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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 Arborist Trainee assist in the daily maintenance of Colonial Williamsburg trees and performs landscape tasks in accordance with department standards.  This position is deemed as essential personnel and is required to report whether the Foundation is closed or not, regardless of the emergency weather related, or otherwise.

Essential Functions:

• Works in a safe manner at all times to protect self, coworkers, the public, guests and property. Stays current on all safety regulations and procedures and preforms work tasks in compliance with regulations and procedures.  Enforces safety policies, regulations and procedures.  Uses appropriate personal protective equipment and clothing for each job.
• Performs all arboricultural practices and clean-up work in a safe and professional manner, including rigging, pruning, take down, cabling, bracing, lightening protection, stump removal, aeration, fertilization, injection and other related duties.
• Operates and maintains all hand and powered equipment normally used in the tree care and landscape industry, such as, but not limited to saws, chippers, drills, blowers, etc.
• Ability to operate and maintain large equipment such as dump trucks, front end loaders, forklifts, bucket trucks, tractors, snow plows, and similar machinery.
• Demonstrates a general knowledge of tree identification and cultural requirements, and ability to recognize common disease symptoms and structural defects.
• Participates in seminars or other Colonial Williamsburg sponsored educational programs related to tree care.
• Assists in support operations for landscape and other departments.
• Performs other landscape maintenance duties as required.
• Ability to interact positively with the public; to answer questions and represent the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Required and Preferred Education and Experience: 

• Knowledge and basic skills of arboriculture practices
• 1-3 years’ experience in the tree care industry.
• Valid drivers license

• Ability to climb using SRT or DRT arboriculture methods.

Qualifications: 

• Able to take direction.
• Ability to read instructions and write reports.
• Able to work a flexible schedule, to include being on standby at the manager’s request on evenings, weekends and holidays.
• The driver’s license must be maintained current and valid.
• Ability to climb using SRT or DRT arboriculture methods.
• Capable of operating large equipment, ie. skid steer and loader

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.

Compensation Disclaimer: The compensation listed below for this position represents the anticipated hiring range and is provided in accordance with Virginia pay transparency requirements. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors such as the selected candidate’s skills, qualifications, experience, education, certifications, internal equity, and the specific requirements of the role. 

Range: $16.78 to $25.14