Job Description

About the opportunity:

SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking a Temporary Project-level Paleontologist to support our Rocky Mountain Plains region. The Project-level Paleontologist is a core member of the program, responsible for preparing defensible paleontological resources reports and other related documents, serving as a technical specialist for multi-disciplinary projects, leading field and laboratory efforts as needed, supervising and mentoring or training junior staff, developing client relationships, contributing to proposals, and all stages of project implementation on-time, within scope, and within budget. 

 

SWCA is a growing, 1,700+ staff, 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 .

 

Under this job requisition, we may hire the following job position:

• Assistant Project Paleontologist - Typically with up to three (3) years of relevant experience and expertise.
• Associate Project Paleontologist - Typically with up to five (5) years of relevant experience and expertise.
• Project Paleontologist - Typically with up to seven (7) years of relevant experience and expertise.

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.

What you will accomplish:

• Act as the lead paleontology professional on project teams, serving as a permitted Field Agent or Principal Investigator, working under the direction of other Principal Investigators, Project Managers, Environmental Planners, and/or the Paleontology Team Lead.
• Lead small- to medium-sized paleontology projects and/or lead aspects of interdisciplinary projects that include paleontology to ensure projects meet client expectations and are delivered on time and on budget.
• Assist in the preparation of proposal scopes and budgets; lead small- to medium-size proposals in their entirety and contribute to large/interdisciplinary proposals.
• Organize and track schedules, budgets, and project key performance indicators to ensure project requirements are met.
• Supervise and mentor personnel in the field, office, and laboratory; assign or delegate project tasks to junior staff, and communicate technical needs to Principal Investigators, Project Managers, Environmental Planners, and/or the Paleontology Team Lead.
• Manage quality and completeness of data collection, analysis, and report completion from start to finish.
• Oversee and perform quality assurance/quality control of deliverables, including impact assessments and management recommendations.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of technical methodologies, tools, and standards.
• Take responsibility for team safety, develop safety plans (when applicable), and anticipate potential safety hazards.
• Develop and nurture productive relationships with relevant regulators, industry experts, academics, and clients.
• Build collaborative relationships across offices/geographies to share resources and expertise.
• Comply with SWCA and client safety programs and assist in the development of such programs.

Experience and qualifications for success:

• Master's Degree or Ph.D. in paleontology, geology (with an emphasis on paleontology), biology (with an emphasis on paleontology and experience with geology), or a closely related field is preferred. A Bachelor's Degree may be accepted if the candidate has at least 2 full years working as an assistant to a Principal Paleontologist with administrative and project management experience and reporting experience in the greater Rocky Mountain-Plains region (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, and/or New Mexico). Additional experience in the broader western United States is a benefit.

• A commitment to fiscal and scheduling responsibilities for projects of all sizes and scopes.
• Knowledge of local geology and paleontology with prior experience performing paleontological field work in, and technical writing on subjects relevant to the paleontology of, the Rocky Mountain-Plains region.
• Laboratory techniques, including fossil identification, matrix screening, and fossil preparation, and curation experience.
• Field skills, including the ability to locate, document, excavate, and identify fossils while documenting their geographic, taphonomic, and stratigraphic context.
• Prior experience with paleontological mitigation projects including construction monitoring is highly desirable.
• Ability to adapt quickly to changes in project needs, agency requests, and more.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with a variety of colleagues, clients, and agency representatives.
• Strong preference for applicant to be physically located in SWCA's Rocky Mountain-Plains region or willing to relocate. Applicants who wish to continue residing outside of this region may be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

 

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full spectrum of environmental services. 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 on all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency.

 

An employee in this Denver, CO-based position as an Assistant Project Paleontologist has an hourly pay rate of $27.85 - $35.54, Associate Project Paleontologist an hourly pay rate of $31.06 - $39.63/hour and a Project Paleontologist an annual pay rate of $71,842.68 - $91,891.90/yr. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law. 

 

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 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.

 

#LI-LP1

Job Tags

Hourly pay, Temporary work, Local area, Immediate start, Relocation,

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