Director, Center Archaeological Investigations

The Director of the Center for Archaeological Investigations (CAI) provides overall leadership for one of Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s most productive and externally visible research units.

The CAI is a cultural resource management–focused research center conducting archaeological work, curation, and compliance reporting across the Midwest and Southeast United States. The Director serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) on most externally fundedCRM and research projects, oversees all fiscal and compliancematters, and provides strategic leadership in developing new contracts, partnerships, and funding streams.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, while also considering internal equity.

The Director manages all phases of cultural resource management projects, from proposal development through fieldwork, analysis,and reporting. This includes serving as PI on federal, state, and private CRM contracts and ensuring compliance with Section 106,NEPA, NAGPRA, and 36 CFR Part 79. The position develops and maintains relationships with clients such as the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and private industry partners.

The Director leads multi-year partnerships that integrate compliance archaeology with academic research and student training and ensures timely preparation of technical reports and deliverables.

The Director oversees an externally funded portfolio that typically exceeds one million dollars annually and serves as fiscal officer for all Center accounts, including state, grant, and foundation funds. The position manages federal cost-share obligations,including use of the Director’s salary as the institutional match,and plans for sustainable growth by expanding CAI’s client base and external funding opportunities.

The Director supervises six full-time professional staff, two graduate assistants, four temporary employees, undergraduate student workers, and four interns. The position provides leadership and professional development for staff and mentoring for students involved in applied archaeology and compliance projects.

The Director oversees management of CAI’s federally compliantcuration repository, which houses more than 9,100 boxes of artifacts and 850 linear feet of documentation. The position ensures all curation operations meet 36 CFR Part 79 and NAGPRArequirements, coordinates consultation and repatriation throughSIU’s NAGPRA Program, and ensures ethical and legal stewardship ofhuman remains and cultural items.

The Director maintains active research and publication in the archaeology of the Midwest and Southern United States,particularly Illinois and adjacent regions. The position serves asa regional expert and contact for federal, state, tribal, and local agencies on archaeological and cultural resource issues and represents the University and CAI at professional meetings,conferences, and public events. The Director also supports academiccollaboration and outreach programs that provide experiential learning opportunities preparing students for careers in cultural resource management.

The Director must hold a Ph.D. in Anthropology with a specialization in Bioarchaeology, Archaeology,or a closely related field and have at least ten years of professional experience in Cultural Resource Management archaeology, including a minimum of five years as a Principal Investigator on federal or state projects. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong record of securing and managing external research funding, eligibility for Principal Investigator status under SIU’s OSPA policy, and experience managing archaeologicalcuration repositories in compliance with NAGPRA and 36 CFR Part 79.Familiarity

with the archaeology of Illinois, the Midwest, and the Southeastern United States is essential, as is experience supervising teams, mentoring students, and serving on graduate committees.

Please submit a letter of application ,CV, transcripts, evidence of professional qualifications and experiences, evidence of success in securing external funding and/or external contracts, and three professional references.

Letters of recommendation and additional application materials maybe requested at a later stage of the search process.

Ulrich Reichard, ureich