Staff Archaeologist

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 18^th-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

Plans and oversees fieldwork and historical research and collaborates in post-excavation analysis and report preparation. Presents findings to scholarly, professional, and public audiences. Supervises project archaeologists, field technicians, volunteers, and interpreters at assigned sites. 

Essential Functions:

1. Develops and supervises teams to work on archaeological projects.  Activities include: interviewing candidates for positions, hiring new employees, selecting from employees working on other projects, seeing that new employees receive appropriate training and orientation, briefing employees on techniques to be used at the site, assigning specific responsibilities for the site, observing work and offering feedback, conducting performance appraisals, administering salaries, and when necessary counseling and terminating employees.
2. Conducts archaeological fieldwork within the Historic Area, preparing research and work plans in collaboration with other members of the division. Hires and oversees the work of additional staff employed to complete such fieldwork.
3. Prepares research and work plans for each assigned archaeological site.  Consults with the director in establishing timetables, consults with field technicians and other archaeologists in determining the appropriate procedures and techniques to be used, and prepares preliminary plans.
4. Conducts historical background research associated with their assigned projects.
5. Oversees project budgets and project staff personnel matters. 
6. Ensures project completion within the parameters established by the timetable and the budget.  Advises the director of any potential discrepancies.
7. Coordinates analysis of the site and artifact data for archaeological reports.  Consults with curators, conservators, or with archaeologists from outside the Foundation as needed.
8. Writes, or oversees the writing of archaeological field reports.
9. Teaches the annual Field School in Historical Archaeology through the Anthropology Department at the College of William and Mary.
10. Presents the results of archaeological fieldwork and analysis to the public, Colonial Williamsburg employees, professional associations, and colleagues through articles for professional journals, popular publications, public programs, social media, museum exhibitions, internal communications, and donor events. Provides archaeological training (both site-specific and topical) for Colonial Williamsburg’s employees and volunteers.

Required and Preferred Education and Experience: 

Required: A four-year degree in anthropology or a closely related field plus at least three year’s field work including one year of supervision. Other required experience includes: 

• Extensive familiarity with the most current literature and research techniques in historical archaeology.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to prepare reports that qualify for publication.
• Ability to supervise effectively.
• Ability to organize work in order to meet project deadlines and remain within budget
• Ability to develop productive working relationships with others on the staff.

Preferred: Demonstrated skills in documentary research, experience managing digital data and conducting data analysis; a graduate degree in anthropology or related field; and published reports.