Senior Architectural Historian

SWCA Environmental Consultants; Pennsylvania; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

SWCA Environmental Consultants seeks a Senior Architectural Historian to join our Midwest/Northeast subregion to lead technical work, ensure quality, mentor staff, and grow client relationships across the region. The role requires collaboration with SWCA managers and peers to expand architectural history offerings and ensure project success.

Ideal candidates hold a Master’s degree in architectural/history related field, eight years in cultural resources, and experience with NRHP/CRHP evaluations

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in architectural history, art history, historic preservation or a closely related field.
• Eight years of experience in cultural resources management, including some experience managing others.
• Working knowledge of federal and state cultural resources and historic preservation laws and practices, including Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and local/municipal regulations.
• Experience surveying architectural resources at the reconnaissance and intensive level and recording information on state-specific architectural inventory forms.
• Demonstrated writing skills, including applying the National Register criteria for evaluation and preparing NRHP/CRHP eligibility evaluations for architectural resources.
• Demonstrated track record of taking initiative and resolving problems to create improved procedures that ensure tasks are completed in an effective and efficient manner.

Responsibilities

• Technical leadership and quality assurance across projects.
• Mentor staff and support business development efforts.
• Manage projects and coordinate with stakeholders to meet standards.
• Collaborate across SWCA to support regional growth in architectural history.
• Ensure compliance with federal, tribal, state, and local regulations.
• Develop NRHP nominations and related preservation deliverables.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Business development

Mentorship

Technical excellence

Quality assurance

Client relationship management

Education

Master’s degree in architectural history

Job description

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking a Senior Architectural Historian to join our Midwest/Northeast subregion to drive growth and uphold the highest standards of quality in architectural history.

As a core member of our Cultural Resources program, the Senior Architectural Historian will collaborate with SWCA managers, directors, and vice presidents on technical and business development initiatives throughout the subregion, while coordinating with peers across the company. This individual will play a key role in expanding and supporting SWCA's architectural history practice throughout the region.

The ideal candidate combines technical expertise, commercial acumen, and leadership skills to support project delivery, foster client relationships, and contribute to strategic growth opportunities. Responsibilities include technical leadership, quality assurance and control, mentoring staff, supporting business development efforts, and managing projects.

This is a regular (with benefits), full-time, salaried/non-exempt position. SWCA offers the flexibility of a hybrid work environment; however, candidates local to the Philadelphia, PA office are highly preferred. Fully remote candidates with exceptional qualifications and relevant regional experience may also be considered.

Application Deadline

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and interviews may be scheduled as qualified candidates areidentified.Thisposition may close without prior notice once a strong candidate pool isestablished.

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

• Support regional growth by expanding SWCA’s client base, strengthening industry partnerships, and contributing to the pursuit of new architectural history and cultural resources projects throughout the Midwest/Northeast subregion.
• Plan and complete historic resource surveys of residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, and institutional properties using accepted survey methodologies and digital documentation tools in accordance with State Historic Preservation Office standards.
• Conduct and lead archival research using primary and secondary sources to develop historic contexts, narratives, and resource histories.
• Evaluate historic properties and districts for eligibility under the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and applicable state historic preservation programs.
• Prepare technical studies, historic resource evaluations, and compliance documentation supporting Section 106 consultation and other historic preservation reviews.
• Prepare National Register nominations, Multiple Property Documentation Forms, and related preservation planning deliverables.
• Provide technical review and quality assurance for historic preservation studies, evaluations, nominations, and regulatory compliance documentation.
• Advise clients on the identification, evaluation, treatment, and management of historic resources.
• Collaborate with architectural historians and preservation specialists across the company to support technical consistency, resource sharing, and project delivery

Experience and qualifications for success

• A Master’s degree in architectural history, art history, historic preservation or a closely related field.
• Eight (8)years of experience in cultural resources management, including some experience managing others.
• A working knowledge of federal and state cultural resources and historic preservation laws and practices, including Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and local/municipal regulations.
• Experience surveying architectural resources at the reconnaissance and intensive level and recording information on state-specific architectural inventory forms.
• Demonstrated writing skills, including applying the National Register criteria for evaluation and preparing NRHP/CRHR eligibility evaluations for architectural resources.
• Demonstrated track record of taking initiative and resolving problems to create improved procedures that ensure tasks are completed in an effective and efficient manner.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ten (10)years of experience in cultural resources management.
• Private sector consulting experience.
• Cultural resources management experience in the Midwest/Northeast sub region.