Nimitta Works | Senior Archaeologist / Principal Investigator

Senior Archaeologist / Principal Investigator

About the Opportunity

A well-established environmental and cultural resources consulting organization is seeking an experienced Senior Archaeologist / Principal Investigator to lead Cultural Resource Management (CRM) projects throughout the Southwest United States, including Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and California.

This leadership role is responsible for overseeing projects from proposal development through final reporting while mentoring junior staff and collaborating with multidisciplinary environmental professionals, Tribal Nations, regulatory agencies, and public and private sector clients.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead archaeological surveys, testing, data recovery, monitoring, excavation, and field investigations.
• Direct and supervise archaeological field crews while maintaining safety, quality, and project standards.
• Conduct archival research and cultural resource investigations.
• Prepare technical reports, research designs, historic property management plans, treatment plans, and agreement documents.
• Obtain and manage state and federal archaeological permits, including ARPA permits where applicable.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local cultural resource regulations, including:
  • National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
  • Sections 106 and 110 of the NHPA
  • National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
  • Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA)
  • Other applicable cultural resource regulations across the Southwest United States
• Gather and analyze archaeological data, artifacts, GIS information, and field documentation.
• Coordinate with federal and state agencies, Tribal Nations, project managers, planners, technical specialists, and clients.
• Develop project scopes, schedules, budgets, and technical proposals.
• Mentor and support archaeological staff in the field, laboratory, and office.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting project schedules and deadlines.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Archaeology, Anthropology, History, or a closely related field.
• Minimum 5 years of Cultural Resource Management (CRM) experience.
• Demonstrated experience identifying both prehistoric and historic archaeological materials.
• Experience implementing Sections 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
• Ability to obtain Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) and other applicable federal or state archaeological permits.
• Experience supervising archaeological field crews across multiple projects.
• Strong technical report writing and documentation skills.
• Experience preparing project scopes, budgets, and schedules.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness to travel, including occasional overnight field assignments.
• Valid U.S. driver’s license.
• U.S. Citizenship required due to project requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA).
• Five or more years of archaeological and Cultural Resource Management experience within the Southwest United States.
• Experience conducting Tribal consultation and agency coordination.
• Proficiency with ArcGIS, Trimble GPS equipment, tablets, and digital field data collection systems.
• Experience managing project budgets, schedules, scopes of work, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience with lithic, ceramic, faunal, historical archaeology, geoarchaeology, or other archaeological specialty areas.

Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience.
• Comprehensive benefits package.
• Retirement savings program.
• Performance-based bonus opportunities.
• Paid time off and company holidays.
• Professional development and career advancement opportunities.
• Opportunity to lead diverse cultural resource projects across the Southwest United States.
• Collaborative and supportive multidisciplinary work environment.