Manager, Talent Acquisition

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

The Talent Acquisition Manager leads the organization’s talent acquisition function, providing strategic direction and operational oversight for a team responsible for full-cycle recruiting across multiple disciplines including hospitality, historic interpretation, performing arts, museums, education and corporate functions. This role reports to the Associate Vice President, HR People Operations and partners closely with senior leaders, hiring managers, and HR business partners to align TA strategies with workforce planning priorities and evolving talent needs. The Talent Acquisition Manager drives effective recruiting operations, ensures a high-quality candidate and hiring manager experience, and supports the successful attraction and hiring of top talent, including hard-to-fill and senior-level roles.

Recruiting Leadership & Strategy

· Lead, coach, and develop a team of recruiters responsible for full-cycle hiring across the organization, driving high-quality hiring outcomes through effective sourcing strategies, candidate engagement, and structured assessment practices.

· Lead, coach, and develop an onboarding coordinator responsible for ensuring new employees have a smooth transition into the organization.

· Manage day-to-day recruiting operations, including workload prioritization, requisition allocation, and performance management to ensure hiring goals and service-level expectations are met.

· Design and implement strategic recruiting initiatives that strengthen the organization’s employer brand and attract diverse, high-quality talent across both the hospitality and historical education business sectors.

· Partner with senior leaders, hiring managers, and HR business partners to align recruiting strategies with workforce planning, business priorities, and evolving talent needs.

· Provide leadership in addressing complex or high-impact hiring challenges, advising leaders on effective hiring strategies, market insights, and competitive talent acquisition practices.

Recruiting Operations & Process Improvement

· Oversee end-to-end recruiting operations including sourcing, screening, interviewing, selection, and onboarding to deliver consistent and positive candidate and hiring manager experiences.

· Lead the development and implementation of recruiting programs, process improvements, and operational efficiencies that enhance hiring outcomes and team productivity.

· Collaborate cross-functionally with HR leadership and internal stakeholders to support broader talent initiatives, organizational growth, and continuous improvement of recruiting processes and tools.

· Identify opportunities to strengthen recruiting operations, employer branding, and candidate engagement strategies across the organization.

· Ensure recruiting practices align with company policies, employment regulations, and organizational standards across union and non-union environments. Systems, Data & Reporting

· Support the successful implementation and ongoing optimization of the Workday