Historical Preservation Specialist & Coordinator
Benefits:
401(k)
401(k) matching
Competitive salary
Dental insurance
Health insurance
Vision insurance
Position Title: Historical Preservation Specialist & Coordinator
Location: Los Angeles Unified School District
Due Date: 8/7/24
Job Description:
Manage the District’s compliance on issues related to historical resources, especially as it relates to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Coordinate with the District’s CEQA compliance group to ensure that CEQA’s provisions for historical resources are followed, through the identification, documentation, and management of LAUSD’s historic assets and through the preparation and review of environmental compliance documentation. The Historic Preservation Specialist and Coordinator will review LAUSD projects and activities involving campuses with historical resources to plan for the avoidance, mitigation, or to minimize potential impacts to the historic integrity of the campuses.
Minimum Requirements:
Ensure the District’s compliance with established design guidelines (including but not limited
to the District’s Historic Context Statement, Design Guidelines and Treatment Approaches for
Historic Schools, School Design Guide, and Program Environmental Impact Report for the
School Upgrade Program), and provide or update comprehensive performance guidelines
and criteria as necessary
Prepare historic assessments for the District’s campuses including but not limited to: Historic Resource Evaluations, Character Defining Features Memoranda (CDFM) and Secretary of the Interior (SOI) conformance reviews
Provide project level historic review and input during the schematic, 50%, and final planning phases for efforts at the District’s historic campuses
Complete peer reviews, historic document reviews, and historic consultant management reviews
Complete the District’s historic resource inventory that was initially undertaken by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following the 1994 earthquake, continued in 2002 by a $50,000 Getty grant and advanced further in a 2014 multi-site survey
Prepare and process the appropriate historic review documents necessary to provide information to the public, Board members, District staff, public agencies, and other representatives involved in the District’s school upgrade, maintenance, building, acquisition, or related programs
Interact and coordinate with historic resource agencies, outside consultants and advocacy groups, school stakeholders, Board Members, and staff from the various District branches, as necessary
Participate in and present related historic material at public meetings hosted by the District or outside agencies, as required
Assist the District’s curriculum staff in developing a model program involving District students in understanding local history by learning about the history of their own school.
Performs other duties as assigned
Required Experience
Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in historical preservation and environmental compliance, preferably in a school setting
Demonstrated knowledge of the provisions of CEQA and NEPA Section 106 for
historical resources
Extensive experience interpreting and applying local, state, and federal criteria of significance to a range of property types, particularly school campuses
Preferred Experience
Conducting historical resource evaluations of LAUSD campuses and applying the criteria of the LAUSD Historic Context Statement
Experience applying the LAUSD design guidelines at the project level
Experience in Secretary of the Interior’s Standards compliance review, including a minimum of 5 years of experience reading and interpreting architectural drawings and plans
Required Education
Graduation from a recognized college or university with a Master’s Degree in Historic Preservation, Architecture, or Architectural History
Knowledge/Skills
Secretary of the Interiors (SOI) Standards and Historic American Building Survey
(HABS) demonstrated comprehension and experience applying these standards
Relevant historic preservation documentation and processes such as the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) forms, nomination reports, record searches, Phase I-III Site Investigations, Survey/Plan, and Data Recovery/Mitigation Program
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106), AB 52, and key resource policies and agencies including but not limited to the Office of Historic Preservation
Historical research, techniques, archiving, analytical, and technical writing skills and tasks associated with historic preservation
Ability to
Apply local, state, and federal criteria in evaluations of individual properties and historic districts
Provide historic preservation input in master planning process
Prepare written documentation in support of the historic preservation process including DPRs, SOI conformance reviews, CDFM, nomination reports, etc.
Prepare and peer-review environmental compliance studies for CEQA and NEPA Section 106, among others
Conduct historical research including but not limited to: records’ search, historic resources surveys and assessments, site inspections, photographs, and evaluations
Read and interpret architectural drawings, including elevations, schematic designs, and construction documents