decision making

Clear communication

Safety leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Archaeology/Anthropology

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

GPS

ArcGIS

Survey123

Job description

ERM is seeking a Principal Investigator to lead on-site cultural resource mitigation and compliance during construction for projects in Northern Nevada and Southern Idaho. The PI will guide field decisions, coordinate with managers, and ensure regulatory compliance while managing diverse crews in rugged environments.

The role is full-time for 6 months (60-72 hrs/week) with potential extension, requiring strong field judgment, safety, and effective communication to adapt to changing site