Director, Historic Trades & Skills

ROSCOW COLE HOUSE
Williamsburg, VA 23185, USA

Who We Are

Founded in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a private, not-for-profit educational, historic, and cultural institution that owns and operates one of the largest and best-known museum complexes in the world. Our mission is “that the future may learn from the past” through preserving and restoring 18th-century Williamsburg, Virginia’s colonial capital. We engage, inform, and inspire people to learn about this historic capital, the events that occurred here, and the diverse people who helped shape a new nation.

Today, Colonial Williamsburg is the largest living history museum in the U.S. The Historic Area is the 301-acre restored colonial capital with 89 original buildings and 525 buildings reconstructed to how they appeared in the 18th century through extensive archaeological, architectural, and documentary research. The Historic Area is staffed by highly trained, historically dressed interpreters and expert tradespeople who bring the 18th century to life.

The Foundation also owns and operates two world-class museums, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, The Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute,and a renowned research library, the John D Rockefeller Jr Library.

Additionally, Colonial Williamsburg is home to five world class accommodations at the Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg Lodge Autograph Collection, the Griffin Hotel, the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotels and Suites and the unique Colonial Houses in the Historical Area. Visitors may also indulge in food and drink at our many on-site restaurants and taverns that blend a historically inspired dining experience with today’s evolved tastes.

Each year over five million people visit Williamsburg and another 20 million engage with us digitally.

About the Position

The Director, Historic Trades serves as the senior leader of the Department of Historic Trades and Skills (HTS), providing strategic direction and oversight for the department’s people, programs, operations, and resources. This position is responsible for advancing excellence in training and professional development, leadership, safety, financial management, historic trade practices, interpretation, and overall guest experience.

The Director leads and supports the department’s managers, who oversee the daily operations of their respective trade shops, skills areas, and sites, while establishing clear priorities, expectations, and standards. The Director works collaboratively across divisions to ensure consistent communication, coordination, and alignment in areas impacted by Historic Trades and Skills.

As a senior representative of HTS, the Director builds strong relationships with external organizations, professional partners, and donors, effectively communicating the significance and impact of the department’s work and cultivating support for its programs and initiatives. The Director also establishes and reinforces high standards for historical accuracy, craftsmanship, interpretation, and guest engagement, ensuring that Historic Trades and Skills continue to deliver meaningful and exceptional experiences for guests.

Main Duties

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Provide strategic direction for the department, establishing a clear vision with long and short-term priorities for personnel, operations, financial management, training and curriculum, and departmental initiatives.
• Direct departmental operations with a focus on effective problem-solving, sound decision-making, and accountability while balancing the needs of staff, guests, and the Foundation.
• Lead and develop the department’s management team through clear expectations, regular…