Cultural Resources Specialist

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 also serves as Environmental Program Branch (EPB) Lead, acting as an environmental point of contact and project manager for MCDOT projects. The specialist possesses a working knowledge of natural resources and hazardous materials.

Salary: $75,000 - $116,500 annually. Salary offers are based on the candidate's equivalent experience and internal equity within the same job classification. The position is not eligible for overtime compensation.

Other Benefits:

• 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
• Paid vacation, sick time, and parental leave
• Extensive wellness program, including an incentive
• Enrollment in the Arizona State Retirement System, a defined retirement benefit requiring a 12% per paycheck contribution rate that includes a 100% employer match on Day 1

• Review and approve documentation required under 36 CFR 800.11; manage, review, and approve cultural resources documentation and ensure compliance with local, state, tribal, and federal 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 on potential environmental risks related 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 impacts.
• Prepare schedules and scope 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, to provide information to the public and other agencies.
• Represent MCDOT EPB on committees and planning groups.
• Initiate and complete the environmental review process as EPB Lead; manage the project's environmental schedule, scope, and budget.
• Attend project-related meetings and site visits; develop familiarity with the project and team, and communicate pertinent information to subject matter experts 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, local agencies, interested parties, and tribes.
• Coordinate agency interests and provide technical expertise to help the organization obtain authorization for construction.
• Create environmental documentation during the scoping and design phases; receive requests for geotechnical and utility investigations and prepare draft clearances.
• Review environmental information included in the Construction Hand-Off Form and the Environmental Hand-Off Checklist; attend Handoff to Construction meetings to address environmental questions.
• Coordinate with construction engineers, the schedule, and monitoring during construction; maintain the EPB project folder and update the design schedule in the EPB App.
• 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.
• Confirm that all design environmental mitigation measures have been complied with; share construction‑related environmental mitigations with responsible parties.
• Review all submittal stages of the project (30%, 60%, 95%, 100%, and sealed plans) to ensure that environmental commitments are included in design plans and specifications.
• Coordinate with project construction engineer and PM when avoidance commitments, Section 404 permit reviews, or mitigation measures are identified; inform them of ramifications.
• Other job duties as assigned.

• Three years of cultural supervisor experience, including at least one year of field work surveying a minimum cumulative extent of 640 acres.
• Master's degree or higher in Anthropology or Archaeology.
• Alternatively, a bachelor's degree in Anthropology or Archaeology plus two years of equivalent work experience may substitute for the master's degree, including at least eight months of supervised fieldwork in survey, education, and artifact identification and synthesis.
• Successful candidates must possess or be able to obtain a valid Arizona driver's license by hire.
• Must have written, edited, and approved at least one…