Director of Conservation

Who We Are

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, founded in 1926, 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 diverse peoples who helped shape a new nation, and the events that occurred here.

Today, Colonial Williamsburg is the largest living history museum in the U.S., featuring a 301-acre restored colonial capital with 89 original buildings and 525 reconstructions based on extensive archaeological, architectural, and documentary research. The Historic Area is staffed by highly trained, historically dressed interpreters and expert tradespeople. The Foundation also operates two world-class museums—the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum—as well as the Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute, the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, five world-class accommodations, and multiple dining venues.

Each year, over 5 million people visit Williamsburg, and another 20 million engage with us digitally.

About The Position

The Director of Conservation is responsible for enhancing the protection and preservation of Colonial Williamsburg’s cultural and historic assets by providing leadership and oversight of the Foundation’s conservation department. This role involves managing departmental priorities, operating budgets, and ensuring high-quality analysis, care, surveys, treatment, and documentation. The Director represents the department institution-wide, supports educational and interpretive efforts, participates in donor development and grant writing, and serves as a liaison on conservation matters.

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and oversight for the conservation department, including preventive conservation, hiring, training, and performance management.
• Collaborates with Foundation departments on mission-driven activities and projects that enhance the guest experience.
• Maintains industry status as a leading institution for education, research, and conservation care.
• Establishes departmental procedures and goals aligned with Foundation policies and mission; develops and refines long-range plans.
• Collaborates with curators and registrars on collections management, including exhibitions, storage, preventive conservation, condition assessments, and loans.
• Ensures professional standards for treatment documentation, both written/digital and photographic.
• Oversees the department’s research and analytical capabilities, including conservation equipment and facilities.
• Prepares and manages the department’s operating budget (~$2.8M), approves expenditures, and assists with budget quotes for materials and exhibitions.
• Collaborates on fundraising, grant applications, stewardship reporting, and donor development.
• Partners with Public Safety and stakeholders to ensure emergency preparedness and response procedures.
• Supports professional development for conservation staff and reviews manuscripts for publication.
• Promotes research related to the conservation needs of Foundation collections.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (B.A./B.S.) in conservation, history, art history, American studies, or a related field.
• Graduate-level conservation studies or equivalent technical education/professional experience.
• Ten or more years of professional conservation experience, including knowledge of safety procedures and hazardous materials handling.
• Six or more years of management experience, including leading teams with varied skill sets in a museum or related institution.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional conservation experience with 16th- to 20th-century British, European, and/or American objects.
• Evidence of scholarly or professional contributions, such as published articles on conservation practice or research.
• Demonstrated experience in bench work and object treatment.
• Membership in a professional conservation organization.
• Teaching, training, or instructional experience.
• Experience working in a multi-disciplinary conservation facility.

Skills

• Knowledge of conservation science, professional principles, and museum ethics/standards.
• Understanding of historic art and material culture technologies, techniques, and materials.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including presenting technical information to diverse audiences.
• Familiarity with museum exhibition and object storage practices, including environmental considerations and preventive conservation.
• Ability to lead and execute complex, multi-stakeholder projects requiring professional judgment.

Physical and Environmental Demands

Work is performed in office, museum, storage, exhibition, and conservation laboratory environments, including historic structures. The role may require walking, standing, climbing stairs, and occasional bending or light lifting. Exposure to materials, tools, and conditions typical of conservation labs and collection spaces may occur.

Pay

Compensation range: $110,000 to $150,000. Actual pay will be determined based on skills, qualifications, experience, education, certifications, internal equity, and role requirements.

Schedule

This is a full-time position with a regular schedule, including additional hours as needed to meet departmental, institutional, and project demands.