Senior or Principal Architectural Historian

SWCA Environmental Consultants•Pasadena, CA

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking a Senior or Principal Architectural Historian for our Southern California offices to drive growth and uphold the highest standards of quality in architectural history. As a core member of our Cultural Resources program, the Senior or Principal Architectural Historian will collaborate with SWCA managers, directors, and vice presidents on technical and business development initiatives throughout our southern California offices (Pasadena, Riverside, and San Diego), while coordinating with peers throughout the company’s West Region. The ideal candidate combines technical expertise, commercial acumen, and leadership skills to expand SWCA’s architectural history practice in Southern California. Responsibilities include technical leadership, quality assurance and control, mentoring staff, helping in the development of new business, and managing projects. This is a regular (with benefits), full-time, salaried position. SWCA offers the flexibility of a hybrid work environment; however, candidates local to one of our Southern California offices are highly preferred. Only highly qualified, fully remote candidates with significant experience in California will be seriously considered. This job requisition can hire at two levels -- Senior Architectural Historian - Typically with ten (10) years of relevant industry experience and expertise preferred Principal Architectural Historian - Typically with twelve (12) years of relevant industry experience and expertise preferred Please provide a cover letter in addition to your resume. SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing, 1,830+ 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. Come join our team!

Requirements

Meets Secretary of Interior Standards for architectural history.
A Master’s degree in architectural history, art history, historic preservation or a closely related field.
Minimum of eight (8) years of experience in cultural resources management.
A working knowledge of federal and state cultural resources and historic preservation laws and practices, including Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, CEQA, and local/municipal regulations.
Experience surveying architectural resources at the reconnaissance and intensive level and recording information on state-specific architectural inventory forms.
Familiarity with nineteenth and twentieth century commercial and residential architecture in the western United States, especially California.
Demonstrated writing skills, including applying the National Register/California Register criteria for evaluation and preparing NRHP/CRHR eligibility evaluations for architectural resources.
Demonstrated track record of taking initiative and resolving problems to create improved procedures that ensure tasks are completed in an effective and efficient manner.
Successful applicant must have a valid driver’s license and be able to drive on behalf of SWCA.

Nice To Haves

Minimum of ten (10) years of experience in cultural resources management.
Private sector consulting experience

Responsibilities

Responsible for managing all aspects of project execution as outlined below. A principal architectural historian will lead or manage larger, more complex (and potentially more multi-disciplinary) projects and client relationships compared to a senior architectural historian.
Independently manage stand-alone architectural history projects (both large and small) and assist other project managers in the execution of architectural history components of multi-disciplinary projects
Plan and complete historic resource surveys of residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, and institutional properties using Arc-GIS-enabled tablet computers, digital photography, and other survey methodology meeting the standards of relevant State Historic Preservation Offices.
Lead QA/QC of office technical studies in support of various historic resource evaluations and nominations, Secretary of the Interior's Standards project review, and a number of other projects related to preservation planning and policy
Conduct or lead a team to conduct archival research, focusing on primary and secondary sources, and write historic narratives and context statements.
Evaluate resources under California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) and National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) criteria or oversee others doing this.
Prepare technical reports and defensible compliance documentation in support of CEQA, as well as NHPA/Section 106 consultation
Prepare CRHR and NRHP nominations and Multiple Property Documentation forms
Develop and manage project budgets and staff
Contribute to proposal and marketing efforts
Maintain SWCA’s high standard of technical ethics and quality assurance and ensure that project deliverables meet agency and industry standards, and be motivated to identify and resolve problems in creative ways
Assist in business development, reviewing and responding to RFPs, and pursuing and building relationships with clients
Work with clients to identify project needs and make recommendations for management of historic resources
Collaborate with SWCA’s Historic Preservation Working Group and architectural historians throughout the company
Drive compliance of safety policies and reporting requirements to ensure overall team safety.