Cultural Resources Team Lead

About the opportunity

Join SWCA Environmental Consultants as a Cultural Resources Team Lead (Lead I/II) and support our growing cultural resources practice across San Antonio and the Central Texas/Oklahoma region.

We're hiring at either the Cultural Resources Team Lead (Lead I) or Senior Cultural Resources Team Lead (Lead II) level, with placement based on experience and qualifications. Candidates with six (6) or more years of progressively responsible cultural resources consulting experience may be considered for the Lead I level, while candidates with eight (8) or more years of experience, including project management, team leadership, and business development, may be considered for the Lead II level.

In this role, you'll provide technical and people leadership for a growing team of cultural resources professionals while managing complex projects across renewable energy, transmission, transportation, land development, and other infrastructure sectors. You'll mentor staff, oversee project delivery, build client relationships, and help shape the continued growth of SWCA's cultural resources practice.

Our San Antonio office is home to approximately 40 full- and part-time professionals, including archaeologists, architectural historians, biologists, geologists, GIS specialists, and other environmental experts, providing opportunities to collaborate across disciplines on a diverse portfolio of projects.

This is a full-time, salaried position with a hybrid work arrangement. Candidates should ideally be located within commuting distance of San Antonio or elsewhere in Central Texas to support team leadership, client meetings, fieldwork, and in-person collaboration as needed.

What you will accomplish

• Lead and Grow a High-Performing Team: Provide strategic leadership for a team of cultural resources professionals by mentoring and developing staff, managing workload and resources, improving team operations, and recruiting and retaining top talent. Foster accountability, collaboration, and a shared vision that supports individual and team success.
• Lead Complex Projects and Technical Strategy: Direct complex cultural resources projects from proposal through completion, providing technical oversight, strategic guidance, quality assurance/quality control, and innovative solutions that meet client objectives while ensuring projects are delivered on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with applicable regulations.
• Advance Technical Excellence: Serve as a senior technical expert, helping shape standards, best practices, and innovative approaches that enhance project quality, operational efficiency, and SWCA's technical reputation across the region. Mentor and develop archaeologists while fostering technical excellence across the team.
• Drive Business Growth and Client Success: Build and strengthen relationships with clients, Tribal Nations, regulatory agencies, and industry partners while identifying new business opportunities, supporting proposals, contributing to strategic planning, and helping expand SWCA's cultural resources practice. Business development is an important aspect of this role; however, the primary focus is providing strong technical and people leadership.
• Champion Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Partner with scientists, planners, engineers, GIS specialists, and other technical professionals to deliver integrated solutions for complex infrastructure and environmental projects.
• Ensure Regulatory Compliance and Project Excellence: Ensure work complies with applicable federal, Tribal, state, local, contractual, and company requirements while proactively managing project risks and maintaining SWCA's high standards for technical quality and client service.
• Drives compliance of safety policies and reporting requirements to ensure overall team safety.

Experience and qualifications for success

Basic qualifications:

• Master's degree in Archaeology, Anthropology, Historic Architecture, History, or a closely related field.
• For the Cultural Resources Team Lead (Lead I): Minimum of six (6) years of progressively responsible cultural resources consulting experience, including project management and demonstrated team leadership.
• For the Senior Cultural Resources Team Lead (Lead II): Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible cultural resources consulting experience, including project management, team leadership, and business development. Ten (10) or more years of experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex cultural resources projects under Section 106 and other applicable federal, state, and local cultural resources regulations.
• Archaeological experience in Central Texas and/or the Southeastern United States, preferably including the San Antonio/Central Texas region.
• Experience coordinating with State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs), Tribal Nations, federal agencies, and other regulatory stakeholders.
• Advanced expertise in one or more archaeological specialty areas (e.g., lithic, ceramic, faunal, or other material analyses).
• Meets the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards for archaeology and/or architectural history.
• Demonstrated success leading and developing teams, mentoring staff, and managing project workloads.
• Proven experience developing client relationships, supporting business development efforts, and contributing to proposal development.
• Strong leadership, communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to travel approximately 25% of the time, including overnight travel as needed.

Minimum qualifications:

• Experience supporting projects for federal agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or other federal land management agencies.
• Established relationships with Tribal Nations and/or active participation in regional or national archaeological or historic preservation organizations.

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing, 100% employee-owned company that offers a full range of environmental services. Our North Star is to be the best place to work and a leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges, all while staying true to our commitment to employee ownership. At SWCA, we live our core values every day: we collaborate as #OneSWCA, we’re #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack to our communities. With offices across the country, we’re proud to be one of the largest environmental compliance firms in the U.S. and to rank among Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms.

SWCA is committed to salary equity and transparency. In alignment with this commitment, we post good faith pay ranges in all job postings. An employee in this San Antonio, TX based position can expect a salary of $77,662.00 to $101,228.40/year at a Lead I level and $87,838.40 to $114,618.40/year at a Lead II level. 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(https://www.swca.com/careers/benefits-wellness/), which includes a competitive Benefits package, forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more.

We offer a supportive, team-focused work environment, competitive pay, and great benefits—including a 100% employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) to help you build a strong financial future. At SWCA, we’re committed to helping our team members grow into industry leaders. Our award-winning Career Landscape program offers a clear and structured path to meaningful career development. We support your growth through conference attendance, internal and external training, education reimbursement, and bonuses for qualifying publications. All regular-status employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, wellness, life, and disability coverage, as well as access to our Employee Assistance Program. Employees may also participate in SWCA’s 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust.

