Principal Technical Consultant, Paleontologist

ERM; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 108,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Parental leave

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Life and disability insurance

401(k) and retirement benefits

Job summary

ERM is seeking a Principal Technical Consultant, Paleontologist to provide technical leadership on paleontological and cultural resource projects across North America. You will lead multidisciplinary teams, oversee investigations, and support business development.

You bring a graduate degree in a related field, 8+ years’ experience, and strong knowledge of NEPA, with the ability to mentor junior staff and lead client engagements.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in Paleontology, Geology, Earth Sciences, Biology, Anthropology, Archaeology, or related discipline.
• 8+ years (10+ years preferred) of professional experience related to paleontological resources.
• Experience leading assessments, surveys, monitoring programs, mitigation efforts, and agency consultation.
• Strong understanding of NEPA and related environmental review requirements.
• Strong leadership, project management, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and oversight for paleontological and cultural resource projects
• Manage project teams, schedules, budgets, and deliverables
• Support strategic business development and client relationship management
• Ensure regulatory compliance and technical excellence

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Communication

Mentoring

Education

Graduate degree in Paleontology, Geology, Earth Sciences, Biology, Anthropology, Archaeology, or related discipline

Job description

Principal Technical Consultant, Paleontologist

Eligibility Criteria

ERMers considering application for internal positions should consider the following eligibility criteria prior to application:

• Should already be an ERMer for a minimum of 12 months
• Should have two Good/Meets Expectations (minimum) performance ratings for the last two cycles (over 12 months)
• Transition period to the new role should be discussed per role and based on regional differences

Why This Role Matters

As a senior technical leader, you will play a key role in advancing ERM's paleontological resources services while supporting integrated cultural resources programs across North America.

What Your Impact Will Be

• Serve as Principal Investigator, Permit Administrator, or technical lead on paleontological resource investigations and permitting programs
• Provide QA/QC review of deliverables prepared by paleontologists, archaeologists, and cultural resources specialists
• Lead desktop studies, field investigations, monitoring, mitigation, fossil recovery efforts, and resource management planning
• Collaborate closely with archaeologists and cultural resources specialists on multidisciplinary projects
• Lead, mentor, and support mid-level and junior staff
• Serve as primary author or senior reviewer for environmental studies and technical reports
• Support business development, proposals, and client relationship management

What You'll Bring

Required:

• Graduate degree in Paleontology, Geology, Earth Sciences, Biology, Anthropology, Archaeology, or related discipline
• 8+ years (10+ years preferred) of professional experience related to paleontological resources
• Experience leading assessments, surveys, monitoring programs, mitigation efforts, and agency consultation
• Strong understanding of NEPA and related environmental review requirements
• Strong leadership, project management, and communication skills

Preferred:

• Experience supporting integrated paleontological and archaeological resource management projects
• Experience supporting energy, mining, transportation, technology, water, or infrastructure projects
• Demonstrated success in business development and proposal preparation

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and oversight for paleontological and cultural resource projects
• Manage project teams, schedules, budgets, and deliverables
• Support strategic business development and client relationship management
• Ensure regulatory compliance and technical excellence

The Principal Technical Consultant, Paleontologist position, the anticipated annual base pay is $108,200-$144,800 (USD). Actual pay will depend on factors such as education, experience, skills, location, performance, and business needs. In some cases, pay may fall outside this range. This role may be eligible for bonus pay subject to the sole discretion of ERM and its policies and procedures (casual and fixed term/flex force employees are not bonus eligible).

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off (vacation, sick, and floating holidays), parental leave, medical, dental, vision, life, disability, AD&D insurance, 401(k), and other applicable benefits to eligible employees.

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.

At ERM, sustainability is our business. We are the world’s largest advisory firm focused solely on sustainability, offering unparalleled expertise across business and finance. ERM partners with clients to operationalize sustainability at pace and scale, through our unique combination of strategic transformation and technical delivery capabilities.

Our diverse global team of experts works with the world’s leading organizations to help them set clear sustainability targets, measure progress and operationalize strategy through deep implementation and business transformation.

With more than 50 years of experience, our ability to integrate sustainability solutions and our depth and breadth of technical knowledge are why organizations choose to partner with us as their trusted advisor.

Every one of us firmly believes in the potential to create value for our clients through an integrated approach to sustainability (because we have personally seen it and professionally achieved it).

Our team members are passionate about client service. We work closely with our clients to help them operationalize their sustainability goals and meet their environmental, health and safety objectives while advancing ERM’s purpose through delivering tangible progress in what the United Nations coined The Decade of Action.

Organizing our people across globally integrated communities of technical and strategic talent positions ERM to be a "boots to boardroom" leader in bringing that value creation to our clients, partners, and the world.

We recruit exceptional professionals with a personal and professional passion for sustainability and nurture them to even greater success as specialists.

We prepare our consultants to bring integrated, innovative and sustainable solutions to our clients and provide opportunities for ongoing development across a variety of subject areas related to technical, business, and personal growth.

At ERM, effort pays off and becomes career defining work that leaves a positive imprint on our planet.

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.