Staff Level Paleontologist - Temporary

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants is hiring a temporary staff-level Paleontologist for our Rocky Mountain Plains offices. You will conduct paleontological resources fieldwork for various projects in the western United States (AZ, CA, CO, UT, MT, MN, ND, NM, SD, NV, WY).

This position is temporary and hourly, with overtime compensated at time and a half. Pay is dependent on experience. SWCA compensates all travel time and provides vehicles, single-occupancy lodging, and per diem ($68/day). 

The candidate could fill one of these Staff Level roles based on skill and years of relevant experience:

• Paleontological Technician: Typically up to 6 months of experience and expertise
• Assistant Staff Paleontologist: Typically up to 1 year of experience and expertise

For an assistant staff paleontologist position, depending on project, an element of your job may be to independently supervise a paleontological survey crew in the field. This includes:

• Independently assigning and directing the activities of others on behalf of SWCA, often in remote areas without immediate guidance from senior managers, to ensure quality and on-time delivery;
• Ensuring that employees understand their responsibilities and delegated tasks and being held accountable if crew members under your supervision are not performing their activities correctly, productively, and safely;
• Serving as a conduit of communication between employees and senior managers, including communicating issues to relevant senior managers;
• Receiving and resolving complaints from employees in the field; and
• Monitoring team productivity and providing timely performance feedback, including deciding when disciplinary action is necessary and delivering discipline.

Application deadline: 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.

What you will accomplish

The Staff-level Paleontologist is a field-based member of the program who will assist with:

• Field surveys, construction monitoring, excavations, fossil salvages, and other field tasks as needed.
• We emphasize thorough, accurate, and efficient collection and recordation of paleontological, lithologic, and stratigraphic data. 
• Technicians may also assist with data entry, management, and analysis.
• Travel is required for this position, including overnight stays, weekend work, and out-of-state travel.  
• Our staff-level paleontologists also adhere to SWCA’s safety program and look out for the safety of others, promptly communicating and mitigating safety hazards. 

Experience and qualifications for success

• Degree in geology, paleontology, earth sciences or related field (preferred).
• Regional paleontological experience.
• Technicians must demonstrate knowledge of various types of fossils, collection methods, basic field geology skills, such as rock descriptions, measuring stratigraphic columns, and recognizing fossils, including trace fossils.
• Ability to conduct fieldwork for long hours in sometimes inclement weather conditions, including walking up to 10 miles per day, often in rugged terrain; must be able to carry various types of field equipment and supplies.
• Must be comfortable conducting fieldwork in remote areas, if necessary, based on project needs.
• Must have the ability to use excavation tools.
• Must have valid driver's license and able to meet SWCA’s driver requirements.

In addition, the following skills are preferred: 

• Fossil preparation and/or museum curation experience.
• Data management and GIS experience.
• Prior experience with paleontological mitigation projects, including construction monitoring, is highly desirable.
• Ability to qualify as Monitor on federal permits is highly desirable. 

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full spectrum of environmental services. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms.

If you need assistance accessing SWCA’s website, completing the online application, or require accommodations at any point during the hiring process due to a disability, please contact us at accommodations@swca.com or call 1-480-581-5378. We’re committed to providing an inclusive and supportive experience for all candidates. This contact information is specifically for accommodation requests; other inquiries will not receive a response.

SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees.  In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges on all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency.

An employee in this Denver, CO-based position for a Paleontological Technician the hourly pay rate is $20.08 - $26.51 and for an Assistant Staff Paleontologist the hourly pay rate is $22.49 - $28.92/hour. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law. 

EOE - women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply.  At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success.

This position is eligible for our wellness paid time off, employee assistance program and wellness program activities.

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA’s continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.

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