Salary: $83,019.00 - $116,226.00 Annually
Location : Carbondale, Illinois
Job Type: Administrative Professional
Job Number:
Department: Center for Archaeological Investigations-SIUC
Opening Date: 09/30/2026
Closing Date: 11/5/2026 11:59 PM Central
FLSA:: Exempt
Security/Safety Sensitive:: NA
FTE: 1.0
Description
The Director of the Center for Archaeological Investigations (CAI) provides overall leadership for one of Southern Illinois University Carbondale's most productive and externally visible research units. The CAI is a cultural resource management-focused research center conducting archaeological work, curation, and compliance reporting across the Midwest and Southeastern United States. The Director serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) on most externally funded CRM and research projects, oversees all fiscal and compliance matters, and provides strategic leadership in developing new contracts, partnerships, and funding streams.
Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, while also considering internal equity.
Examples of Duties
The Director manages all phases of cultural resource management projects, from proposal development through fieldwork, analysis, and reporting. This includes serving as PI on federal, state, and private CRM contracts and ensuring compliance with Section 106, NEPA, NAGPRA, and 36 CFR Part 79. The position develops and maintains relationships with clients such as the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and private industry partners. The Director leads multi-year partnerships that integrate compliance archaeology with academic research and student training and ensures timely preparation of technical reports and deliverables.
The Director oversees an externally funded portfolio that typically exceeds one million dollars annually and serves as fiscal officer for all Center accounts, including state, grant, and foundation funds. The position manages federal cost-share obligations, including use of the Director's salary as the institutional match, and plans for sustainable growth by expanding CAI's client base and external funding opportunities.
The Director supervises six full-time professional staff, two graduate assistants, four temporary employees, undergraduate student workers, and four interns. The position provides leadership and professional development for staff and mentoring for students involved in applied archaeology and compliance projects.
The Director oversees management of CAI's federally compliant curation repository, which houses more than 9,100 boxes of artifacts and 850 linear feet of documentation. The position ensures all curation operations meet 36 CFR Part 79 and NAGPRA requirements, coordinates consultation and repatriation through SIU's NAGPRA Program, and ensures ethical and legal stewardship of human remains and cultural items.
The Director maintains active research and publication in the archaeology of the Midwest and Southeastern United States, particularly Illinois and adjacent regions. The position serves as a regional expert and contact for federal, state, tribal, and local agencies on archaeological and cultural resource issues and represents the University and CAI at professional meetings, conferences, and public events. The Director also supports academic collaboration and outreach programs that provide experiential learning opportunities preparing students for careers in cultural resource management.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications: The Director must hold a Ph.D. in Anthropology with a specialization in Bioarchaeology, Archaeology, or a closely related field and have at least ten years of professional experience in Cultural Resource Management archaeology, including a minimum of five years as a Principal Investigator on federal or state projects. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong record of securing and managing external research funding, eligibility for Principal Investigator status under SIU's OSPA policy, and experience managing archaeological curation repositories in compliance with NAGPRA and 36 CFR Part 79. Familiarity with the archaeology of Illinois, the Midwest, and the Southeastern United States is essential, as is experience supervising teams, mentoring students, and serving on graduate committees.
Required Documents: Please submit a letter of application, CV, transcripts, evidence of professional qualifications and experiences, evidence of success in securing external funding and/or external contracts, and three professional references. Letters of recommendation and additional application materials may be requested at a later stage of the search process.
Contact: Ulrich Reichard,
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is an R1 Opportunity University with a statewide economic impact of $2.7 billion dollars. We offer 200+ undergraduate degrees, minors and specializations, 79 master's degrees, and 40 doctoral degrees. Our main campus is 1,136 acres, with additional acreage in University Farms, Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center, and other facilities. The university is an essential part of the city of Carbondale and an important contributor to the culture of the entire region. While Carbondale includes many of the amenities of urban life, it retains its small-town flavor. Cost of living is considerably lower in the region than similar areas elsewhere, and many employees commute from nearby counties.
The Southern Illinois region is distinct from the rest of the state, boasting considerable natural beauty including the Shawnee National Forest, many state parks, national wildlife areas, and several lakes beloved for recreation. Local foods are readily available in the area, with a variety of eateries and a growing specialized food truck presence. The area is home to the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, an official wine appellation designation. The wineries extend the cultural reach of the community, hosting live music and continual art exhibits. The campus itself is a microcosm of the area, with a lake and forest on campus, as well as traditional collegiate architecture, quad, and residential halls. Students enjoy outdoor study areas as well as specialized computer labs scattered across campus, including in the three million volume Morris Library. To learn about , , and find resources about Carbondale and the Southern Illinois region, visit:
