Compliance Historian/Historic Preservation Specialist

This position is only open to Colorado state residents. New employees to the State will be paid biweekly, with 26 biweekly pay periods in a year.

About CDOT

CDOT employees make a difference by providing freedom, connection, and experience to the traveling public, while also keeping them safe.

• Competitive medical, dental, and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending and health savings accounts
• PERA retirement, optional PERA plans such as 401K, and a generous paid time off package including annual, sick, holiday, and other leave
• Strong career growth, tuition reimbursement, and professional development
• Perks including Colorado Employee Assistance Program (CSEAP) counseling, wellness programs, credit union membership, and employee discount program
• Some positions may qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness

CDOT is committed to creating a supportive workplace where everyone, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, education, disability, socio-economic status, or any other identity, has the opportunity to thrive.

About the Work Unit

The Region 1 Environmental Unit ensures compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other federal, state, and local laws in transportation planning, project development, maintenance, and operations. The unit works to preserve environmental resources through careful planning, impact identification, avoidance, minimization, and mitigation during the project lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Provide guidance on NEPA, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 4(f) of the US DOT Act of 1966, and the Colorado State Register Act at the regional and/or statewide level.
• Ensure compliance with Section 106 and Historic Section 4(f) through coordination with federal, state, and local agencies (e.g., SHPO, ACHP, FTA, FHWA).
• Prepare full Section 4(f) evaluation reports with input from an EPS III/IV.
• Define initial Area of Potential Effect (APE), identify consulting parties, and establish survey methodology to support transportation project delivery within cost, scope, and schedule.
• Conduct research and evaluate the significance and integrity of resources for National Register (NR) eligibility, including historic or archaeological sites, structures, objects, buildings, or districts.
• Prepare detailed Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (OAHP) inventory forms, including well-referenced narrative site-specific historical summaries.
• Evaluate and determine project-related effects to historic properties.
• Send formal determinations and supporting documentation to appropriate state, federal, and local governments, as well as interested non-governmental organizations for comments or concurrence.
• Develop and implement mitigation and/or minimization for adverse effects, including agreements (e.g., Memorandum of Agreement) for satisfactory mitigation.
• Draft and write environmental documents (e.g., categorical exclusions, Environmental Assessments, Environmental Impact Statements) and Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) reports for completeness and accuracy.
• Advise engineers and project teams on actions to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts to historic resources, and explain effects and mitigation at public hearings.
• Participate in coordination meetings between CDOT, SHPO, FHWA, FTA, local agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Provide guidance on fieldwork and research required for compliance with Section 106 and Section 4(f).
• Conduct fieldwork, including photography, GPS data collection, and use of unmanned aerial vehicles and GIS software to gather and analyze project data.
• Assist with special research projects to streamline historic properties identification and regulatory compliance, and meet mitigation requirements.
• Collaborate on larger research projects focused on specific historic property types and present findings at professional conferences.
• Assist with NEPA project management for CatEx, EA, EIS, and PEL, ensuring legal requirements, public outreach, and meetings are met.
• Coordinate with consultants at all stages of the compliance process, including project scope, schedule, budget, timeline, APE, eligibility, and effect determinations.
• Attend professional training to maintain up-to-date knowledge of laws, regulations, and best practices for historical work.
• Conduct visual sight assessments.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Schedule

Your schedule will primarily be 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday, with flexibility to meet work/life balance needs. The role will likely follow a hybrid schedule with a combination of in-office and remote work.

Travel

• Required to drive to meetings, training, and project site visits.
• Occasional overnight travel (1-3 times a year) throughout Colorado.
• Required to operate CDOT vehicles.

Requirements

• At least six (6) years of professional experience with a focus in history, architectural history, historic preservation, or cultural resource management, including historical resources investigation.
• A combination of relevant education and/or experience equal to at least six (6) years may substitute for experience. Education must be from an accredited college or university in history, architectural history, historic preservation, or a related field. A transcript showing degree conferral must be submitted.
• Must pass a pre-employment screening, which may include social security number trace, criminal records check, public court records check, educational records, and driving records checks.
• Occasional fieldwork may be required on CDOT right of ways, often in hot or cold, wet weather, steep or uneven terrain.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated success with the duties listed in the job description.
• Meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards in the fields of History and/or Architectural History per 36 CFR 61.
• Years of State service experience related to the duties of this position.
• Highest work/personal ethics and integrity.
• Strong, effective listening, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills.
• Knowledge of NEPA and environmental policy and regulations.
• Ability to take constructive feedback to improve documents.
• Strong organizational and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills to work cooperatively with colleagues with conflicting needs.
• Ability to be a team player, coordinate with other disciplines and stakeholders, and work efficiently while maintaining adaptability and records/notes.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work on multiple projects concurrently.
• Ability to learn and apply applicable federal, state, local, CDOT environmental, and related policies, procedures, laws, and regulations.
• Willingness to be flexible, versatile, and/or tolerant in a changing work environment while maintaining effectiveness and efficiency.
• Strong time and project management skills.
• Strong attention to technical detail and accuracy.
• Passion for safety.
• Proficiency in GIS, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Gmail and Google Applications, SAP, and ability to quickly learn other software systems.