Assistant Project Manager/Data Manager- Cultural Resources

bout the opportunity

SWCA is seeking an Assistant Project Manager/Data Manager – Cultural Resources to support the Great Basin geography. Under the supervision of a Project Manager, an Assistant Project Manager/Data Manager – Cultural Resources performs field and office tasks while working with and supervising crew members. This is a regular (with benefits), hourly position that will report to a Project Manager.  The position will be based in Salt Lake City, UT, but remote locations in Utah and Idaho will also be considered for highly qualified candidates. If remote, the candidate should be willing to travel to the Salt Lake City office up to 25% of the time, for laboratory and curation needs.

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing, 1,600-staff, employee-owned firm, providing a full spectrum of environmental services.  Our Vision (the North Star) is to make SWCA the best workplace and industry leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges while maintaining a dedication to employee ownership. We live our core values: we collaborate as #OneSWCA; we are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack.

Application deadline: Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission.

What you will accomplish

• Manage Salt Lake City’s internal databases and manage the Salt Lake City agency permits
  • Responsible for tracking and revising all archaeological and curation permits/agreements
  • Responsible for coordinating staff resume updates for permit renewals and modifications
• Mentor and train newer employees on working on database and cultural resource reports
• Work independently to manage and resolve database issues with SWCA’s Technology Solutions Team
• Ensures that appropriate preliminary research is conducted and organized prior to fieldwork and that necessary equipment, staff, and other resources are ready for fieldwork.
• Supervises staff, including archaeological survey, testing, data recovery, and/or construction monitoring, and ensures quality and completeness of data collected.  More specifically:
  • Interviewing, selecting and onboarding new hires
  • Providing direction, training, coaching, performance management, and feedback to direct-line supervisees, as well as all field crew members while under deployment
  • Provide corrective actions with staff members, working with HR as needed on discipline and/or discharge
  • Complete field skills assessments on all crew members, providing feedback to ensure team members are learning and advancing skills while work is being performed on time and on budget
  • Complete performance reviews with regular status supervisees, ensuring employee engagement is high and career development plans are actioned
  • Participate with Project Managers, Team Leads and Program Director on overall talent management of the Cultural Resources Program including evaluating staffing levels, scheduling, retaining/continuing/exiting employees, assigning work, determining promotional/status opportunities, making compensation decisions, etc.
• Communicates regularly with the Project Managers, Associate Project Managers, and field crews to ensure that a project’s budgetary and timetable needs are met.
  • Provide quality assurance (QA)/quality control (QC) between fieldwork and reporting tasks
  • Provide feedback on QA/QC to field crews and project managers
• Takes initiative, resolves problems, and creates improved procedures to ensure that tasks are completed in the most effective and efficient manner.
  • Contribute to SWCA’s technical programs and suggest improvements to the Salt Lake and SWCA programs
• In coordination with the project manager and principal investigators to organize report writing and production effort and prepare technical reports.
• Supervise all lab work to ensure that the project goals, schedule, and correct curation methods are being met in coordination with the Project Managers, Principal Investigators, and Program Director.
  • Complete QA/QC tasks for artifacts collected from the field
  • Coordinate laboratory data entry following fieldwork.
  • Track and order lab equipment. Ensure that equipment is maintained properly. Assist with management of field equipment as necessary.
  • Ensure that samples for out-of-house analysis are properly prepared. Track and follow up on the status of all samples sent out for analysis.
  • Coordinate regular revisions to SLC CR lab procedures materials (artifact analysis guides, curation instructions, etc.).
  • Coordinate schedule for use of the lab space between natural resources and cultural resources staff.
• Maintains SWCA’s high standard of scientific ethics and quality assurance; is motivated to identify and resolve problems in creative ways.

Experience and qualifications for success

• A bachelor’s degree in anthropology, archaeology, history, or a closely related field is required. A master’s degree is preferred.
• Participation in an accredited field school or equivalent experience.
• A minimum of three (3) years of experience in cultural resources management on a variety of project types, sizes, regions, and agencies.
• Experience with the application of standard archaeological survey and excavation techniques.
• Experience providing QA/QC review of field documents, site forms, and reports preferred.
• A minimum of one (1) year of experience in laboratory methods and/or artifact analysis is preferred. Hands-on experience with artifact types common to the Great Basin and Intermountain West is also preferred.
• Fundamental understanding of databases, as well as Microsoft Excel.
• Demonstrated leadership ability is required. Management or leadership experience in any aspect of cultural resource management is strongly preferred.
• Ability to take initiative, resolve problems, and ensure that tasks are completed in the most effective manner.
• Understands or has a willingness to learn agency-specific permitting guidelines and repository-specific curation guidelines.
• Ability to multi-task and retain good organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Adapt rapidly to changes in project needs, agency requests, etc.
• Able to prioritize workloads and meet schedules.
• Continuously and proactively participate in improving the program through initiatives and operational tools.
• Experience with implementing the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Sections 106 and 110, and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) permitting processes is preferred.

SWCA Environmental Consultants is an established and flourishing environmental firm, providing a full spectrum of environmental compliance services. SWCA is an employee-owned company composed of environmental professionals who specialize in natural and cultural resource management, environmental planning, and regulatory compliance.

With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance companies and consistently ranks among Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms. We offer a team-oriented work environment, and a competitive compensation and benefits package, including an employee stock ownership plan (retirement) for full-time, regular employees. Some benefits are also available to on-call, temporary or part-time employees.

If you would like to contact SWCA regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the online application process due to a disability, please email accommodations@swca.com or call 480-581-5378. This contact information is for disability accommodation requests only. All other inquiries will not receive a response. 

SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees.  In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges on all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency.

An employee in this Salt Lake City-based position can expect a salary of $27.50/hour to $35.00/hour. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law.  Regular-status employees are also eligible for performance bonuses. Candidates are also encouraged to consider SWCA’s Total Rewards package, which includes a competitive Benefits package, forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more.

EOE - women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply.  At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success.

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA’s continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportuniti