Cultural Resources Specialist

Maricopa County • Phoenix, AZ

2d • $75,000 - $116,500

About The Position

The Cultural Resources Specialist analyzes, surveys, investigates, documents, and presents cultural (archaeological and historical) resources for Maricopa County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) projects. The position is also responsible for acting as an Environmental Program Branch (EPB) Lead, serving as an environmental point of contact and environmental project manager for MCDOT projects. The specialist possesses a working knowledge of natural resources and hazardous materials.

Requirements

• Three years of cultural supervisor experience, including one year of work experience with cultural resources field work (surveyed a minimum cumulative extent of 640 acres)
• Master's degree or higher in Anthropology or Archaeology
• A bachelor's degree in Anthropology or Archaeology, and two years of equivalent work experience may substitute for the master's degree requirement; this must include at least eight months of supervised fieldwork in survey, eight months of supervised fieldwork in education, and eight months of supervised work in artifact identification and the analysis and synthesis of archaeological data
• Successful candidates must currently possess, or have the ability to obtain, a valid Arizona driver's license by the time of hire
• Must have written or edited and approved one archaeological treatment plan or federal grant proposal, with a research design and work plan
• Must have written or edited and approved archaeological research reports
• At least one of these must be an excavation (data recovery) report
• Must have administered and supervised both research projects/reports, including supervision of all the project directors in the laboratory and in the field
• Ability to obtain an Arizona Antiquities Act Blanket Permit within six months of hire. Please note that obtaining an Arizona Antiquities Act Blanket Permit is a condition of employment

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree with at least five years of relevant work experience.
• At least three years of experience working in the public sector or working on roadway transportation or other linear projects.
• Experience in the evaluation and documentation of the historic built environment
• Meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards for Archaeologists, Historians, or Architectural Historians
• Principles of Arizona preservation, Arizona prehistory, and history.
• Training in Section 106 of NHPA, Arizona SHPA, Section 4(f), NEPA, and other State and Federal cultural resources laws

Responsibilities

• Review and approve documentation required under 36 CFR 800.11; manage, review, and approve cultural resources documentation and ensure that it complies with local, state, tribal, and federal environmental regulations, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Arizona Antiquities Act, State Historic Preservation Act, National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and associated environmental regulations.
• Responds when potential resources are discovered on project sites
• Oversee and review the work of professional consultants.
• Provide technical expertise and project support to engineering staff, project managers, and others regarding cultural resources compliance and regulations.
• Advise management and project teams on potential environmental risks related to the protection of cultural resources and suggest a resolution.
• Manage and oversee schedules, consultant contracts, and budgets
• Screen capital and maintenance projects for potential cultural resources and develop recommendations to avoid or mitigate any impacts.
• Prepare schedules and scopes of work for cultural resources regulatory compliance activities
• Work closely with other Maricopa County staff, both within the EPB as well as other MCDOT Divisions and Branches (e.g., Project Management Office Branch).
• Provide information to the public and other agencies; develop strong working relationships with federal, state, and local agencies, tribal governments, interested parties, and other governmental agencies and organizations.
• Maintain fluency with current technical and non-technical environmental information; represents MCDOT EPB on committees and planning groups
• As EPB Lead, initiate and complete the environmental review process, manage the project’s environmental schedule, scope, and budget, and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Review project and engineering information, schedules, and cost estimates, and provide the Project Manager with environmental requirements, clarifications, and related schedule and budget details
• As EPB Lead, attend project-related meetings and site visits, develop familiarity with the project and team, and communicate pertinent information to Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) within the EPB
• Develop mitigation measures and necessary documentation for clearance of the site and exclusion from further environmental impact studies; negotiate with federal, state, and local agencies, interested parties, and tribes on project mitigation requirements; negotiate memoranda of agreements or similar agreements pertinent to cultural resources impacts associated with capital and/or maintenance projects.
• Coordinate agency interests and provide technical expertise to help the organization obtain authorization for construction by coordinating environmental outcomes with interested parties.
• Develop and formally document environmental recommendations
• As EPB Lead, gather project information from the PM and the EPB SMEs to create environmental documentation during the scoping and design phases of the project.
• Receive requests for geotechnical and utility investigations and prepare the draft clearances before submitting to SMEs for review.
• Ensure environmental documentation is complete and compiles an Environmental Clearance Memo
• As EPB Lead, review the environmental information included in the Construction Hand-Off Form and the Environmental Hand-Off Checklist originally placed by the PM and make any necessary changes.
• The EPB Lead then attends the Handoff to Construction meeting to address any environmental questions that the construction Engineers may have.
• Coordinate with the project construction Engineer, the schedule, and the need for monitoring during construction.
• Attend construction meetings.
• Maintain the EPB project folder and update the design schedule in the EPB App, as applicable.
• Performs Project/Construction Closeout duties for the EPB on all projects
• Perform cultural surveys on small MCDOT projects.
• Manage and update the MCDOT Cultural Portal, which houses site-sensitive cultural information
• As EPB Lead, confirm that all design environmental mitigation measures have been complied with, share construction-related environmental mitigations with the responsible parties, and include them in the Project Special Provisions.
• Review all the submittal stages of the project (30%, 60%, 95%, 100% and Sealed plans) and ensure that the environmental commitments (e.g., mitigations, staging areas, avoidance areas, etc.) are included in design plans and project specifications, and update the information, as applicable
• As EPB Lead, coordinate with the project construction Engineer and the PM when avoidance commitments, Section 404 permit reviews, and/or mitigation measures are identified during the initial environmental analyses, and inform them of the ramifications (e.g., project delay, increased project costs, etc.) if commitments aren’t followed
• Other job duties as assigned

Benefits

• Tuition reimbursement
• Exceptional work-life balance
• Opportunities for growth and development within Maricopa County
• Low-cost, high-value healthcare for you and your qualifying dependents
• Child care benefits, including access to our on-site center, Maricopa County Kids Club, dedicated to serving Maricopa County families
• Paid vacation, sick time, and parental leave
• Extensive wellness program, including an incentive
• Enrollment in the Arizona State Retirement System, a defined retirement benefit requiring a 12% monthly contribution rate that includes a 100% employer match on Day 1

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees