Director of State Historic Sites

The Director of State Historic Sites, under the supervision of the State Historic Preservation Officer, is responsible for overall administration and operations of the Vermont State Historic Sites. The Historic Sites Program includes 22 historic sites consisting of 74 buildings, 5 gift shops, and 5 monuments on 919 acres with walking trails.

Daily duties involve direction of the historic sites program including facility and museum operations, interpretation and education, event and exhibit planning, business management such as admissions and gift shops, marketing and tourism plans, policy and standards development and implementation, curation and archival practices, compliance with state financial and human resource requirements, stakeholder and partnership relations, disaster response, and leadership of three full-time staff and 60 seasonal temporary staff. This position serves as the State Historian. Will require working some weekends, after-hours responses for emergencies, and travel to historic sites.

The Director:

• Implements and updates approved Historic Sites Rules pertaining to policies, standards, procedures, and long-range planning for facilities operations and visitor services.
• Develops and implements marketing, interpretation, curation, education, events, and exhibits.
• Responsible for contracting related to minor maintenance, daily and seasonal operations, curation and exhibits, and interpretation, in coordination with Regional Sites Administrators and Director of Preservation.
• Oversees residential lease and property use agreements.
• Oversees grant and donation requests, inventory auditing, and self-assessment compliance.
• Oversees Sites Regional Administrators in their day-to-day operations for a visitor experience during the open season and for offseason planning and stabilization.
• Monitors revenues and visitor statistics; assists in the preparation and presentation of reporting to the General Assembly and the Office of the Administration. Provides testimony when required before legislative committees.
• Leads the operations of the nine sites open to the public from May to October and three sites open on a limited basis.
• Acts as the direct site administrator for three of those historic sites open to the public.
• Serves as the primary responder, in collaboration with the Director of Preservation and Sites Regional Administrators, to emergencies.
• Oversees recruiting, training, and performance evaluations for seasonal employees and Regional Sites Administrators.

Qualified candidates will have:

• Strong strategic thinking with ability to develop and implement solutions and ideas.
• Excellent judgement with analytical and decision-making ability for immediate and long-term decisions.
• Strong ability to plan, organize, lead, and guide all aspects of administration.
• Desire to learn and share history to support Vermont's tourism and historic preservation goals.
• Willingness to collaborate and coordinate with staff of the Division for Historic Preservation, historic sites partners, and those interested in learning and sharing Vermont's heritage.

• Willingness to undertake challenges and problem solve in a positive manner.
• Ability to set priorities and develop and measure program outcomes.
• Ability to create and maintain strong working relationships with supervisor, coworkers, and key stakeholder groups, and work collaboratively to resolve problems and satisfy expectations.
• Ability to foresee and identify problems, determine accuracy and relevance of information, and use sound judgment and appropriate context to evaluate alternatives and make/implement decisions in a timely manner.
• Outstanding written and interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships and establish credibility.

This position, Director of State Historic Sites (Job Requisition #50946), is open to all State employees and external applicants.

If you would like more information about this position, please contact Laura.Trieschmann@vermont.gov.

Resumes will not be accepted via e-mail. You must apply online to be considered.

Please note that multiple positions in the same work location may be filled from this job posting.

Duties are performed in both a standard office setting and in the field. Considerable statewide travel is involved for which private means of transportation must be available. Involves lifting and transfer of curation items, displays, supplies, and equipment. Work involves considerable stress stemming from a heavy workload and public coordination, especially during open season. There is considerable contact with the general public. Duties may require work during evenings, weekends, and holidays. Emergency issues sometimes require off-hours coordination.

Master's degree in historic preservation, museum studies, history, public history, American history, architectural history, art history, or a related field AND five (5) or more years in historic site or park management, museum curatorial work, historic research, education, or historic preservation INCLUDING two (2) or more years as a supervisor.

As a State employee you are offered a great career opportunity, but it's more than a paycheck. The State's total compensation package features an outstanding set of employee benefits that are worth about 30% of your total compensation, including:

• 80% State paid medical premium and a dental plan at no cost for employees and their families
• Work/Life balance: 11 paid holidays each year and a generous leave plan
• State Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FMLI)
• Two ways to save for your retirement: A State defined benefit pension plan and a deferred compensation 457(b) plan
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Flexible spending healthcare and childcare reimbursement accounts
• Low cost group life insurance
• Incentive-based Wellness Program
• Qualified Employer for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program

Want the specifics? Explore the Benefits of State Employment on our website.