Cultural Resources Specialist

Posting Date

Application Deadline

Pay Range

Job Type

Department

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, which acts as the environmental point of contact and environmental project manager for MCDOT projects. The specialist possesses a working knowledge of areas such as natural resources and hazardous materials.

About Us

We value your time. The time with your family. The time you spend on the road. And the time you spend making a difference. At MCDOT, we provide connections that improve people's lives. By combining innovative technologies with the vast talent of our employees, we plan for future needs and operate a transportation system with the community in mind. Are you interested in contributing to the community in which you work, live, and play? Then, join our team and help us build connections.

Proud to Offer

• Work with a greater purpose

• 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 exclusively

• Paid vacation, sick time, and parental leave

• Extensive wellness program, including healthcare premium discounts

• Maricopa County participates in the Arizona State Retirement System. This defined retirement benefit requires a 12% monthly contribution rate and includes a 100% employer match on Day 1

• Learn more at Work With Us | Maricopa County, AZ

We Require

• Two years of work experience with cultural resources field work, analysis, and report writing, and compliance with federal, state, and local environmental and cultural resources laws, regulations, policies, and procedures

• Bachelor's degree in Planning, Anthropology, or History with a focus on Archaeology or Historic Preservation, or a closely related field

• Postgraduate degrees or professional-level-related experience may substitute for education or experience on a year-for-year basis

• Must possess or have the ability to obtain a valid Arizona driver's license by the time of hire

• Ability to obtain an Arizona Antiquities Act Blanket Permit within six months of hire

We Also Value

• Bachelor'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

Job Contributions

• 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. Respond 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 of potential environmental risk relating 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. Develops and formally documents 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 might have. Coordinate with the Project Construction Engineer, the schedule, and the need for monitoring during construction. Attend construction meetings. Maintains the EPB project folder and updates the design schedule in the EPB App, as applicable. Perform 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

Working Conditions

• This position requires the employee to be in the office/field or customer-facing for all hours worked

• Exerting up to 20 pounds occasionally, 10 pounds frequently, or negligible amounts constantly, or requires walking or standing to a significant degree

• Work is performed in both office and field environments, including roadway projects and isolated desert areas. Fieldwork may involve exposure to loud noise, noxious odors, unsanitary conditions, chemicals, electricity, moving construction equipment, varying weather conditions, and other related situations. The position is subject to atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dust, mists, gases, or poor ventilation. Duties require manual dexterity to operate office equipment and motor vehicles, as well as the ability to hike and walk across varied terrain. Travel to project sites, study areas, and occasional meetings is required

Machines, tools, equipment, software, and hardware

Microsoft software applications (Teams, Word, Excel, Outlook), Familiarity with ArcGIS/ArcGIS Online

Protective equipment required

Standard PPE (hard hats, safety vests, safety boots, safety glasses) provided by the County

Selection Procedure

• Only the most qualified candidates will be considered

• Consideration will only be given to candidates who submit online applications

• Candidates will be contacted primarily through email and their Workday online application profile

• Must pass a pre-employment background and/or fingerprint investigation as required by statute or policy, including drug and alcohol testing requirements for positions designated as safety-sensitive

Maricopa County is an equal opportunity employer.

Apply Now!