Performing Arts Production Manager

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 Performing Arts Production Manager plays a key role in daily programming, ensuring high-quality interpretive performances and managing rehearsal and performance schedules. This position fosters a safe, positive work environment and creates clear, equitable daily reports. The role blends technical skill, creativity, and leadership to support performances across indoor and outdoor venues. When not managing daily programs, supervises sound staff and supports seasonal planning, EMS entries, and other tasks from the Senior Manager. Coordinates with internal partners on resource needs and supports special events as needed. Requires flexible schedule, including weekends, holidays, and evenings.

Main Duties:

•While serving as the Daily Program Manager, support performing arts staff by communicating information both orally and in written form in a clear and timely manner, finding solutions for all staffing, scheduling, and advertised programming challenges, ensuring effective operations of the department. Model exceptional guest service, collaboration, and interpersonal skills, while consistently adhering to the Foundation’s core values of Courage, Inclusion, Relevance, and Craftsmanship.
•Work collaboratively with others throughout the Foundation in the planning and implementation of programs, providing seamless guest experiences and a safe and positive work environment for staff and guests.
•Ensure consistent adherence to all Foundation policies and procedures. Prepare rehearsal schedules, based on the casting and performance needs of Performing Arts works, both new and remounted.
•Determine photography needs and set up photo shoots for new productions, ensuring that the EMS entries reflect the work currently being performed.
•Work with the leadership team, Senior Manager, and scheduler to manage the day-to-day roll call for the department, ensuring program coverage, communicating changes, and balancing out the best casting options for guests, while rotating performers through their roles.
•Support the Senior Manager in setting expectations and examples for all staff as a steward for the Foundation, appropriately managing historic property, including buildings, reproduction props, costuming and collections.
•Support the operations of special and signature events in pre-planning elements, as well as on the ground support.
•Sets goals and objectives for team members to achieve unit-focused results.

Required Education And Experience:

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

Preferred Qualifications:

• •Theatrical experience in stage management and/or production management
• •Administrative & Project Management experience

Key Skills / Competencies:

•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.

Physical And Environmental Demands:

• •Must be able to work in both hot and cold weather climates
• •Carry up to 25 pounds occasionally
• •Stand for 2 -5 hours frequently
• •Walk 2-4 hours a day often.

Typical Work Schedule:

•Requires flexible schedule, including weekends, holidays, and evenings.