Entry Level Historical Research Jobs in Virginia

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

Performs landscape tasks at entry level while receiving training in garden maintenance, equipment, and conventional hand tools. Provides basic skills and knowledge to restore, maintain, and create the gardens in the Historic.  Receives training in the art of fine gardening; plant identification; landscape construction; small equipment operation and service; and heirloom plant varieties.  Assists and learns from senior horticulturists. 

 Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Prepares, plants and maintains seasonal beds of flowers, vegetables, and  herbs; cultivates soil, weeds, and edges beds; prunes/harvests as necessary.
• Prunes trees, shrubs, hedges and espaliered fruit trees; shears topiary. 
• Performs nursery/greenhouse activities (e.g., planting, transplanting, propagation, watering, fertilizing, area clean-up and organizing, etc.) 
• Does garden detail work such as edging, weeding, dead-heading, and raking. 
• Operates and performs basic service on power and hand-held landscape and gardening equipment (e.g., string trimmers, edgers, leaf blowers, similar landscape maintenance equipment and conventional hand tools.) 
• Will have the opportunity to: 
  Work with the IPM Technician to monitor insect and disease problems 
  Work with the Irrigation Technician in on automatic irrigation systems 
  Work with the Arborists to learn arboricultural practices.
• Performs emergency landscaping work due to bad weather (storms, etc.
• Performs other related duties as required  

This job description reflects the general responsibilities of the position and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Duties and responsibilities may evolve over time based on operational needs. 

 This is a non-exempt position, eligible to receive overtime in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This position may be subject to overtime during high peak times, etc. as directed and approved by the supervisor. 

Required Education and Experience: 

• Completed a minimum of one year of college in a major related to horticulture, floriculture, landscaping, arboriculture or similar field of study. 
• Knowledge of landscape gardening and maintenance, ability to learn topiary and espalier pruning techniques.   

Must possess a valid Commonwealth of Virginia driver’s license and have an acceptable driving record based on The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s criteria.  

• Must be able to provide a 5-year Motor Vehicle Record prior to employment 

• Must be at least 21 years of age 

• May not have more than 1 moving violation or at fault accident within 12 months 

• May not have more than 2 moving violations or at fault accidents within 36 months 

• May not have any serious motor vehicle violations including but not limited to excessive speeding, reckless driving, DUI/DWI, suspended or revoked license, etc. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

Experience as a gardener’s helper or groundskeeper; desire for professional career in the horticulture field.    

Key Skills / Competencies:

Ability to read instructions and fill out reports, to operate in a professional and safe manner, and experience with push mowers, and power hedge shears.    

Physical and Environmental Demands:

Stand: frequently
Walk: frequently
Sit: occasionally
Use hands/fingers: frequently
Climb or balance: occasionally
Stoop/kneel/crouch/crawl: frequently
Reach with hands/arms: frequently
Talk or hear: frequently
Lifting up to 10 lbs: occasionally
Lifting up to 25 lbs: occasionally
Lifting up to 50 lbs (with assistance): rarely
Lifting up to 100 lbs (with assistance): rarely
More than 100 lbs (with assistance): rarely
Wet/humid conditions: frequently
Work near moving mechanical parts: frequently
Fumes/airborne particles: rarely
Extreme cold: rarely
Extreme heat: frequently

Typical Work Schedule:

Monday - Friday 6:00 AM - 2:30 PM