Director, Contracts

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 88 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, 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 5 million people visit Williamsburg and another 20 million engage with us digitally.

About The Position

The Director, Contracts provides leadership and direction and is responsible for the operational, short and long term strategic direction, management and continued process improvement of contract lifecycle management (CLM) for The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, including the Foundation’s wholly owned subsidiary, the Colonial Williamsburg Company. CLM focuses on the management of contracts to maximize business performance and minimize risk throughout the contract lifecycle. As such the Director is responsible for the management of the following aspects of a contract: compliance for funding, drafting, negotiation, approval of final contract, execution, compliance to the contract, amendment (if needed) and finally contract closeout.

Main Duties

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Plans, develops, and implements new functions, policies, and procedures to manage the contract life cycle with focus on continuous process improvements. Responsible for developing strategic plans and implementation for short, mid, and long term.
• Provides contractual leadership, guidance, and resources to Contracts team members as well as members of leadership, including providing best practice advice concerning CLM and interpretation of contract and subcontract language to minimize risk and potential liabilities.
• Develops, implements, and audits enterprise-wide policies and procedures relating to the contracts area, including risk mitigation, compliance, governance, and administration. Collaborates and liaises enterprise wide to close any gaps discovered between written policies/procedures relating to contracts and procurement, and execution.
• Under the direction of the Chief Legal & Administrative Officer, leads contract negotiations for, and the drafting of select contracts. Works closely with the Procurement team to support procurement functions.
• Establishes performance standards for the Contracts team, monitors accomplishments against those standards and prepares performance evaluations in accordance with Foundation policy. Defines training and ensures C&P team members are able and competent to meet job requirements. Makes personnel recommendations including, but not limited to, staff selection, salary levels, job performance awards, and employee terminations in accordance with Foundation policy.
• Leads ad hoc projects on a case-by-case basis, as requested by senior leadership.
  
  

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.

Required Education and Experience:

• Four-year or graduate degree in business administration or closely related field.
• 8 years’ experience in a high-volume environment and with increasing responsibility in contracts or closely related field.
• In-depth knowledge and interpretation of contact language at a level necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of the position.
• In-depth knowledge of the contracting process; thorough working knowledge of generally accepted business techniques and practices; and an understanding of business and contract law and legal terminology all at a level necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of the position.
  
  

Key Skills / Competencies:

• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Very strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple responsibilities and deadlines simultaneously.
• Ability to interact effectively and intelligently with individuals at all levels of Foundation organization.
• Ability to interact effectively and intelligently with individuals at all levels of suppliers' organization.
• Knowledge of Conga or similar Contract Lifecycle Management System.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 and general computer competency.
  
  

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Contracts team members, including Contract Specialist(s) and Contract Manager(s).