Lead Archaeologist/Transcon Full Time

About:

Established in 1999, Transcon Environmental, Inc., offers environmental consulting services throughout the United States with our Corporate Office based in Mesa, AZ and offices in Ferndale, San Francisco, and Santa Rosa, California; Cedar City and Draper, Utah; and Rawlins, Wyoming.

We are a steadily growing company with telecommuting opportunities employing over 200 employees throughout the United States. Our highly successful team of environmental planners, biologists, and archaeologists provides environmental planning, permitting, and compliance as well as infrastructure siting, Class I and Class III studies, Historic Property Treatment Plans, testing and data recovery excavations, and environmental construction management and monitoring, among other activities. We offer our employees development opportunities, competitive wages, and benefits.

Job Description:

Transcon is seeking a project archaeologist within the state of Utah in the Great Basin Region. This position is formally titled “Archaeologist / Cultural Specialist 4” and is considered full time/hourly. As a full time project archaeologist, the employee will work on various projects throughout the Great Basin Region and would be expected to reside within the state of Utah (assigned to either our Draper or Cedar City, Utah offices). Full time employees are expected to work on both field and office tasks. General duties may include pre-field literature reviews, background and archival research, archaeological site and isolate field documentation, NRHP eligibility evaluations, draft deliverables preparation, deliverables revisions, daily monitoring and/or inspection forms, draft monitoring reports, testing and excavation logs, and draft excavation technical reports, among other duties, as assigned. Travel costs to and from field projects will be provided or reimbursed. Field project opportunities generally range from single-day projects to multiple 5-, 7-, or 10-day field sessions, depending on the size and needs of the project.

Schedule & Expectations:

This position will be filled immediately and work is anticipated to begin by late February (or sooner). While fieldwork seasons are generally defined by the weather within Utah and the Great Basin Region, office assignments are generally carried out year-round. Class III inventory, testing, and data recovery fieldwork can be conducted when project areas have at least 80 percent ground visibility (free of snow or other obstructions); other field opportunities, such as construction monitoring and compliance inspections, are dependent on project activities and can be conducted with snow on the ground.

As a full time, hourly project archaeologist, the employee can expect to work regular 40-hour work weeks (Monday – Friday) while completing office tasks; however, schedules may need adjusted to accommodate multi-day field sessions during the field season. Field projects generally range from single-day projects to multiple 5-, 7-, or 10-day field sessions, depending on the size and needs of the project. When working on a project, hours are expected to match the needs of the project and employees are often expected to work 10-hour field days (overtime is paid in accordance with state and federal laws). When conducting Class III inventories, employees are anticipated to cover approximately 50 acres of ground per person, per day (this is the equivalent of approximately 8 miles of walking a single 15-meter-wide transect). Cultural and historic resources are often documented during the survey if an isolated occurrence/find (IO/IF) or as a 2-person team after survey if an archaeological site. Some smaller field projects may ask the employee to work individually, so the employee should be able to independently document IOs/IFs and complete archaeological sites using ESRI ArcGIS Survey123 and Field Maps applications on company-provided tablets (or personal smart phones at the employee’s choice). Prior experience in evaluating resources for listing on the National Register of Historic Places is necessary.

Compensation and Benefits:

Transcon offers competitive wages and benefits. Benefits for full time employees include medical/dental/vision insurance, 401k, ESOP, paid time off, paid holidays, etc. 

In general, the following compensation is provided:

Lodging – single-occupancy lodging is provided for all overnight projects. On the rare occasion, if projects are greater than 2 hours from the closest hotel, camping may be requested.
Transportation – company or rental vehicles are provided. If a project is close to the employee’s location, or the employee requests, a personal vehicle may be used for project travel; should personal vehicle use become necessary, mileage will be reimbursed at the GSA standard rate.
Meals – meals allowances are reimbursable. Full day (8+ hours) meals allowance for standard projects is $65.00 (some projects with negotiated rates may have slightly lower meals allowances); half-day (4-8 hours) meals allowances are approved on a project-by-project basis.
Wages – compensation is based on qualifications and relevant experience.The standard wage range for an Archaeologist / Cultural Specialist 3 is $31.00-37.00 per hour.
Overtime is paid in accordance with state and federal laws.
Actual compensation may be lower or higher depending on qualifications (i.e., regional permits, education, years of experience, etc.).

Skills and Requirements:

• Ability to serve as a Field Director or Principal Investigator for the project.
• Ability to conduct Class III (intensive pedestrian) cultural resources inventory.
• Ability to document archaeological sites and IOs/IFs.
• Ability to conduct probing or shovel testing.
• Ability to use hand-held field technology (i.e., ArcGIS phone/tablet application paired with sub-meter GPS receivers).
• Ability to survey an average of 50 acres/8 miles per day.
• Ability to carry personal health and safety equipment (i.e., personal water, sunscreen, etc.).
• Ability to work in moderate weather conditions (fluctuating temperatures and inclement weather, including rain and snow).
• Ability to perform work duties independently and efficiently, while working in a team setting.
• Ability to follow instruction and to make adjustments when provided feedback.
• Has completed coursework leading to a degree in archaeology, anthropology, or related field:
  • Crew Member – minimum 2 years of college-level coursework and completion of a field school.
  • Crew Chief – bachelor’s degree, completion of a field school, and 1 year of professional experience.
  • Field Director – bachelor’s degree, completion of a field school, 2 years of professional experience, and is permitted or qualified for agency permitting based on the SOI Professional Qualification Standards.
  • Principal Investigator – graduate degree, completion of a field school, 2 years professional experience as a Field Director, and is permitted or qualified for agency permitting based on the SOI Professional Qualification Standards.
• Is proficient in prehistoric and/or historic archaeology in the Great Basin.
• Is proficient in documenting archaeological sites and IOs/IFs in the Great Basin.
• Is organized, motivated, thorough, accurate, dependable, and trustworthy.
• Has excellent navigational skills (GPS and compass).
• Ability to navigate and drive 4WD vehicles.

Experience in the following is preferred:

• Proficiency using tablets (Apple iPad or Samsung Galaxy) to document cultural resources.
• Proficiency with sub-meter GPS receiver.
• Proficiency with ArcGIS Field Maps and Survey123 applications (for phone or tablet).
• Permitted or permittable on BLM lands in the Great Basin (Field Director or Principal Investigator).
• Previous NHPA, NEPA, FERC, and/or other cultural or environmental trainings.
• Strong writing and editing skills.
• Ability to evaluate resources for NRHP-eligibility.
• Authored multiple archaeological site forms and inventory reports.
• Authored a master’s degree thesis.

Transcon Environmental Inc employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

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