Principal Technical Consultant, Archaeologist - Arizona

ERM; Scottsdale (AZ); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work considered

Job summary

ERM in the American Southwest is seeking a Principal Technical Consultant, Archaeologist to lead cultural resources projects from a local office with remote work considered for a qualified candidate. You will oversee field studies, manage multi-state project teams, ensure NEPA compliance, and mentor junior archaeologists while building client relationships and expanding ERM’s Southwest presence.

This senior role requires strategic leadership, quality control, and collaboration with ERM’s Western

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in Anthropology, Archaeology, or closely related field.
• 8+ years of professional archaeology and cultural resources experience.
• RPA certification and SHPO regional qualifications.
• Southwest- or region-focused field experience including inventory, survey, testing, and data recovery.
• Knowledge of NEPA and regulatory processes.
• Experience drafting and reviewing agency-submitted reports.
• Strong leadership, mentoring, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and regulatory compliance for cultural resources projects.
• Manage project teams, schedules, budgets, and deliverables.
• Mentor junior archaeologists and collaborate with ERM teams.
• Support business development and client relationship management.
• Represent ERM in meetings with agencies, clients, and stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Mentoring

Client engagement

Regulatory knowledge

NEPA compliance

Team collaboration

Education

Graduate degree in Anthropology/Archaeology

RPA certification

SHPO qualifications

Tools

GIS software

ESRI ArcGIS

Job description

Shape the future of cultural resources management in the American Southwest.

ERM is seeking a highly motivated Principal Technical Consultant, Archaeologist to join our global consulting firm as part of our Cultural Resources Services team. This is a full-time, salaried position that can be based from a local ERM office, with remote work considered for a qualified candidate. Candidates located in Arizona or New Mexico are strongly preferred due to the regional focus of this role and the importance of familiarity with applicable federal, state, and municipal regulatory processes. In this senior leadership role, you will provide technical excellence, project leadership, mentorship, and business development support while helping clients navigate complex cultural resource and environmental compliance challenges throughout the United States.

Why This Role Matters?

As a senior cultural resources leader, you will play a critical role in advancing ERM’s cultural resources practice across the Southwest while supporting strategic projects nationwide. You will combine technical expertise, client engagement, regulatory knowledge, team leadership, and business development to help clients achieve successful project outcomes while preserving and protecting cultural resources.

What Your Impact Is:

• Serve as Permit Administrator/Principal Investigator on BLM Cultural Resources Use Permits and ARPA permits.
• Qualify and serve as a Project Director under Arizona Museum standards.
• Provide technical-level quality assurance and quality control of deliverables prepared by other qualified archaeologists.
• Oversee a team of archaeologists conducting desktop studies and field investigations, including reconnaissance- and pedestrian-level surveys, testing/excavations, and construction monitoring.
• Lead, manage, mentor, and support mid-level and junior archaeologists, including participating in hiring, mentorship, and employee engagement activities. Collaborate closely with Cultural Resources Business Unit Leads, the Consulting Director for Archaeology, Area Managers, and Managing Partners.
• Serve as primary author or task manager for cultural resources technical studies associated with large capital projects, ensuring project objectives, quality standards, budgets, and schedules are achieved.
• Manage projects that range from multi-state linear developments to smaller site-specific initiatives.
• Expand ERM’s presence and market share within the cultural resources sector through excellence in technical delivery and business development.
• Partner with ERM Managing Partners to strengthen existing client relationships and develop new client opportunities that contribute to revenue growth.
• Identify and support cross-selling opportunities across ERM service lines.
• Collaborate within ERM’s multidisciplinary Western Rockies team, including environmental planners, biologists, wetland specialists, GIS specialists, engineers, and other technical professionals.
• Represent ERM in meetings and communications with clients, agency representatives, teaming partners, subcontractors, and stakeholders.
• Identify subcontractor needs and oversee the quality and schedule performance of subcontractors supporting cultural resources projects.

What You'll Bring:

Required

• Graduate degree in Anthropology, Archaeology, or a closely related field of study, or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of related professional experience in archaeology, cultural resources management, and environmental consulting.
• Secretary of the Interior-qualified archaeologist and Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA), with qualifications meeting or exceeding applicable SHPO requirements for the region.
• Demonstrated field experience and principal-level oversight of projects throughout the Southwest, including inventory, survey, testing, and data recovery efforts.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Southwestern archaeology and NEPA compliance requirements.
• Experience authoring and/or reviewing agency-submitted technical reports, including Class I and Class III reports, cultural resources treatment plans, and cultural resources sections of NEPA documents.
• Experience interacting with regulatory agencies while representing client interests.
• Strong leadership, project management, mentoring, and team collaboration skills.
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams consisting of archaeologists and other technical specialists.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining quality, schedule, and budget expectations.

Preferred

• Previous experience serving as Permit Administrator and/or Principal Investigator for BLM Cultural Resources Use Permits and ARPA permits.
• Demonstrated success supporting business development activities, client growth initiatives, and proposal development.
• Existing relationships with regulatory agencies, tribal organizations, and clients within Arizona, New Mexico, and the broader Southwest region.
• Experience supporting large-scale energy, infrastructure, transmission, mining, or capital development projects.
• Familiarity with cultural resource management programs across multiple western states.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide technical leadership and oversight for cultural resources projects and regulatory compliance efforts.
• Manage project teams, schedules, budgets, and deliverables.
• Support strategic business development initiatives and client relationship management.
• Mentor and develop cultural resources professionals across varying experience levels.
• Ensure regulatory compliance and technical excellence across project portfolios.
• Collaborate across ERM’s multidisciplinary service lines to deliver integrated client solutions.

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.