The Recreation and Conservation Office is a small state agency located in Olympia, Washington that plans for and provides funding to: create and maintain opportunities for recreation; protect the best of the state’s wild lands, farms, and forests; and recover salmon.

RCO strives to maintain a workplace that is respectful, inclusive and family-friendly where all team members feel safe to bring their true selves to work.  We believe in a culture where everyone continually improves and has the opportunity to lead.
 
At RCO we envision:
A state that has abundant outdoor recreation spaces, healthy habitats, and working farms and forests that support people, fish, and wildlife.

The challenging work you will enjoy includes:
The Cultural Resources Specialist (Archaeologist) is responsible for review, preparation, and administration of the agency’s cultural resources compliance process. Responsibilities include conducting background research for regulatory compliance requirements; technical lead for the agency’s consultation process; preparing documents to support consultation with the state’s Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation and Native American tribes; effectively communicating with all consulting parties; reviewing consultant scopes of work; reviewing and evaluating surveys and site assessments; provide section leads with project support for cultural resources issues; providing expert advice and technical information to facilitate project delivery.
Position duties will include conducting site visits and offsite meetings. RCO is head-quartered in Olympia WA on the state’s capital campus. This position may work remotely (in-state) with occasional travel to Olympia for meetings and/or other functions.

Regulatory Review, Consultation and Compliance:
The Cultural Resources Specialist (Archaeologist) is responsible for review, preparation, and administration of the agency’s cultural resources compliance process for the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board (RCFB), Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB), and Office grant programs. This position analyzes and evaluates up to 1200 grant funded projects biennially (every two years) for compliance with Executive Order 21-02 and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) for projects administered by RCO.

Technical Assistance:
Provide expert technical assistance to RCO staff, agency technical review panels and advisory committees, grant applicants and sponsors. Provide consultation and guidance on cultural resource laws, proposed legislation and agency policy and process.

Outreach, education and training:
Assist in internal and external trainings, development of education and outreach tools, and guidance for new grant program development.

What you need: 
Must meet US Secretary of Interior Professional Qualifications Standards for professional archaeologist (36 CFR Part 61), which includes:

• A graduate degree in archaeology, anthropology, cultural resource management or a closely related field; AND
• One year of professional work experience in archaeological, historical, or culture resource research, administration or management; AND
• One year of full-time professional experience at a supervisory level in the study of archaeological resources of the pre-contact or historic period.

Demonstrated knowledge of: 

• Federal and state cultural resource laws and regulations.
• Pre-contact and historic archaeological field research methods.
• Washington State archaeological and historic information, DAHP database.

Demonstrated ability to:

• Identify archaeological and cultural resources in the field.
• Work in a collaborative manner with internal staff and external stakeholders.

What we desire:

• Four years professional work experience in archaeological, historical or cultural resource research, administration or management of which includes at least two years of fulltime professional experience at a supervisory level.
• Knowledge of Pacific Northwest history and ethnography.
• Knowledge of salmon recovery, conservation and/or outdoor recreation issues;
• Professional experience working in the Pacific Northwest.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and work closely with Tribal governments and communities.
• Knowledge of state and federal grants that support environmental restoration, outdoor recreation, and salmon recovery, including statutes, rules, and policy guidance.
• Working knowledge of environmental permitting, regulatory processes, and including statutes, rules, and policy guidance.
• Knowledge of principles of training; contract preparation and administration; principles of negotiation; principles and techniques of planning.
• Experience or knowledge in creating and utilizing cultural resource predictive models.
• A background in project management;
• A knowledge of contract development and management;
• The ability to resolve complex problems

How to apply: 

In addition to completing the online application, applicants must attach the following documents to their profile or paste into the “text resume” field in order to be considered for this position:

• Cover letter (no more than 2 pages) explaining how you have prepared yourself for this position;
• A current resume or CV, detailing your experience and education; and
• A list of at least three professional references (Non-RCO) with current telephone numbers and email addresses. (attached or available to provide at the time of interview)

Please Note:

• Candidates must be willing and able to occasionally travel around the state for short periods of time including overnight stays.

• This position is in a bargaining unit and falls under the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the state of Washington and the Washington Federation of State Employees (WSFE).

• By submitting materials, you are indicating that all information is true and correct. The state may verify information. Any untruthful or misleading information is cause for removal from the applicant pool or dismissal if employed.

The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office celebrates our differences and we are committed to a workplace that supports equal opportunity employment and inclusion regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, marital status, families with children (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sex, sexual orientation, gender identity diversity, age, status as a protected veteran, honorably discharged veteran or military status, status as an individual with the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with disabilities or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We will also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local laws.

You are welcome to include the name and pronoun you would like to be referred to in your materials and we will honor this as you interact with our organization.

Contact us:
If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact Kyle Guzlas.
Kyle Guzlas, Grant Services Section Manager, Kyle.Guzlas@rco.wa.gov or (360) 972-0168

The State of Washington is an equal opportunity employer. Persons with a disability who need assistance with their application or that need this announcement in an alternative format, may call (360) 664-1960 or toll free (877) 664-1960. TTY users should first call 711 to access the Washington Relay Service.