SWCA continues to invest in our people. We value the skills and experience of our internal team members and strongly encourage qualified employees to apply for open positions. We believe in promoting from within whenever possible, offering meaningful opportunities for career growth.

Application Deadline: We will begin reviewing applications immediately and schedule interviews with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The position will remain open until we identify a strong pool of candidates and may close without prior notice. We sincerely appreciate the time and effort of all applicants and will thoughtfully review each submission.

If you need assistance accessing SWCA’s website, completing the online application, or require accommodations at any point during the hiring process due to a disability, please contact us at accommodations@swca.com or call 1-480-581-5378. We’re committed to providing an inclusive and supportive experience for all candidates. This contact information is specifically for accommodation requests; other inquiries will not receive a response.

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.

#LI-LC1

• Lead and Grow a High-Performing Team: Provide strategic leadership for a team of cultural resources professionals by mentoring and developing staff, managing workload and resources, improving team operations, and recruiting and retaining top talent. Foster accountability, collaboration, and a shared vision that supports individual and team success.
• Lead Complex Projects and Technical Strategy: Direct complex cultural resources projects from proposal through completion, providing technical oversight, strategic guidance, quality assurance/quality control, and innovative solutions that meet client objectives while ensuring projects are delivered on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with applicable regulations.
• Advance Technical Excellence: Serve as a senior technical expert, helping shape standards, best practices, and innovative approaches that enhance project quality, operational efficiency, and SWCA's technical reputation across the region. Mentor and develop archaeologists while fostering technical excellence across the team.
• Drive Business Growth and Client Success: Build and strengthen relationships with clients, Tribal Nations, regulatory agencies, and industry partners while identifying new business opportunities, supporting proposals, contributing to strategic planning, and helping expand SWCA's cultural resources practice. Business development is an important aspect of this role; however, the primary focus is providing strong technical and people leadership.
• Champion Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Partner with scientists, planners, engineers, GIS specialists, and other technical professionals to deliver integrated solutions for complex infrastructure and environmental projects.
• Ensure Regulatory Compliance and Project Excellence: Ensure work complies with applicable federal, Tribal, state, local, contractual, and company requirements while proactively managing project risks and maintaining SWCA's high standards for technical quality and client service.
• Drives compliance of safety policies and reporting requirements to ensure overall team safety.

Basic qualifications:

• Master's degree in Archaeology, Anthropology, Historic Architecture, History, or a closely related field.
• For the Cultural Resources Team Lead (Lead I): Minimum of six (6) years of progressively responsible cultural resources consulting experience, including project management and demonstrated team leadership.
• For the Senior Cultural Resources Team Lead (Lead II): Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible cultural resources consulting experience, including project management, team leadership, and business development. Ten (10) or more years of experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex cultural resources projects under Section 106 and other applicable federal, state, and local cultural resources regulations.
• Archaeological experience in Central Texas and/or the Southeastern United States, preferably including the San Antonio/Central Texas region.
• Experience coordinating with State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs), Tribal Nations, federal agencies, and other regulatory stakeholders.
• Advanced expertise in one or more archaeological specialty areas (e.g., lithic, ceramic, faunal, or other material analyses).
• Meets the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards for archaeology and/or architectural history.
• Demonstrated success leading and developing teams, mentoring staff, and managing project workloads.
• Proven experience developing client relationships, supporting business development efforts, and contributing to proposal development.
• Strong leadership, communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to travel approximately 25% of the time, including overnight travel as needed.

Minimum qualifications:

• Experience supporting projects for federal agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or other federal land management agencies.
• Established relationships with Tribal Nations and/or active participation in regional or national archaeological or historic preservation organizations.

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing, 100% employee-owned company that offers a full range of environmental services. Our North Star is to be the best place to work and a leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges, all while staying true to our commitment to employee ownership. At SWCA, we live our core values every day: we collaborate as #OneSWCA, we’re #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack to our communities. With offices across the country, we’re proud to be one of the largest environmental compliance firms in the U.S. and to rank among Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms.

SWCA is committed to salary equity and transparency. In alignment with this commitment, we post good faith pay ranges in all job postings. An employee in this San Antonio, TX based position can expect a salary of $77,662.00 to $101,228.40/year at a Lead I level and $87,838.40 to $114,618.40/year at a Lead II level. 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(https://www.swca.com/careers/benefits-wellness/), which includes a competitive Benefits package, forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more.

We offer a supportive, team-focused work environment, competitive pay, and great benefits—including a 100% employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) to help you build a strong financial future. At SWCA, we’re committed to helping our team members grow into industry leaders. Our award-winning Career Landscape program offers a clear and structured path to meaningful career development. We support your growth through conference attendance, internal and external training, education reimbursement, and bonuses for qualifying publications. All regular-status employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, wellness, life, and disability coverage, as well as access to our Employee Assistance Program. Employees may also participate in SWCA’s 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust.

SWCA continues to invest in our people. We value the skills and experience of our internal team members and strongly encourage qualified employees to apply for open positions. We believe in promoting from within whenever possible, offering meaningful opportunities for career growth.

Application Deadline: We will begin reviewing applications immediately and schedule interviews with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The position will remain open until we identify a strong pool of candidates and may close without prior notice. We sincerely appreciate the time and effort of all applicants and will thoughtfully review each submission.

If you need assistance accessing SWCA’s website, completing the online application, or require accommodations at any point during the hiring process due to a disability, please contact us at accommodations@swca.com or call 1-480-581-5378. We’re committed to providing an inclusive and supportive experience for all candidates. This contact information is specifically for accommodation requests; other inquiries will not receive a response.

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.

#LI-LC1