Director, Historic Trades & Skills

United States·Williamsburgexecutive

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Quick Summary

Key Responsibilities

Provide strategic direction for the department, establishing a clear vision with long and short-term priorities for personnel, operations, financial management, training and curriculum,

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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 Role

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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.

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 communication, and consistent support. Oversee hiring, training, retention, performance management, and succession planning in partnership with managers and Human Resources.
Ensure safe, effective, and consistent departmental operations, including shop and workplace safety, staffing, policies and procedures, historic trade practices, and short and long-term operational planning.
Provide sound fiscal management and stewardship of departmental resources, working with the Associate Vice President of Historic Area Interpretation & Operations to develop and administer the annual budget, establish priorities, and identify opportunities for investment and development.
Maintain high standards for interpretation and guest experience, regularly evaluating educational quality, historical accuracy, presentation, accessibility, safety, engagement, and guest enjoyment.
Guide training and curriculum development, ensuring educational content and interpretive practices reflect current scholarship, effective teaching methodologies, institutional standards, and ongoing evaluation and feedback.
Set clear expectations for the Historic Trades & Skills team as stewards of the Foundation’s resources, ensuring the responsible care and use of historic properties, buildings, collections, tools, equipment, and reproduction materials in collaboration with Preservation Architecture, Curatorial & Collections, and other appropriate partners.
Serve as a collaborative advocate and steward of Historic Trades & Skills across the Foundation, building strong partnerships and ensuring HTS expertise, priorities, and resources are integrated into broader institutional initiatives. Collaborates with departments including, but not limited to, Historic Interpretation, Preservation, Curatorial & Collections, Historical Research, School and Group Programs, Development, and other partners to advance shared goals, strengthen interpretation and guest experience, and support the Foundation’s mission.
Model integrity, collaboration, effective communication, exceptional guest service, and accountability while fostering a departmental culture of professionalism, teamwork, continuous learning, and service to others.

This job description reflects the general responsibilities of the position and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Duties and responsibilities may evolve over time based on operational needs.

Knowledge generally gained through a four-year degree in American history or a subject matter relating to a specific discipline, and 10 years of previous living history museum experience as an interpreter, teacher, or in a related historical presentation role.
5-7 years of prior leadership or supervisory responsibilities.

Requirements

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A Master’s degree in public history, museum studies, or nonprofit studies is preferred.
Strong understanding of historic trade practices, traditional craft processes, and the role of skilled trades within a living history or museum environment, with an appreciation for maintaining historical accuracy, craftsmanship, and interpretive excellence.

Must possess a valid Commonwealth of Virginia driver’s license and have an acceptable driving record based on The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s criteria.

Must be able to provide a 5-year Motor Vehicle Record prior to employment
Must be at least 21 years of age
May not have more than 1 moving violation or at fault accident within 12 months
May not have more than 2 moving violations or at fault accidents within 36 months

May not have any serious motor vehicle violations including but not limited to excessive speeding, reckless driving, DUI/DWI, suspended or revoked license, etc.

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