Supervisor, Historical Performing Arts & 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 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

Directly supervises assigned Actor Interpreters. Regularly monitors and evaluates the preparation, rehearsal, and performance of assigned Interpreters and provides constructive feedback and opportunities to continue their interpretive development. Along with other supervisors in the Department of Performing Arts, shares responsibility for the Daily Program Management and effective stage management of all programming and ensures that the daily operations are run efficiently and effectively, meeting the expectations and mission of the Foundation.

Works collaboratively with others throughout the Foundation in planning and implementation of programs, policies, and procedures that provide a seamless guest experience and a healthy and positive work environment for staff. May also work with the Artistic Director in developing, directing, and managing assigned programs. Work schedule requires flexibility, and includes weekends, holidays, and evenings.

Essential Functions:

• Leadership:
  • Provides daily leadership to interpretive staff by communicating information in a clear and timely manner, finding solutions for all staffing and programming challenges, and ensuring effective operations of the department. 2. Models' exceptional interpretation, guest service, collaboration, and interpersonal skills, while consistently adhering to the Foundation’s leadership standards of coaching, development, and performance feedback to empower staff, and embodies the Foundation’s core values of Courage, Inclusion, Relevance, and Craftsmanship.

• Staff Development and Support:
  • Assists staff in creation of interpretations that support departmental and Foundation objectives, as well as provides feedback, coaching, & resources to help staff develop and achieve their work goals. Writes performance reviews for direct reports.

  • Observes job performance, provides constructive feedback to interpreters on a regular basis, and assigns developmental opportunities as needed for improvement and growth.

• Stewardship:
  • Works collaboratively with others throughout the Foundation in planning and implementation of programs, policies, and procedures that provide a seamless guest experience and a healthy and positive work environment. 2. Ensures consistent adherence to Foundation policies and procedures and considers the global implications (both in the Historic Area and/or the Foundation) of decisions.

• Administration:
  • Communicates consistently, positively, and effectively both orally and in writing.

  • Administers some scheduling responsibilities, including daily adjustments to schedule, editing or maintaining established policies, timely approval of timesheets for payroll, and documenting work as needed.

• Training and Interpretation
  • Provides staff training and on-the-job instruction, including hospitality standards and guest service, interpretation skills, historical context, policies and procedures, and other topics/issues.

  • Stays in practice as an interpreter by regularly participating in both scripted performance and improvisational interactions with Interpreters and guests in a variety of formal and informal settings, and maintaining membership in local, state, and/or national interpretive organizations.

• Additional Responsibilities
  • Every director, manager, and supervisor at Colonial Williamsburg, including the holder of this position, shares responsibility for monitoring the 18th-century appearance of the Historic Area and the quality of interpretive programs presented there. Will be ever alert to infractions and discrepancies no matter where they are observed and is expected to call them to the attention of the appropriate management team member.

  • Other Duties as assigned.

Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Required and Preferred Education and Experience:

Required:

• A bachelor’s degree or experience equivalent to a four-year degree and 5 years of professional experience in theatre or museum interpretation.

Preferred:

• Theatrical experience in stage management, directing, and/or production management.
• Significant experience developing and performing interpretations in character.
• Experience training or coaching interpreters.
• Significant leadership experience in museum theatre and/or costumed interpretation.

Qualifications:

• Subject Matter: Significant knowledge of American colonial history and society, with focus on 18th century Virginia and Williamsburg. Awareness of the practices and trends in the public history field and appreciation of contemporary issues and trends in modem American Society.
• Leadership: Proven leadership skills, including the ability to establish and communicate goals which support the mission of the organization, to develop strategies to support the goals, and to gain confidence and support of a diverse workforce to achieve those goals. Demonstrated ability to mentor, model and lead a cohesive team of diverse individuals, focusing on a common goal and mission.
• Communication Skills: Demonstrates excellent verbal, written and public speaking skills. Communicates with confidence and is disciplined, persuasive, diplomatic and principled with negotiating skills when building consensus.
• Project Management: Knowledge of key project management skills, including change facilitation, collaboration, critical and strategic thinking, organization acumen, and planning and resource management, all accomplished with an orientation to serve multiple stakeholders.
• Museum Operations: Knowledge of museum operations, including experience with interpretation, program planning and management, and effective use of resources.
• Organizational and Analytical Skills: Proven ability to identify problems and solutions. Ability to develop, research, plan, organize, implement and complete projects.
• Collaboration: Proven ability to solicit feedback, facilitate teamwork, practice open two-way communication and work effectively as a team member with all staff at different levels of the division and Foundation.