Job Description

Job Description

Job Description

JOB DESCRIPTION

POSITION TITLE:

Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO)

FLSA STATUS:

Full-time/Exempt

DEPARTMENT:

Grant Operations

SALARY:

Negotiable

LOCATION:

King William, VA

EDUCATION:

Bachelor’s Degree

SUPERVISOR:

Senior Director of Grant

Operations

WORK EXPERIENCE:

3 Years’ Experience

JOB SUMMARY:

The Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO) serves as the Upper Mattaponi Tribe’s primary steward of cultural, historic, and ancestral resources, exercising sovereign authority recognized under the National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. § 302701 et seq.), the 1677 Treaty of Middle Plantation, and Tribal law.

The THPO carries responsibilities for undertakings affecting Tribal trust land and Tribal cultural resources across the Tribe’s ancestral and historic territories, including providing compliance oversight, leading consultation, supporting preservation planning, and coordinating with government and community partners. This role requires professional expertise grounded in cultural humility, sound judgment, and relational diplomacy.

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Development & Administration

• Lead creation and implementation of the Tribe’s Comprehensive Tribal Historic Preservation Plan.
• Develop and maintain archives, inventories, GIS databases, and cultural atlases for archaeological sites, cemeteries, sacred places, historic structures, cultural landscapes, and oral histories.
• Establish Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for NHPA Section 106 Review and Section 110, NAGPRA, ARPA, inadvertent discoveries, and cultural monitoring on and off Tribal trust lands.
• Manage Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) grants and other cultural resource funding streams.
• Coordinate THPO Advisory Review Board meetings and actions.
• Ensure confidentiality and secure handling of cultural resource data, sensitive locations, and restricted records.

Compliance, Protection, & Regulatory Review

• Conduct and oversee surveys, assessments, and evaluations of cultural and historic properties.
• Lead the Tribe’s responses to Section 106 and Section 110 consultations.
• Review and respond to federal and state environmental and cultural resource processes including NHPA, NAGPRA, NEPA, Clean Water Act permitting, coastal and subaqueous lands regulation, and applicable Virginia statutes.
• Draft Determinations of Effect, treatment plans, monitoring protocols, and technical comments.
• Ensure compliance with Tribal policies regarding burial protection, cemetery preservation, and inadvertent discoveries.
• Oversee cultural monitors, treatment crews, and on-site field investigations.

Consultation, Government Relations & Interagency Partnerships

Serve as the Tribe’s primary representative in all undertakings affecting cultural resources by:

• Leading consultation with federal agencies (ACOE, BIA, EPA, FHWA, FEMA, NPS, USFWS, etc.).
• Coordinating consultation and project review with state agencies, local governments, and regulatory authorities.
• Leading early coordination, pre-consultation meetings, and field visits to avoid or minimize adverse effects.
• Negotiating MOUs, MOAs, PAs, data sharing agreements, co-stewardship agreements, and access protocols.
• Serving as liaison to regional tribes and coalitions for shared preservation concerns and treaty-protected rights.
• Providing culturally grounded technical assistance to universities, museums, and research institutions.
• Ensuring agency partners understand Tribal sovereignty, cultural priorities, consultation expectations, and the Tribe’s role in decision-making.

Tribal Government Integration

• Advise Tribal Council, Chief, Natural Resources, Environmental Protection, Planning, Public Works, Emergency Management, and Legal Counsel on cultural resource implications.
• Support internal permitting and land-use review for Tribal construction and infrastructure projects.
• Coordinate with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (NREP) on ecological impacts, wetland protection, shoreline erosion, and species of cultural significance.
• Support THPO-related policy drafting, including cemetery ordinances, preservation codes, NAGPRA policy updates, repatriation procedures, and data confidentiality protocols.

Community Engagement, Education & Cultural Revitalization

• Engage Elders, knowledge keepers, and cultural leaders in preservation planning and decision making.
• Develop and deliver training, workshops, and outreach for Tribal citizens, youth programs, and community events.
• Develop cultural monitoring training programs and volunteer stewardship programs.
• Lead or support oral history documentation, archival digitization, and cultural landscape mapping.
• Performs all other related duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIREMENTS:

• Strong working knowledge of NHPA, NAGPRA, ARPA, NEPA, and related federal and state cultural resource laws.
• Demonstrated ability to review undertakings under Section 106 and prepare clear, technically sound written comments.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with federal, state, local, and Tribal partners on compliance and project review.
• Strong leadership, organizational, writing, and communication skills, including diplomatic government-to-government engagement.
• Ability to engage respectfully with Tribal citizens, Elders, and knowledge keepers.
• Ability to conduct or oversee cultural resource surveys and supervise cultural monitors.
• Familiarity with Tribal governance or ability to learn Tribal governmental structures quickly.
• Understanding of museum practices, curation standards, and NAGPRA fundamentals.
• Demonstrated commitment to Tribal sovereignty, cultural preservation, and long-term stewardship.
• Strategic thinker able to balance regulatory compliance, cultural responsibilities, and community priorities.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development in historic preservation and related fields.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, Archaeology, History, Historic Preservation, Museum Studies, Cultural Resources Management, or a related field.

• Experience in cultural resource management, archaeology, history, historic preservation, or a closely related field.
• Experience participating in Tribal, federal, state, or local consultation processes.
• Experience in grant administration, program development, and/or budget management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree in a related field.
• Experience working with or for Native Nations on cultural heritage or preservation.
• Familiarity with Eastern Woodland traditions, regional archaeology, or Chesapeake watershed history.
• Ability to meet, or access professionals meeting, SOI Professional Qualification Standards.
• Experience drafting MOUs, MOAs, or Programmatic Agreements.
• Experience with GIS, databases, digital archives, or collections management.
• Demonstrated success in intergovernmental negotiation or complex project coordination.
• Experience supervising staff, contractors, or cultural monitors.
• Experience with environmental permitting or landscape conservation.
• Training or experience in facilitation, conflict resolution, or diplomatic engagement.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Must possess a valid state driver’s license or be able to obtain one and be insurable to drive Tribal vehicles.

• Applicants will be required to authorize a background check and submit to drug testing. Failure to do so will disqualify applicants from consideration for the position.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the primary functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

General office work is required. May be required to travel occasionally to attend meetings and conferences.

Physical duties include the ability to lift up to fifty (50) pounds and the ability to work outdoors in all kinds of weather conditions.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, and sit for long periods of time.

BENEFITS:

• Health, dental, and vision
• Paid time off
• Holiday pay
• Life insurance
• Short-term and Long-term disability insurance
• 401k

HOW TO APPLY:

Candidates desiring to apply for this position must submit the following to receive consideration:

• Cover letter explaining your qualifications and experience relevant to the functions of this position.

AND

• Personal resume identifying your qualifications and experience relevant to the functions of this position.

NOTICE: Qualified Native Americans will be given preference in employment as required by the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S. 450, ET. Seq) including other relevant laws. In accordance with Title VII of the 1984 Civil Rights Act, Sections 701(b) and 703(1), preference in filling all vacancies may be given to qualified American Indian candidates. In other than the proceeding situations, the Tribe is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).

Job Tags

Full time, Temporary work, For contractors, Work experience placement, Work at office, Local area,

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