The Center for the Study of the First Americans, Texas A&M University, is seeking a Research Specialist II to undertake research on the submerged archaeological landscapes of the Gulf of America, formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico, under the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) funded project ‘Reevaluating BOEM’s Guidelines for Identifying Submerged Pre-Contact Archaeological Sites in the Gulf of America: a Geoarchaeological Approach’. The Research Specialist II, Submerged Gulf of America Landscapes, will use legacy survey data made available by project partners, as well as new data, to support project partners’ and BOEM’s ongoing work to update and refine methods for detection and examination of submerged landscapes across the Gulf of America. The selected candidate’s full-time effort will be dedicated to actively formulating, analyzing, and testing scientific predictions on the preservation and discovery of submerged terrestrial sites in collaboration with project partners, including Tribal entities. Additional responsibilities consist of empirical methods (utilizing legacy and new remote sensing data) and theoretical modeling (mathematical, statistical, and computational).
What You Need to Know
- Salary: Compensation will be commensurate based on the selected hire’s education and experience
- Special Note: Due to this position’s salary having all or a portion of it being funded by grants or contracts, the continuing salary and overall employment is contingent upon availability of these funds in the future
- Hybrid/Remote Work Option: Due to the nature of this position, a hybrid or remote work arrangement may be available for workplace flexibility
Required Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate
- 6 years of relevant experience
Preferred Qualifications:
- PhD, “All But Dissertation” status
- Strong track record of journal article publications, external funding
- Experience in geophysical data analysis
- Previous experience with sub-bottom profiler data facility with SonarWiz, Kingdom Suite, or ArcGIS
- Underwater archeological experience
- Experience with writing and utilizing R code for modeling purposes
- Experience with Indigenous consultation.
Responsibilities:
- GIS Landscape Modeling: Develop updated/refined regional paleolandscape reconstructions to identify the aerial extent and below-seabed depth of areas in the GOM with the potential to contain preserved pre-Contact archaeological remains as well as those areas with low or no potential.
- R survey modeling: Assess BOEM survey guidelines and methodologies for identifying preserved paleolandforms and potential pre-Contact archaeological sites.
- Tribal Consultation: With project partners, engage tribal communities to seek their perspectives on the purpose, design, and results of this study and incorporate these perspectives into the landscape and survey models.
- Data management: With project partners, make sure that new data and legacy data are properly maintained with metadata kept to international standards.
- Report and article preparation: Provide support with project team on quarterly and annual reports, prepare articles on findings.
Underwater Archaeology and Maritime History jobs 