Project Level Paleontologist; Temporary

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking a Temporary Project-level Paleontologist to support our Rocky Mountain Plains region, reporting to the Denver Office. This position temporary and expected to run from late April/early May to early November, with potential for returning annual work. Employment may extend to other projects upon season completion.

Under supervision of a Paleontological Resources Lead, the Project Paleontologist will be primarily focused on field efforts, including working independently and with small field crews in surveys and monitoring, and assisting with report preparation activities when not in the field. In particular, when working with a field crew, the Project Paleontologist will be expected to provide daily direction for survey and monitoring efforts, give instruction and guidance on proper data recording techniques, be able to identify and properly assess significance of fossils discovered in the field, work with others (other paleontologists, construction crews, agency personnel) to properly mitigate these finds, and other project related tasks.

The Project Paleontologist may also assist with quality assurance of data collection and field reporting, developing client and subcontractor relationships in support of field projects, and preparation and review of technical reports. The Project Paleontologist will be involved in a variety of projects including energy transmission, oil and gas development, and surface mining efforts. Many projects will involve days with long hours and will require travel and overnight stays.

Overtime will be paid as appropriate, project-related travel and lodging costs are covered (including rental vehicles), and per diem is provided for project work requiring overnight stays. This position is a wonderful career-growth opportunity for the right candidate to join SWCA's expanding paleontology practice and will likely lead into paleontological project experiences well beyond the Rocky Mountain Plains region.

Anticipated fieldwork will primarily occur in Colorado and Wyoming, but may include Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and other states throughout the western U.S. The candidate may be asked to submit to background screening and drug testing to work on certain projects. Candidates local to Colorado or Wyoming are strongly preferred, but candidates in northern Arizona, western Nevada, Utah, and other regions of the western U.S. who are willing to regularly travel will be considered.

SWCA is a growing, 1,700+ 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 #Always Learning
, we #Never Settle
, and we #Give Back
. This is especially true for the Paleontology Team.

Final date to receive applications:
Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission.

• Assistant Project Paleontologist - Typically with at least three (3) years of relevant experience and expertise.
• Associate Project Paleontologist - Typically with at least five (5) years of relevant experience and expertise.
• Project Paleontologist - Typically with at least seven (7) years of relevant experience and expertise.

• Act as the head paleontology professional on project teams, serving as a permitted Field Agent or Principal Investigator, working under the direction of (other) Principal Investigators, Project Managers, and/or Paleontology Leads.
• Prepare and complete accurate logs for field surveys, monitoring, fossil collection, fossil preparation, or other related efforts.
• Supervise and conduct fieldwork, including paleontological construction monitoring and survey, and ensure the quality and completeness of data collected in the field by the field crew. Data QA/QC, organization, and tracking; field GPS data collection using tablets and Geodes.
• Ensure that appropriate preliminary research is conducted and organized prior to fieldwork, and that necessary equipment, staff, and other resources are prepared for fieldwork. Create daily survey and monitoring plans when working with a field crew to provide clear direction/division of efforts.
• Communicate regularly and effectively with paleontology leads, project managers, field crews, resource monitors, subcontractors, construction crews, and clients to ensure reliable, consistent, and high-quality services and…