Archaeologist jobs in Canada

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The Opportunity

Your Impact Starts Here – This is an exciting opportunity to join our Heritage team in British Columbia as a Principal Archaeologist, where you’ll guide and manage heritage projects and business opportunities across the province. You’ll collaborate closely with our province‑wide Heritage team to deliver meaningful work that protects cultural heritage while supporting impactful development. The successful candidate will ideally be based in one of our offices within the Lower Mainland of BC.

• Lead archaeological field programs while ensuring full compliance with Heritage Conservation Act permits.
• Secure heritage inspection, investigation, and alteration permits and support proposal development.
• Design, lead, and oversee archaeological field investigations, analysis programs, and high‑quality technical reporting.
• Manage project scope, schedule, budget, and invoicing to achieve successful delivery.
• Collaborate with Indigenous Nations, clients, and regulators to support respectful, technically sound project outcomes.
• Build and maintain meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities and support inclusive project delivery approaches.
• Participate in business development, including supporting proposals and meeting with existing and prospective clients.
• Supervise and mentor junior and intermediate staff and Indigenous workers.
• Demonstrate a strong “Safety First” commitment by actively contributing to WSP’s Health & Safety program.

• A graduate degree in Archaeology or Anthropology, or an undergraduate degree with 10+ years of relevant consulting archaeology experience.
• Registered Professional Consulting Archaeologist (RPCA) in good standing, with Field Director and Permit Holder status in at least one BC Culture Area (Northwest Coast Culture Area considered an asset).
• Demonstrated experience identifying, recording, and evaluating a wide range of archaeological site types in British Columbia, in terrestrial and/or coastal settings.
• Strong history of collaborative work with Indigenous communities, ideally with demonstrated ongoing relationships.
• Proficiency with GPS data collection tools, handheld tablets, and MS Office for analysis and reporting.
• Proven ability to prepare and/or peer‑review complex archaeological reports and technical documents.
• Leadership aptitude with experience supervising field crews and mentoring developing professionals and Indigenous workers.
• A valid Class 5 driver’s license; ATV/UTV and First Aid training considered assets.

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• AB, BC, NT, NU, SK & YT: $132,700 - $175,800
• MB & ON: $121,100 - $166,700
• NB, NL, NS, PEI & QC: $119,900 - $159,200

The final salary awarded for this role may vary from the above range based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs. The wage range provided in this job posting may be subject to change for business purposes.

If you’re driven by purpose and impact and want to help protect BC’s cultural heritage while supporting meaningful development, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now and take the next step in your archaeology career with a team that values curiosity, collaboration, and community.

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We have over 65,000 team members across the globe. In Canada, our 12,000+ people are involved in everything from environmental remediation to urban planning, from engineering iconic buildings to designing sustainable transportation networks, from finding new ways to extract essential resources to developing renewable power sources for the future.

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Please Note:

Health and Safety is a core paramount value of WSP. Given the importance of keeping one another safe it is expected that you comply with our Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) policy at all times as well as client HSE policies when working at client locations.

Offers of employment for safety-sensitive positions involving fieldwork are contingent upon candidates being able to perform key physical tasks as described in the job posting and interview. This may include the ability to work in a variety of environmental conditions, such as remote or isolated areas, working alone, and in inclement weather (within safe and reasonable limits).

WSP welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

WSP is committed to the principles of employment equity. Only the candidates selected will be contacted.

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