Cultural Resources Director - Arizona

SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking a Cultural Resources Director to lead a team of anthropologists, archaeologists, architectural historians, and paleontologists in our Arizona offices. This position requires excellent leadership skills and behaviors to successfully manage the execution of project work, cultivate our business development processes, deliver for our clients, and continue to build an exceptional team. The Arizona Cultural Resources Director will report to the Southern Arizona Senior Director. This is a regular, full-time, salaried position with compensation based on individual qualifications and experience.

This position can be based in any SWCA Arizona office (Flagstaff, Phoenix, or Tucson) with visits at least once a month to the other offices to work directly with their staff and colleagues.

Our Arizona offices are a recognized leader in the region, known for exceptional work, strong client relationships, and a top-tier team. We're committed to being the premier environmental consultancy by fostering a workplace that values engagement and growth. This role offers a unique opportunity for leadership and career development in a growing market, with close collaboration across the West Region and the broader company.

Candidates must submit a brief letter of interest with their application that describes their vision for this position.

Application Deadline: Applications are due by 5:00 PM AZT on June 6, 2025.

People Leadership (40% of workload)

• Provide collaborative leadership for SWCA's Cultural Resources teams in Arizona as part of the Southwest Sub-regional leadership team.
• Foster a culture of engagement, teamwork, service excellence, and client satisfaction.
• Lead strategic hiring and retention efforts to attract and keep top talent.
• Directly manage principal and lead-level staff, including performance reviews, coaching, and disciplinary actions.
• Drive team engagement through recognition, mentorship, and professional growth opportunities.
• Serve as an ambassador for SWCA's Safety Culture and implementation.
• Connect with staff, peers, and senior management by leading regular staff meetings and contributing to regular regional and national leadership meetings.
• Ensure effective coordination of team efforts across the business.
• Oversee personnel, vehicles, supplies, and equipment resource allocation to support successful project execution.

Technical Leadership (30% of workload)

• Ensure adherence to SWCA's Quality Control Procedures within the Arizona Cultural Resources Program, fostering accountability through tools such as quality audits.
• Implement and continuously improve quality control processes to meet program commitments.
• Manage projects and contracts while providing senior-level technical expertise.
• Leverage experts effectively to meet client needs.
• Create a culture where experimenting to find new solutions is valued and supported.
• Monitor regulatory changes and communicate relevant updates to staff and clients.
• Ensure effective implementation of the company's safety program in all aspects of work.
• Coordinate with the nationwide Cultural Resources Technical Director, Practice Group Champions, and the Practice Group in general to advance local and nationwide technical needs and initiatives.
• Represent Arizona in regional and national conversations concerning Cultural Resources Management, NHPA, and other relevant policies.

Client and Market Leadership (20% of workload)

• Stay informed on market trends, regulatory changes, and technical advancements through research, events, and professional networks; promote SWCA as a thought leader in environmental consulting.
• Identify and pursue new technical opportunities, support go/no-go decisions, and lead or contribute to proposal efforts with senior-level review.
• Strengthen and maintain client relationships at both local and regional levels.

Financial Leadership (10% of workload)

• Support development and management of the operational budget, focusing on tools and training needed to meet program goals; ensure profitability and budget targets are met through tracking and informed decision-making.
• Oversee proposal, contract, budget, and expenditure approvals in alignment with SWCA's approvals matrix.
• Partner with Project Controls to audit projects, monitor progress, mitigate risks, and escalate issues as needed.

• Graduate degree in anthropology, archaeology, geology, historic preservation, or a related field.
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in cultural resources management, planning, and science. Experience should include overseeing fieldwork, office work, and report completion, as well as scheduling and budgeting of projects.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in increasing levels of responsibility in management, including supervising and mentoring of professional staff.
• Working knowledge of the Arizona market and cultural resources.
• Demonstrated expertise working within multiple business lines to develop business and successfully complete projects to the satisfaction of clients.
• Experience applying federal, state, and local regulations to cultural resources in Arizona, particularly NEPA, and the National Historic Preservation Act.
• Demonstrated success leading staff, including recruiting, mentoring, developing, and coaching.
• Strong understanding of financial metrics common to our industry.
• Extensive experience building and maintaining strong partnerships, both internal and external.
• Strong client-facing skills (e.g., communication, relationship building, problem solving).
• Proven record of developing new business and leading major proposal efforts.

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. 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.

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.

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 Phoenix, AZ based position can expect an annual salary of $115,690/year to $152,110/year. 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 is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans 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 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.