• Job Description

  Req#: MANAG003286

  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

  Responsible for the realization of Colonial Williamsburg’s visual interpretation goals through the use of reproduced historical dress. Manages the daily operation of the Department of Historical Clothing & Dress, including production, accessories, issuance, inventory, and costume maintenance. Oversees management of costume inventory and maintenance of inventory systems. Ensures the accuracy of all costume product and oversees development of costume standards. Prepares and manages the annual operating budget for the Department of Historical Clothing & Dress. Provides leadership and support to the HC&D staff, ensuring a supportive environment for a diverse and inclusive workforce. Management emphasis should be on smooth, efficient operations (both financially and functionally), as well as maximizing positive work and communication practices.

  Essential Functions:

  1. Manages the daily operation of the HC&D including production, accessories, issuance, inventory, and clothing maintenance. Determines the needs for costume production for interpretive programs across the Foundation and establishes production schedules accordingly. Ensures that staff assignments are made according to established priorities and that schedules are maintained. Oversees and modifies production systems to ensure the most efficient use of materials and time.

  2. Oversees the management of stock levels of raw materials in the warehouse, dispensing of raw materials for garment production, inventory and storage of finished goods, issuance and accounting of clothing assigned to employees, and management of costume return. Responsible for maintenance of computerized inventory system and for conducting periodic physical inventory. Responsible for an inventory exceeding 60,000 costume items, valued at more than $5.5 million.

  3. Studies the production of garments from the standpoint of quality, accuracy, and improved output. Maintains liaisons with others in the fashion trades in the Historic Area to maintain awareness of the state of the art of historical clothing production. Makes recommendations to HC&D senior staff for improved quality and efficiency.

  4. Provides leadership and support to the employees who work at the Department of Historical Clothing & Dress. Responsibilities include interviewing candidates for positions, examining the candidates’ skill levels, hiring the right candidates for new positions, ensuring new employees receive appropriate training, ensuring that appropriate work schedules are developed, observing the performance levels of the employees, providing constructive feedback, conducting performance appraisals and reviewing performance appraisals done by supervisors, counseling employees for improved performance and, when necessary, disciplining and terminating employees. Advises VP of HA operations of personnel problems and important issues affecting the employees or HC&D business. Makes recommendation for improvement.

  5. In conjunction with the Historical Clothing & Dress Committee, manages and participates in historical clothing research conducted by staff. Responsibilities include determining the research needs, assigning research projects, and reviewing research results. Based on research results and Foundation needs, decides when new clothing items should be introduced and when existing clothing items should be retired.

  6. Oversees the research and development of new sources of manufactured items, materials, and supplies, ensuring that all purchased items meet the Foundation’s standards.

  7. Serves on the Foundations Historical Clothing & Dress Committee and working with Historic Area management, oversees development of the Foundation’s standards of appearance and makes recommendations on things such as clothing review and approval, appropriateness of attire, standards of appearance, cost implications, etc. In cooperation with the Committee, establishes standards for garments produced by the Department of Historical Clothing & Dress.

  8. Prepares and manages the annual operating budget for the Department of Historical Clothing & Dress. Controls and analyzes expenditure of funds. Provides reports for the director when required.

  9. Develops programs for guests describing the function of the Department of Historical Clothing & Dress including tours of the center, lectures on the application of historical dress to the interpretive staff, and presentations at donor events.

  10. Establishes and maintains working relationships with division’s coaches, supervisors, managers, and directors to facilitate effective coordination of activities and communications.

  11. Serves as liaison between the Department of Historical Clothing & Dress and other departments and divisions to facilitate development of clothing allotments and guidelines for garment acquisition and care, acquisition of materials and supplies, prompt payment and accurate recording of accounts, monitoring of physical plant, and employee safety.

  
  Supervision to be Exercised:

  Direct: Direct supervision of Operations Team Supervisor- HC&D Support, Accessories unit, and Administrative Specialist.

  Indirect: All HC&D staff and costumed interpreters.

  
  Required and Preferred Education and Experience:

  Required:

  • • Degree in theatrical costume, historical dress, material culture, or equivalent professional experience. The right candidate will have five to 10 years of progressive experience in costume/clothing production, including three to five years costume/clothing production management experience.
    • The candidate must have experience in mentoring/teaching role
    • The candidate must have excellent computer skills including normal office software, digital pattern making and database applications.

  Preferred:

  • • Graduate level study of costume or fashion technology with an emphasis on historical/non-conventional dress. Experience with Garment management database Systems and CAD/Adobe Illustrator pattern drafting. Clothing Factory experience will be invaluable for this position.

  
  Qualifications:

  1. Advanced knowledge of the methodologies of historical and modern clothing production including excellent sewing skills, costume and apparel design and pattern making.
  
  2. Ability to develop short and long-range work plans, work procedures and standards.
  
  3. Excellent financial skills, including budget and resource/inventory management.
  
  4. Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
  
  5. Ability to effectively lead work teams and to train, develop and manage employees so that they meet the division’s expectations of the Department of Historical Clothing & Dress and provide exceptional customer service to the historically dressed employees of the foundation.
  
  6. Ability to manage multiple tasks and to respond to urgent needs effectively and efficiently.
  
  7. Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, including the ability to produce reports, guide tours and present workshops and lectures.
  
  8. Strong interpersonal skills are needed for this job. The right candidate will have the ability to work effectively in tense situations/communications and to make difficult and/or controversial decisions with an eye toward the current and future success of the department.
  
  9. Ability to build constructive relationships and work well with employees in all levels in the Foundation.
  
  10. Knowledge and experience with Office 365 applications including Word, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint, and OneDrive.
  
  11. Strong knowledge of 18th century clothing and a sense of color and design.
  
  12. A strong grounding in a variety of hand crafts in a professional/production capacity will be required as mentorship of staff involved with knitting, millinery, weaving, sewing, pattern cutting, embroidery, as well as related crafts and technology will be needed.

  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.

  Equal Opportunity Employer
  This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

• About the company

  Experience the largest outdoor educational living museum in the country, through immersive and authentic 18th-century programming for our guests.

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