Senior Manager, Coach & Livestock

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.

Founded in 1986, CW’s Rare Breeds program helps promote genetic diversity in livestock that research shows thrived in 18th-century colonial British America. Horses, oxen, sheep, and fowl contribute to the living history museum in many of the same ways they would have contributed to the colonial capital: as workhorses and oxen pulling carts, wagons, and carriages; and providing wool, eggs, milk, and manure for trades throughout the city.

About the Position

The Senior Manager will oversee the boarding and daily care of all horses and livestock of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. They will operate at both a tactical and strategic level, managing and continuously developing all operations. The Senior Manager is responsible for the overall guest experience with 18th century equine use for travel, and overseeing the training for all Coach and Livestock staff in the interpretation of 18th-century travel, transportation, and domestic animal breeds and husbandry practices. The person in this role manages the care and health of all CW animals in support of CW’s educational mission.

Essential Functions:

1. Oversee the daily care and health of all horses and livestock, communicating any issues or concerns (new or ongoing) to the Director, Historic Trades and Skills.

2. Create and document feed programs for each horse and adjust individual feed programs as needed.

3. Ensure animal health through a scheduled vaccination and deworming regimen; maintain meticulous animal health records.

4. Monitor supply levels (grain, hay, shavings, medical supplies, horse care supplies) and place orders for them as needed.

5. Oversee, schedule, and supervise visits with the vet, farrier and other professional appointments needed.

6. Communicate to staff equine care needs, and document and ensure correct care is being carried out.

7. Ensure maintenance of the stable area and communicate with the Director, Historic Trades and Skills on non-routine maintenance needs.

8. Manage and assist with daily chores consisting of cleaning barn areas, mucking stalls, providing fresh water, horse care, tack cleaning, feed preparation etc.

9. Oversee Training or assist in training new staff members.

10. Develop and post regular maintenance and inspection schedules for all unit vehicles.

11. Ensure that all inspections and maintenance programs are followed and documented.

12. Ensure daily “huddle meetings” for two-way communication regarding care instructions and updates regarding animal health, operations, maintenance, etc.

13. Assist in the fiscal performance of the operations including planning, budgeting, forecasting, monitoring, and corrective management.

14. Proactively manage and schedule staffing to reflect business demands. Ensure all staff are working effectively and efficiently.

15. Conduct a weekly review of barn, paddock, and stable area conditions and address concerns in a proactive manner.

16. Administer IV and IM injections, and manage controlled medications and supplements as needed.

17. Provide annual recommendations for high-quality preventive maintenance and develop a rolling 5-7 year capital expense forecast.

18. Oversee all operational policies and actively support the safety rules of Colonial Williamsburg stables.

19. Ensure compliance with state and federal regulations affecting the operations.

Required and Preferred Education and Experience: 

Required:

1. Associates (A.A) Equine degree or comparable degree in a related area such as Agricultural Science.

2. Minimum of 7 years of professional equine experience.

3. 4 or more years of management experience.

4. Experience demonstrating excellent customer service and guest relations skills.

Preferred:

1. 5 years of experience professionally leading an Equine Facility.

2. Experience in a living history museum, or in the interpretation of livestock or animals.

3. Bachelor’s or graduate degree in a relevant field.

Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated ability to consistently make sound, ethical decisions in complex situations.

• Subject matter expertise that includes extensive working knowledge of animal husbandry and equine operations.

• Proven leadership skills to establish and communicate goals that support CWF’s mission.

• Ability to mentor and lead a cohesive interpretive team.

• Excellent verbal, written, and public speaking skills including the ability to communicate clearly, maturely, and compassionately. Recognizes and uses appropriate communication channels in the appropriate contexts.

• Demonstrated attention to detail, organization skills, and project management skills.

• The ability to solicit feedback, facilitate teamwork, and participate as a team leader and team member with staff across the division and Foundation.

• Ability to handle multiple tasks efficiently and accurately and work collaboratively with others.

• Ability to administer all types of medications to horses on the property, including but not limited to intravenous (IV) and intramuscular (IM) injections, eye ointments, oral medications, and applying standing wraps.