Cultural Resources/Architectural Historian and Senior Project Manager

Overview

Location(s):  SoutheastPractice/Department:  CulturalWork Environment:  RemoteCompensation: $135,000-155,000/annually*

Dudek’s journey began in 1980 with a vision to serve Southern California’s water and wastewater agencies. 

Today, we are a 100% employee-owned firm supporting clients nationwide and delivering projects that improve and protect the built and natural environments of communities throughout the United States. Our work has been recognized by leading industry organizations, and we’ve been honored with multiple national Top Workplace Awards. 

Our employee-owners are unified by a singular commitment to supporting projects that address key societal issues, such as the transition to renewable energy, infrastructure hardening and repair, environmental protection, and community resilience. 

Learn more about our award-winning culture, the benefits and perks of being a Dudekian, and the projects you will have the opportunity to shape.  

Position Overview

Who You Are 

As an employee-owner, you embrace accountability, working safely, and collaboration while thinking resourcefully and independently.

Like all Dudekians, you are curious and solution-oriented, with the ability to adapt quickly to changes and approach challenges with a spirit of innovation. 

How You’ll Make an Impact

Dudek is currently seeking a full-time senior-level Cultural Resources/Architectural Historian Senior Project Manager to help lead and expand our cultural resources services in the Southeast. The successful candidate will work in close partnership with our Southeast Lead Archaeologist, pairing built environment, regulatory, and project leadership experience with archaeological expertise. This position will oversee a full range of cultural resources services, lead business development, prepare scopes and cost estimates, serve as a senior technical expert, and build relationships with clients, agencies, State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs), and consulting parties. This role will also help guide projects through Section 106, Section 4(f), NEPA, and applicable state review processes and mentor early- and mid-career staff as the Southeast practice grows.

Duties and Responsibilities  

• Partner with Dudek’s Southeast Lead Archaeologist to build and grow the cultural resources practice, combining built environment and archaeology services into an integrated offering;
• Develop a shared growth strategy with the Southeast Lead Archaeologist, including target clients, agencies, markets, and contract vehicles, and track progress against that strategy;
• Jointly pursue and deliver projects, sharing technical leadership so archaeology and built environment work move together through survey, evaluation, effects assessment, and mitigation;
• Coordinate with Dudek planners, environmental staff, and cultural resources groups in other regions to incorporate Southeast cultural resources services into larger pursuits;
• Lead projects through Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, including 36 CFR Part 800, Section 4(f), NEPA, and applicable state review laws, from identification and evaluation through resolution of adverse effects;
• Assess effects on historic properties and prepare Finding of Effect documentation for federal and state agencies;
• Lead consultation with SHPOs, federal agencies, Tribes, local governments, and consulting parties and build consensus among interested and affected parties;
• Negotiate and author Memoranda of Agreement and Programmatic Agreements;
• Develop creative mitigation measures, including HABS/HAER/HALS documentation, historic context studies, NRHP nominations, interpretive markers and displays, and public outreach;
• Advise clients and project teams on regulatory strategies for complex, multi-year projects;
• Oversee cultural resources surveys, from reconnaissance-level surveys through intensive-level documentation;
• Oversee the evaluation of historic-era properties under NRHP, state register, and local designation criteria;
• Provide oversight for complex resource types, including historic bridges, roadways, canals, railroads, historic districts, and mid-twentieth-century development;
• Apply the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties in federal, state, and local regulatory settings;
• Work with state site files and SHPO inventory systems across the Southeast, including the Florida Master Site File, Georgia’s GNAHRGIS, and South Carolina’s ArchSite;
• Contribute to policies, guidance, and best practices for identifying and evaluating historic resources;
• Present findings and documentation at agency meetings, public meetings, and historic preservation board meetings;
• Lead research and writing for historic context statements and registration requirements and oversee property-specific research;
• Prepare and oversee survey and evaluation reports, effects assessments, and cultural resources sections for NEPA documents, including Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements;
• Provide senior-level review of internal and external work products and establish and maintain best practices for documentation, report templates, and data management;
• Mentor early- and mid-career staff on project and proposal efforts, delegate technical work, provide guidance on technical approaches, and develop internal training;
• Work with the Southeast Lead Archaeologist to identify staffing needs and recruit as the Southeast practice grows;
• Assume formal staff-supervision responsibilities as the Southeast team grows;
• Build long-term relationships with agency, municipal, and private clients and act as a seller-doer who turns existing work into new opportunities and cross-sells services with other Dudek teams;
• Lead business development for cultural resources and built environment work in the Southeast, including relationships with clients, agencies, and SHPOs;
• Prepare scopes of work, cost estimates, and proposal content based on project and regulatory needs;
• Manage projects and deliverables from initiation through completion and ensure deadlines are met;
• Manage budgets, schedules, client invoicing, project status, and staff billing, with support from other project managers as needed;
• Communicate regularly with internal project managers and clients.

Minimum Qualifications 

• Master’s degree in history, architectural history, historic preservation, or a related field;
• 20+ years of professional experience in federal permitting, cultural resources management, architectural history, or historic preservation regulatory compliance;
• Meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for Architectural History;
• Ability to travel as needed;
• Must possess a valid driver’s license and have active personal automobile liability insurance by the first day of employment.

Preferred Qualifications 

• 25+ years of professional experience in cultural resources management, architectural history, and federal permitting in the Southeastern United States;
• Experience working with multiple Southeastern SHPOs and their survey and reporting guidelines;
• Experience with transportation, energy, or federal agency projects, such as FHWA/state DOT, USACE, or FERC projects;
• Previous staff management experience;
• Experience preparing NRHP nominations, Multiple Property Documentation Forms, or historic context studies;
• Proficiency with GIS and mobile data collection tools;
• Excellent technical writing and research skills, with experience providing senior-level review;
• Experience coordinating with multidisciplinary teams, including archaeologists, planners, and environmental staff.

Compensation: $135,000-155,000/annually* 

*Final agreed-upon compensation will be based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, an individual’s related experience, education, certifications, skills, and work location. Successful candidates must pass a pre-employment drug test and background check prior to beginning employment. 

Working Conditions  

• This job operates in a remote or office-based environment and this role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, printers, etc. 

• This job requires occasional project site visits, based outdoors which can include excessive noise, uneven walking surfaces, extreme weather, and moving vehicles and equipment. 

Physical Requirements 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. This job requires the following:  

• Working on a computer, sitting, or standing for long periods of time in an office or remote office setting. 

• Attending meetings, both in person and virtually, and speaking on the phone with peers, clients, etc.  
• Specific vision abilities, including close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. 

Connect with us! 

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▶️YouTube 

🤝Dudek Talent Community 

Dudek is committed to creating a workplace where all employees, regardless of their background, feel valued, respected, and have equal opportunities to succeed. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is essential to our business success, and we are dedicated to fostering a culture where everyone can thrive. We are committed to fair and equitable processes, based on merit, free from any discrimination. 

Dudek is genuinely committed to equal employment opportunities within our company and on our project teams. Dudek is also committed to compliance with all applicable laws providing equal employment opportunities. This commitment applies to all persons involved in Dudek’s operations and prohibits unlawful discrimination by any employee of Dudek, including supervisors and coworkers. Equal employment opportunities will be extended to all persons (including those with disability and veteran status) in all aspects of the employment relationship, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, transfer, compensation, benefits, discipline, layoff, recall, and termination. Any employee who violates this policy and Dudek’s commitment to equal employment opportunities will be subject to disciplinary action. 

Dudek is a U.S.-based employer. All positions are based in the United States and require U.S. work authorization.