Remote Principal Paleontologist & Resources Lead

Tetra Tech; Salisbury (NC); Remote; USD 125,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits

Merit-based rewards

Work/life balance

Collaborative team

Professional development

Job summary

Tetra Tech is seeking a Principal Paleontologist to lead a nationwide paleontological resources practice within its Environmental Government Services division. This remote, full-time role focuses on strategic growth, technical leadership, and client relations across federal and other sectors.

You will develop offerings, supervise staff, and coordinate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure NEPA compliance and robust reporting on fossil resources.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in paleontology, geology, earth sciences, biological sciences, or related field preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in paleontology or related fields.
• Experience managing paleontological resources programs, projects, or environmental compliance assignments.
• Federal, state, municipal, or private-sector project experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee a nationwide portfolio of paleontological resources projects.
• Serve as Tetra Tech’s senior technical lead for paleontological assessments, surveys, monitoring, and mitigation.
• Establish and implement the technical framework for the paleontological resources business line.
• Lead the preparation, review, and approval of paleontological assessments and related deliverables.
• Provide technical direction for field surveys, monitoring, excavation, salvage, and curation.
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams to integrate paleontological resources into projects.
• Identify new project opportunities and develop client relationships.
• Prepare proposals, scopes of work, cost estimates, and staffing plans.

Skills

Paleontology leadership

Environmental compliance

Federal/state agency coordination

Project management

ArcGIS Pro

Education

Master’s degree in paleontology or related field

Bachelor’s degree with related experience

Tools

ArcGIS Pro

ESRI software

Microsoft Office

Job description

Tetra Tech is seeking a Principal Paleontologist to lead a nationwide paleontological resources practice within its Environmental Government Services division. This remote, full-time role focuses on strategic growth, technical leadership, and client relations across federal and other sectors.

You will develop offerings, supervise staff, and coordinate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure NEPA compliance and robust reporting on fossil resources.