Principal Archaeologist- Principal Investigator

SWCA, Incorporated; Sheridan (WY); Remote; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

SWCA, Incorporated is seeking a Principal Archaeologist - Principal Investigator to lead a Rocky Mountain/Plains sub-region team from our Sheridan, WY office. The role emphasizes technical rigor, client leadership, and mentoring junior staff while pursuing new work and maintaining regulatory standards.

Remote distribution across WY, MT, the Dakotas, or CO is supported. The position is full-time, exempt, and salaried, reporting to the Sheridan Senior Office Director with salary based on

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Anthropology, Archaeology, History, or related field.
• Ten years of progressively responsible cultural resources fieldwork, consulting, and project management experience.
• Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA) status or eligible.
• Experience with federal, state, and local environmental laws, including Section 106, NHPA, NEPA, NAGPRA, and ARPA.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic project leadership and oversee complex projects to meet client objectives and regulatory standards.
• Mentor staff, supervise field personnel, and provide clear assignments and direction.
• Lead business development opportunities and coordinate capture/proposals with leadership.
• Ensure QA/QC and adherence to SWCA's values, budgets, schedules, and scopes of work.
• Foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and maintain relationships with clients and regulators.
• Prepare and review cultural resources reports and develop mitigation, monitoring, and permitting recommendations.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Budget management

Mentorship

Client relations

Education

Master's degree in Anthropology/Archaeology/History

Tools

GIS

Job description

About the opportunity

The Principal Archaeologist - Principal Investigator is responsible for providing leadership within the Cultural Resources Program by managing clients, projects, and staff within SWCA’s Rocky Mountain/Plains sub-region. Our team of accomplished environmental and cultural resources scientists is growing, and we are looking for dynamic individuals who are following their passion in delivering the highest-quality cultural resources compliance services.

In addition, the successful applicant will serve as a Principal Investigator to ensure technical rigor and Section 106 Compliance. This position will be instrumental in contributing to a robust cultural resources program that includes supporting existing clients and projects, capturing new work and clients, supervising and mentoring junior staff, encouraging teamwork and cooperation, working with other offices and sub-regions, and driving overall scientific and business excellence.

This is a full-time, regular (with benefits), exempt, and salaried position reporting to our Sheridan, WY Senior Office Director. Salary will be based on individual qualifications and experience. The position will be based out of our Sheridan, WY offices but is open to highly qualified candidates who work distributed (= remote) in other parts of Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas, or Colorado.

Application Deadline: Applications will be acceptedthrough October 10, 2026at 5:00 PM MDT.

What you will accomplish

• Strategic Project Leadership: Strategically consults on and leads complex projects in pursuit of client objectives, overseeing the technical approach and ensuring quality assurance and quality control.


• Exemplary Leadership: Leads by example in both technical and soft skills, navigating client and team priorities to deliver projects that meet professional and oversight agency standards.


• Technical Expertise & Innovation: Innovates standards and practices to enhance the quality and efficiency of client projects and outcomes, ensuring alignment with industry and regulatory standards. Serves as a go-to technical expert and consultant, providing novel project strategies and applying technical excellence that considers client needs to meet project requirements.


• Project Accountability: Continuously guides projects, executing accountability for the performance of projects or delegated tasks and ensuring that project milestones are met and outcomes align with SWCA's values and client expectations. Assesses risks and implements strategies for problem-solving. Revises or suggests revisions to project scopes, schedules, and budgets as necessary to meet evolving project requirements and ensure successful outcomes.


• Business Growth & Innovation: Drives business growth and client success through technical excellence, innovation, and development of new methods and standards that advance SWCA's technical reputation. Contributes to SWCA's strategic planning.


• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Champions cross-disciplinary collaboration, working closely with specialists to provide comprehensive technical support for projects.


• Mentorship & Team Development: Mentors staff for impactful influence, coaching others in technical excellence, leadership, and strategy, and also develops specialized programs and protocols. Fosters team development and cross-training, modeling and promoting knowledge sharing and collaboration among team members to enhance project outcomes, as well as team depth and redundancy.


• Relationship Management: Establishes and grows effective consultative relationships with external and internal clients and/or agency regulators and industry partners (if applicable) to support successful projects.


• Follows applicable federal, Tribal, state, local, industry, contractual, and company regulations, standards, and specifications.


• Performs related work as assigned.

Additional Job-Specific Responsibilities

• Evaluate sales opportunities and lead strategic capture and proposal efforts in collaboration with the Business Development Resources team and local and regional leadership.


• Recommend priority prospects, pursuits, and proposals to the Directors based on market opportunities and regional goals.


• Directly supervise cultural resources project managers, technical staff, and field personnel, providing clear assignments, performance expectations, and project-specific direction.


• Advise the Directors regarding staff performance, advancement, development needs, and corrective action; support completion of required performance-management and training activities.


• Serve as a lead hiring manager for project- and staff-level positions, including identifying staffing needs, screening candidates, conducting interviews, and making hiring recommendations.


• Support team readiness by coordinating safety, equipment, training, technical resources, and regulatory or research updates; reinforce compliance with safety policies and reporting requirements.


• Direct cultural resources field and laboratory teams in coordination with project managers, assistant project managers, and principal investigators.


• Prepare and review cultural resources reports and related technical documents.


• Develop cultural resources recommendations for mitigation, monitoring, and permitting

Experience and qualifications for success

• A Master’s (M.A. or M.S.) Degree in Anthropology, Archaeology, History, or related field.


• Ten (10) years of progressively more responsible experience in cultural resources fieldwork, consulting, and project management, including developing and implementing budgets, schedules, and scopes of work from pre-field tasks to final report preparation.


• Seven (7) years of related experience on project(s) in Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas or Colorado.


• Listed as a Registered Professional Archaeologist (or qualified for RPA status).


• Ability to be listed as a Principal Investigator on federal permits in Wyoming and Montana.


• Previous experience with federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations in Wyoming and/or neighboring states is required, including Section 106 of the NHPA, NEPA, NAGPRA, and ARPA.


• Demonstrated experience in supervising, mentoring, and providing leadership for other professionals.


• Demonstrated business development success and consulting acumen, including established credibility with federal and state reviewing agencies and clients, as well as success in proposal writing.


• Travel up to 10%

Preferred or Helpful Qualifications:

• Twelve (12) years of progressively more responsible experience in cultural resources fieldwork, consulting, and project management, including developing and implementing budgets, schedules, and scopes of work from pre-field tasks to final report preparation.


• Emphasis in archaeology of Wyoming and/or neighboring states, and a current technical specialization (i.e. lithic analysis, historical archaeology, GIS, architectural history, etc.).


• Meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards for archaeology highly preferred


• Ability to take initiative, resolve problems, and ensure that tasks are completed in the most effective manner.


• Flexibility and willingness to learn company procedures, and ability to try new, improved techniques.


• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.