Executive Director - Waterford Foundation, Inc.

Waterford Foundation Executive Director

Waterford, Virginia | Full-Time or Part-Time (minimum 32 hours per week), Exempt | Hybrid | Reports to the Board of Directors

The opportunity

Founded in 1943, the Waterford Foundation is one of America's oldest community-based historic preservation organizations, protecting the National Historic Landmark village of Waterford, Virginia, and its 1,420 acres of 18th and 19th-century buildings, working farmland, and intact rural vistas. The Foundation has a strong program base, a committed board, and an established presence in the Northern Virginia and DC metro philanthropic community. What it is ready for is growth: in revenue, in visibility, in the depth of its donor relationships, and in the ambition of its programs.

The next Executive Director will make that growth happen: a nonprofit leader with the strategic vision and donor-relations skill set to turn a National Historic Landmark in Virginia's fastest-growing county into expanded philanthropic support, high-impact events, and a regional profile worthy of what Waterford represents. You will also enable the effective use of modern technology, from collaboration tools such as Monday.com and Slack to AI, so more of the Foundation's time and resources go toward advancing its mission.

This is a hybrid role. This role may be structured as full-time or part-time. Part-time schedules are a minimum of 32 hours per week. You will be present in Waterford regularly and as needed, with flexibility in how you structure the rest of your time.

What you will do

The Executive Director is the Foundation's chief executive, external champion, and primary fundraiser. This is a player-coach role that requires both strategic leadership and hands-on execution.

Fundraising and grants

• Lead a comprehensive fundraising strategy covering major gifts, annual giving, membership, corporate sponsorship, and grants.
• Personally cultivate a portfolio of major donors in the Washington, DC metro and Northern Virginia community.
• Write and manage competitive federal, state, and private grant applications, including National Park Service and Virginia Department of Historic Resources programs, as a core part of the revenue strategy.
• Design and execute fundraising events and campaigns that are well attended and financially impactful.

Board and governance

• Manage Board operations, including meeting preparation, reporting, and follow-through, to provide the Board with timely, strategic information.
• Support committee work and partner with Board leadership to recruit and onboard new members.

Leadership and operations

• Lead and develop a small professional staff in a collaborative, mission-driven culture.
• Implement the Board's strategic goals and manage day-to-day operations, including program delivery, events, and facilities stewardship.
• Partner closely with the Director of the Waterford Fair, the Foundation's largest annual event and a primary revenue driver.
• Develop and manage the annual operating budget with the Board and Finance Committee, maintain sound financial controls, and lead multi-year budget planning.

Community and programs

• Build and direct a volunteer pipeline with strong recognition and retention practices.
• Serve as the Foundation's primary public representative and build partnerships with preservation, cultural heritage, government, tourism, and education organizations.
• Ensure effective stewardship of the Foundation's historic properties and oversee educational and interpretive programs, including the Waterford Fair, Waterford Craft School, and Second Street School program.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Five or more years of experience leading others.
• Proven fundraising track record, including events, major gifts, individual donors, and campaigns.
• Proven success winning funding through competitive proposals, whether grant writing, government or institutional proposal writing, or comparable bid-based fundraising across public, foundation, and corporate sources.
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting and financial oversight.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including persuasive public speaking.
• Experience recruiting, supervising, and developing staff in a mission-driven environment.
• Working proficiency with modern collaboration and project management tools (such as Monday.com and Slack) and practical, responsible use of AI to improve efficiency and quality of work.
• Commitment to historic preservation, cultural heritage, or public history, or transferable skills and aptitude in these areas.

Preferred

• Leadership of a non-profit, preservation, heritage, or museum organization, and knowledge of historic property stewardship and the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation.
• Relationships in the Northern Virginia and Washington, DC philanthropic and nonprofit community.
• Familiarity with National Park Service and Virginia DHR grants; heritage tourism or interpretive programming experience.
• Established donor relationships within a local or regional philanthropic community.
• Graduate degree in a related field.

Physical requirements and working environment

The role requires the ability, with or without reasonable accommodation, to lift up to 50 pounds and to move throughout Waterford’s historic buildings and grounds. Many of these have not been modified for accessibility because of their historic nature. The Foundation welcomes applicants of all abilities and provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.

Compensation and benefits

• Annual salary commensurate with experience. Salary range $70,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year for a full-time schedule, prorated for part-time.
• Paid time off accruing annually, plus eleven paid holidays.
• 403(b) retirement plan with employee contribution eligibility.

About the Waterford Foundation

The Waterford Foundation preserves the historic buildings and open spaces of the Waterford National Historic Landmark District and educates the public about life and work in an early American rural community. Its programs include the Waterford Fair (10,000 visitors each October, for more than 80 years), the Waterford Craft School (30-plus classes annually since 2016), and the Second Street School Living History Program (more than 50,000 Loudoun County fourth graders since 1987). The Foundation stewards 13 properties, including 10 historic buildings and 3 parcels of open land, supported by an active volunteer community and an engaged membership.

Why this role, why now

Loudoun County is one of the fastest-growing communities in the United States, and as development pressure intensifies, the Foundation's work becomes more urgent and more visible. This is not a caretaker role. It is a builder's role for a leader who wants to grow something and understands that a National Historic Landmark is not just a place to preserve, but a story to tell, a community to engage, and a legacy to expand. You will have the full support of an active and committed Board, an experienced staff team, and a community of members and volunteers who care deeply about Waterford.

How to apply

Submit a cover letter and current resume or CV to: cscheider@waterfordfoundation.org. Writing samples and professional references will be requested at a later stage of the selection process.

The Waterford Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a team that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve and the history we preserve. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, military status, ethnic origin, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Waterford Foundation, Inc. | P.O. Box 142, Waterford, Virginia 20197 | waterfordfoundation.org

• Paid time off accruing annually, plus eleven paid holidays.
• 403(b) retirement plan with employee contribution eligibility.