Principal Technical Consultant, Archaeologist - Idaho

Lead cultural resource strategy and delivery across the Great Basin while helping shape the future growth of ERM’s Archaeology practice.

ERM is seeking a highly motivated Principal Technical Consultant, Archaeologist to join our growing Cultural Resources Services team. This is a full-time, salaried remote position based in Idaho. In this senior leadership role, you will provide technical excellence, project leadership, business development support, and team mentorship while partnering with multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality cultural resource solutions for clients throughout the United States, with a primary focus on the Great Basin region.

Why This Role Matters?

As a Principal Technical Consultant, Archaeologist, you will play a critical role in leading cultural resource investigations, guiding regulatory compliance strategies, supporting major capital projects, and expanding ERM’s presence in the Great Basin cultural resources market. This role combines technical leadership, client engagement, team development, and business growth to help deliver sustainable project outcomes for our clients.

What Your Impact Is:

• Serve as a permitted BLM Principal Investigator in Idaho and surrounding Great Basin regions.

• Obtain BLM Cultural Resources Use Permits and other required federal and state permits necessary to support project execution and new business opportunities.

• Provide senior-level quality assurance and quality control of cultural resource deliverables prepared by other qualified archaeologists.

• Oversee teams conducting desktop studies and field investigations, including reconnaissance surveys, pedestrian surveys, testing, excavations, and construction monitoring activities.

• Lead, mentor, supervise, and develop archaeologists at varying career levels, including participation in recruitment, onboarding, engagement, and professional development activities.

• Coordinate closely with Cultural Resources Business Unit Leads, the Consulting Director for Archaeology, Area Managers, and Managing Partners.

• Serve as Principal Investigator and/or Task Manager for cultural resource studies associated with large capital projects, ensuring quality, scope, budget, and schedule objectives are met.

• Manage projects ranging from multi-state linear infrastructure programs to smaller site-specific investigations.

• Expand ERM’s profile and market share within the cultural resources consulting market through exceptional technical delivery and business development activities.

• Strengthen existing client relationships and establish new partnerships that contribute to significant revenue growth.

• Identify opportunities to cross-sell cultural resources services to existing ERM clients.

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams including environmental planners, biologists, wetland specialists, GIS professionals, engineers, and other technical experts.

• Represent ERM in communications and meetings with clients, agency representatives, stakeholders, teaming partners, and subcontractors.

• Manage subcontractors and ensure quality, schedule, and performance expectations are achieved.

What You'll Bring:

Required

• Graduate degree in Anthropology, Archaeology, or a closely related field of study, or equivalent experience.

• 6-8 years of related paid experience.

• Secretary of the Interior-qualified archaeologist listed as a Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA), with qualifications meeting or exceeding SHPO requirements within the Great Basin.

• Demonstrated field experience and principal-level oversight of projects throughout the Great Basin, including inventory, survey, testing, and data recovery efforts.

• Experience serving as a primary author and/or third-party reviewer of agency-reviewed technical reports, including:

  • Class I and Class III technical reports

  • NEPA documentation

  • Cultural Resources Treatment Plans

  • Other federal, state, and local regulatory compliance documentation

• Experience interacting directly with regulatory agencies while representing client interests.

• Ability to effectively collaborate within teams of archaeologists and interdisciplinary technical specialists.

• Ability and willingness to travel occasionally to project locations throughout the Great Basin region.

• Experience using mapping and field technologies, including GPS equipment, total stations, ArcGIS Field Maps, Survey123, and related applications.

• Driver's License Required: This position requires a valid driver's license and/or the ability to operate a company vehicle due to the nature of job duties, which include frequent travel to various client locations across a large geographical area.

Preferred

• Existing BLM permitting credentials and demonstrated experience securing permits across multiple Great Basin jurisdictions.

• Established relationships with federal, state, tribal, and local regulatory agencies.

• Experience supporting business development initiatives and managing key client relationships.

• Demonstrated success leading large, complex cultural resource programs for energy, infrastructure, or natural resource clients.

• Experience managing multidisciplinary project teams across geographically diverse locations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic cultural resource leadership across Great Basin projects.

• Maintain and expand regulatory permitting capabilities.

• Lead project execution and technical review efforts.

• Mentor, supervise, and develop cultural resources staff.

• Support business development and client growth initiatives.

• Drive collaboration across ERM’s multidisciplinary service offerings.

• Manage project quality, budgets, schedules, and client expectations.

• Represent ERM as a trusted technical expert and principal investigator.