Senior Archaeologist | Project Manager | California

Chronicle Heritage

About The Position

The Project Manager (PM) is responsible for the successful planning, execution, and financial performance of client-facing projects from inception through closeout. Working in close partnership with Principal Investigators (PIs), Field Directors (FDs), Lab/Permitting Personnel, Operations Leadership, clients, and regional and functional leaders. The PM ensures projects are delivered on time, on budget, and in full compliance with contractual, regulatory, safety, and quality requirements. The PM serves as the operational backbone of the project team, providing continuity for clients, financial and schedule discipline for the organization, and logistical and coordination support for technical staff. This role balances client-facing leadership with strong internal project controls and a commitment to high-quality cultural resource outcomes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in archaeology, anthropology, environmental or cultural resource management, construction management, or a closely related field, or equivalent professional experience.
Demonstrated experience managing budgets, schedules, and deliverables for cultural resource management or environmental consulting projects. · Significant experience in client management regarding deliverable management, contract enforcement, SLA adherence, and frequent client-facing interactions.
Working knowledge of relevant compliance frameworks (e.g., Federal, local, foreign).
Strong organizational, financial, and communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a relevant discipline.
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or demonstrated progress toward certification.
Experience working with public sector and private clients.
Familiarity with field operations, safety planning, and logistics.
Experience managing subcontractors and multidisciplinary teams.
Proficiency with Teamwork or other integrated project management systems.
Proficiency with Sage Intacct or other financial systems.

Responsibilities

Manage project scope, budget, and schedule from authorization through completion using company-standard tools (Teamwork, Sage).
Execute projects in compliance with contract terms, regulatory requirements, and company policies.
Identify, document, and communicate project risks (budget, schedule, access, regulatory, safety, staffing) and communicate mitigation strategies to office leadership, PIs and other supervisory staff (e.g., Field Directors, Lab Directors).
Actively manage change orders, amendments, and cost augments to align scope, schedule, and budget and avoid overruns.
Prepare proposals or support Proposal Leads with project budgeting, including: Leveraging regional standards, templates and best practices to estimate project management and oversight hours, labor effort, subcontractor costs, and other direct expenses peer task. Apply appropriate billing rates.
Partner with technical leaders and stakeholders during project initiation to: Translate proposal scope and budget into a work breakdown and project management plan. Confirm scope, assumptions, and delivery approach. Formally launch projects, including coordinating staffing plans and logistical requirements. Develop project information sheets outlining roles, responsibilities, and communication protocols. Set up the project in Teamwork, including tasks that outline the full project lifecycle from initiation through closeout using templates and custom task break-outs.
Serve as a primary day-to-day point of contact for clients, maintaining clear, proactive, and professional communication.
Ensure client requests are documented and evaluated for scope/budget impact before execution, enforcing standards of data management and retention in approved repository (Egnyte).
Support PIs in guiding clients through applicable regulatory processes, in partnership with the Quality and Compliance division.
Manage internal and external communication protocols to ensure alignment across project teams, clients, and subcontractors.
Ensure subcontract agreements/POs are executed before work begins · Manage subcontractors, including scope alignment, scheduling, coordination, and invoice review. Escalate risks related to subcontractor performance and compliance.
Maintain and control project schedules, identify risks and mitigation strategies.
Conduct initial quality control reviews of deliverables for formatting, completeness, consistency, and compliance with contractual requirements prior to PI technical review. Ensure written deliverables are properly edited, formatted, and complete before submission.
Coordinate with PIs and FDs to ensure field readiness prior to mobilization, including: Verification that all required permits and rights-of-entry are secured. Confirmation that staffing and logistics are in place. · Ensure compliance with company safety protocols and that site-specific safety documentation is prepared, approved, and implemented for each project.
Review invoices for accuracy and contractual compliance.
Manage accounts receivable and work-in-progress (WIP) to support timely invoicing and cash flow.
Ensure invoices are issued promptly per contract terms and follow up as needed to support on-time payment.
Lead project closeout activities, including: Confirming completion of contractual requirements. Preparing concise project descriptions for use in future proposals and marketing materials. Supporting lessons-learned and continuous improvement efforts.