Cultural Resource Principal Investigator / Sr. Project Manager
Description
We are seeking an experienced Cultural Resource Principal Investigator / Sr. Project Manager to lead and grow cultural resource services in the Great Basin, with primary responsibility for Nevada and Utah, while supporting projects in other regions as needed. This senior leadership role combines business development, client development, staff supervision, technical direction, and operational accountability. The Principal Investigator / Sr. Project Manager will cultivate public- and private-sector clients, shape capture and proposal strategies, oversee project delivery and financial performance, and serve as a Principal Investigator when required. The ideal candidate is a recognized cultural resources professional with strong knowledge of Great Basin archaeology, historic preservation, tribal consultation, and federal and state regulatory requirements.
Key Responsibilities
Business Development & Growth:
• Lead business development for cultural resource services across the Great Basin, with primary emphasis on Nevada and Utah, and support growth and project pursuits in other regions as needed.
• Identify, qualify, and pursue federal, state, tribal, municipal, utility, transportation, energy, and private-sector opportunities.
• Develop capture strategies, client-specific growth plans, teaming relationships, and go/no-go recommendations.
• Lead or support proposals, statements of qualifications, scopes of work, fee development, interviews, and contract negotiations.
• Coordinate with company leadership and adjacent environmental disciplines to cross-sell services and expand strategic accounts.
• Maintain an active pipeline and provide reliable forecasting of pursuits, backlog, staffing demand, and revenue opportunities.
Client Development & Relationship Management:
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with existing and prospective clients, agency representatives, tribal governments, and teaming partners.
• Serve as a senior client contact, understand client priorities, anticipate needs, and develop practical solutions that support compliance, schedule, and mission objectives.
• Monitor client satisfaction, resolve elevated concerns, and ensure commitments are communicated and fulfilled.
• Represent the company at industry events, professional associations, conferences, and client meetings.
Operations & Financial Management:
• Provide operational leadership for the Great Basin cultural resources practice, including workload planning, staffing, scheduling, quality, risk, and financial performance.
• Oversee project budgets, labor utilization, subcontractors, invoicing, collections support, profitability, and corrective actions when performance varies from plan.
• Balance project delivery demands with business development priorities and available staff capacity.
• Partner with regional and corporate leadership to establish annual operating goals, hiring priorities, and investment needs.
• Implement consistent project management, quality control, health and safety, records management, and regulatory compliance practices.
Principal Investigator & Technical Leadership:
• Serve as Principal Investigator for archaeological investigations and cultural resource projects when qualifications and project requirements are met.
• Develop or approve research designs, work plans, field methods, testing and data recovery strategies, monitoring plans, inadvertent discovery plans, and technical reports.
• Provide senior review and technical direction for archaeological inventory, evaluation, mitigation, monitoring, historic property documentation, and related studies.
• Ensure work complies with applicable requirements, including Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA), and relevant regional laws, permits, and agency guidance.
• Support consultation and coordination with tribes, agencies, clients, landowners, and other interested parties using respectful and culturally informed practices.
• Ensure recommendations regarding eligibility, effects, avoidance, minimization, and mitigation are technically sound, defensible, and clearly documented.
Supervision & Staff Development:
• Supervise cultural resource managers, archaeologists, architectural historians, field staff, and technical specialists.
• Set performance expectations, assign work, review deliverables, coach staff, and support professional development and career growth.
• Lead recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, succession planning, and retention for the Great Basin practice.
• Promote collaboration, accountability, safety, ethical conduct, and respect for tribal sovereignty and cultural values.
• Coordinate staff across offices and projects to maintain appropriate technical coverage and efficient utilization.
Project & Program Oversight:
• Provide executive oversight for multiple concurrent projects and programs to ensure delivery on schedule, within scope, and within budget.
• Confirm that qualified personnel, permits, equipment, subcontractors, and technical resources are available before field and reporting activities begin.
• Review project risks, contractual requirements, change management needs, and recovery plans for challenged projects.
• Maintain senior-level visibility into deliverable quality, client communications, regulatory coordination, and closeout requirements.