Director of Historical Interpretation

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

About The Position

The Director of Historical Interpretation leads the Managers of Interpreters who specialize in third-person interpretive techniques, overseeing tours, interactive programs, and presentations across the Historic Area in support of CWF’s educational mission and interpretive plan. They are accountable for ownership of short to mid-term strategies (1-3 years) for interpretive strategy and operational direction of the department. The Director oversees training, performance management, financial management, and program production for the organization’s largest division; managing teams led by Managers and Supervisors. As a member of the Historic Area Leadership Team, the Director collaborates with Program Design, Historical Research, and other departments to produce performances that are central to the Foundation’s mission and vision.

• Must reside in or be ready to relocate to Virginia***
  
  

Main Duties:

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Directs leaders and staff delivering third-person interpretation at exhibition sites andthrough school, youth, family, and adult programs. Leads the largest interpretive unit atColonial Williamsburg, supporting the CWF mission and interpretive plan, and regularlycommunicates with managers, supervisors, and interpreters.
• Recruits, hires, and trains third-person interpretive staff for site-specific and program-specific needs. Cultivates a work culture that emphasizes job mastery, communication,teamwork, and guest focus, ensuring onboarding and training that set all staff up forsuccess.
• Provides coaching and guidance to direct reports, facilitating feedback and counseling asneeded in collaboration with appropriate CWF colleagues. Promotes collaboration andprofessionalism among team members. Supports managers in coaching and developinginterpretive supervisors, establishing clear performance goals for managerial staff.
• Develops program schedules to meet guest demands and align with the FoundationInterpretive Plan, site interpretive plans, and program design briefs. Understands staffingand delivery requirements across up to eleven exhibition sites, activity stations, walkingtours, and hands-on activities. Serves as Daily Program Manager (DPM) when necessary,overseeing and coordinating the work of supervisors and managers.
• Coordinates with managers and supervisors to develop department-specific trainingsequences aligned with site interpretive plans and program design briefs, ensuring all plansare reviewed and approved by the AVP before communication.
• Works with the AVP and HR to develop appropriate career progression paths for interpretiveprograms.
• Collaborates with Program Design and Historical Research teams on ideation, creation, development, production, and assessment of programs. Ensures proper processes and approvals for prop requests, use of Historic Area venues, and maintenance needs.
• Maintains records for all managers, supervisors, and interpreters in the department and develops an appropriate archive retention schedule.
• Provides sound fiscal management, demonstrating awareness of budgetary opportunities and constraints.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
  
  

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience.
• Six or more years of management experience, including leading teams with varied skill levels and expertise within the professional discipline.
• Eight or more years of total experience directly related to the position, such as in historical interpretation or other relevant professional work.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• 10 years of progressive experience supervising interpretive staff and managing historic sites and/or resources.
• Advanced degree in a relevant field.
• Advanced proficiency in online scheduling and ticketing systems, SharePoint, and MS Power Automate.
  
  

Key Skills / Competencies:

• Subject Matter Expert: Extensive knowledge of American colonial history and society, with a focus on 18th-century Virginia and Williamsburg. Able to connect early American history to contemporary society and convey these connections to diverse audiences.
• Leadership: Proven ability to establish and communicate goals that support the organization’s mission, develop strategies to achieve them, and gain the confidence and support of a diverse workforce.
• Team Management: Demonstrated ability to mentor, model, and lead a cohesive, diverse team toward shared goals and mission.
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal, written, and public speaking skills. Communicates confidently, persuasively, and diplomatically, with strong negotiation skills for building consensus.
• Project Management: Mastery of project management skills, including change facilitation, collaboration, strategic and critical thinking, planning, organization, and resource management, with the ability to serve multiple stakeholders.
• Museum Operations: Knowledge of museum operations, including interpretation, program management, and effective resource utilization.
• Organizational and Analytical Skills: Ability to identify problems and solutions; develop,research, plan, organize, implement, and complete projects effectively.
• Collaboration: Skilled at soliciting feedback, facilitating teamwork, practicing open two-waycommunication, and working effectively with staff at all levels across the division andFoundation.
  
  

Bugetary Responsibility: 3.5-4 million

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Direct supervision of 3 Managers of Historic Interpretation (VACANT hiring for actively as ofNovember 2025)
• Supports: 9 supervisors, c. 130 interpreters (including the American Indian Initiative)
  
  

Physical and Environmental Demands:

• Standing and walking frequently (up to 5 hours/shift)
• Frequently reaching with hands/arms (up to 5 hours/shift)
• Sit occasionally (up to 2 hours/shift)
• Talking and hearing constantly (up to 8 hours/shift)
• Holding, grasping, turning, or otherwise working with the hand(s) constantly (up to 8hours/shift)
• Touching, picking, pinching, or otherwise working primarily with fingers constantly (up to 8hours/shift)
• Occasionally lifting up to 25 lbs (up to 2 hours/shift)
• Occasionally work in wet, humid conditions (up to 2 hours/shift)
  
  

Typical Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:30AM – 5PM (standard schedule and onsite other times as needed for business operations)