Project Architectural Historian

SWCA Environmental Consultants is an employee-owned company of cultural resources and environmental professionals who specialize in cultural and natural resource management, environmental planning, and regulatory compliance. We are expanding our team in Chicago, IL and are looking for a motivated individual who takes pride in delivering high-quality project work. If you thrive in the pursuit of ensuring excellence and ownership in your work as well as collaborating in a dynamic team environment, this is a great opportunity for you!

Our Chicago office is seeking a Project Architectural Historian to support our Great Lakes business. This is a full-time, salaried, regular (with benefits) position. SWCA encourages hybrid work environments for our positions and highly-qualified remote (distributed) employees in the Greater Great Lakes region are also highly encouraged to apply.

Application deadline: Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission.

Responsible for managing or carrying out all aspects of project execution, including the following:

* Independently manage small, stand-alone architectural history projects and assist other project managers in the execution of architectural history components of multi-disciplinary projects
* Plan and complete historic resource surveys of residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, and institutional properties using Arc-GIS-enabled tablet computers, digital photography, and other survey methodology meeting the standards of Illinois and neighboring states and/or other State Historic Preservation Offices.
* Lead QA/QC of office technical studies in support of various historic resource evaluations and nominations, Secretary of the Interior's Standards project review, and a number of other projects related to preservation planning and policy
* Conduct archival research, focusing on primary and secondary sources, and write historic narratives and context statements.
* Evaluate resources under National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) criteria
* Prepare technical reports and defensible compliance documentation in support of NHPA/Section 106 consultation
* Develop and manage project budgets
* Contribute to proposal and marketing efforts
* Maintain SWCA's high standard of technical ethics and quality assurance and ensure that project deliverables meet agency and industry standards, and be motivated to identify and resolve problems in creative ways
* Take responsibility for team safety, adhering to safety plans and anticipating potential safety hazards.
* Work closely with the Chicago Cultural Resource Team Lead and Region Architectural History Team Lead as well as project managers, directors, and principal investigators throughout the company to promote SWCA's business interests in adherence to its mission, vision, and values
* Assist Team Leads in business development, reviewing and responding to RFPs, and pursuing and building relationships with clients
* Work with clients to identify project needs and make recommendations for management of historic resources
* Collaborate with SWCA's Historic Preservation Working Group and architectural historians throughout the company
* Take responsibility for team safety, developing safety plans (when applicable), and anticipating potential safety hazards.

Minimum qualifications:

* A Master's degree in Architectural History, Art History, Historic Preservation or a closely related field
* Seven (7) years of experience in cultural resources management.
* Two (2) years of experience as an environmental consultant.
* A working knowledge of federal and state cultural resources and historic preservation laws and practices, including Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
* Experience surveying architectural resources at the reconnaissance and intensive level and recording information on state-specific architectural inventory forms.
* Familiarity with nineteenth and twentieth century commercial and residential architecture in the Midwestern United States.
* Demonstrated writing skills, including applying the National Register Criteria for Evaluation and preparing NRHP eligibility evaluations for architectural resources.
* Demonstrated track record of taking initiative and resolving problems to create improved procedures that ensure tasks are completed in an effective and efficient manner.
* Must have a valid driver's license and be able to drive on behalf of SWCA.

Preferred qualifications:
* Travel may be required up t0 15% of the time, or up to approximately 7 weeks per year.
* Successful applicant must have a valid driver's license and be able to drive on behalf of SWCA.

Why Work at SWCA:

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full-spectrum of environmental services. Our Vision (the North Star) is to make SWCA the best workplace and industry leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges while maintaining a dedication to employee-ownership. We live our core values: we collaborate as #OneSWCA; we are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack.

We are 100% employee-owned, and we build our success together. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record's Top 200 Environmental Firms. We offer a supportive, team-oriented work environment and competitive wages and benefits, including an 100% employee stock ownership plan (retirement).

At SWCA, we support our team members in developing their careers to make them leaders in their industry. Our Career Landscape initiative is a process and guide designed to help develop chart rewarding career paths for employees at SWCA. We encourage professional conference attendance, internal and external professional development and training programs, education reimbursement, a Science and Leadership Program, and bonuses for publications meeting certain criteria. All regular status employees are eligible to participate in SWCA medical, dental, vision, employee assistance, wellness, life and disability plans, and are eligible to participate in the SWCA 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust.

If you would like to contact SWCA regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the online application process due to a disability, please email accommodations@swca.com or call 1-480-581-5378. This contact information is for disability accommodation requests only. All 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.

SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees. In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges in all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency.

An employee in this Chicago-based position can expect an annual salary of $72,547.02 - $92,792.70. 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, which includes a competitive Benefits package, forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more.

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA's continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.

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