Site Director – Historic St. Mary’s City

HISTORIC ST. MARY’S CITY COMMISSION
St. Mary’s City, MD USA

Historic St. Mary’s City is seeking a Site Director to oversee archaeological excavation of the Leonard Calvert House site.  Applications are being accepted now.  Review of applications will begin August 15.  This position is full-time (40 hours per week), non-exempt. Contractual rate is $25/hour.

Please send a cover letter and resume with the names and contact information for three professional references to:

Porzia Purves:

Porzia.Purves@maryland.gov

(240) 895-4960

Organization and Site Description:

Historic St. Mary's City (HSMC) is a museum of living history and archaeology located on the site of Maryland’s first capital (1634-1695).  Decades of research are the foundation of outdoor exhibits constructed in a beautiful tidewater landscape.  Recreated structures in the historic town center, a Woodland Indian hamlet, a tall ship, and a tobacco plantation staffed by costumed or uniformed interpreters help visitors understand the stories of Maryland’s founding. Reconstruction of the Brick Chapel of 1667 stands as a symbol of the religious freedom established by the Lords Baltimore in the seventeenth century.

HSMC is one of Southern Maryland’s leading tourism attractions and hosts an active school tour program.  The museum’s collections are a resource for professional archaeologists, scholars, and college students.  The HSMC colonial archaeology field school, the longest running field school in the nation, attracts students from all over the United States as well as from other countries. The museum is an independent agency of the State of Maryland, within the Office of the Governor.

The Leonard Calvert House site is named for its first occupant, Leonard Calvert, Maryland’s first governor. Built in the late 1630s, the site was a hub of social and governmental functions in early Maryland. The structure was briefly fortified and occupied by Parliamentarian soldiers in the mid-1640s, acting as the base of operations for a short-lived rebellion. It later served as the home of the third governor of Maryland, William Stone, and throughout the mid-17^th century, it was used regularly as a meeting place for the Maryland Assembly and Provincial courts. Beginning in 1662, when the colony purchased the property, the house was leased to a series of innkeepers who maintained the site as one of the colony’s largest ordinaries. After the colonial capital was relocated to Annapolis at the end of the 17^th century, the Leonard Calvert House site reverted into agricultural land until 1840, when Dr. John Brome financed the construction of a plantation house and outbuildings on the property, including dwellings to house the family’s enslaved laborers.

Job Summary:

The Site Director works under the Director of Research and Collections towards fulfilling the Historic St. Mary’s City Commission’s (HSMCC) mission to preserve and protect the archaeological and historical record of Maryland's first colonial capital and to appropriately develop and use this historic and scenic site for the education, enjoyment, and general benefit of the public.  The Site Director operates within the Department of Research and Collections, comprised of an active field archaeology program, curatorial research and interpretation, preservation and management of artifactual and environmental collections, public educational programs, and publications. Under direction of Director of Research and Collections: manages excavations at the Leonard Calvert House site; trains and supervises project staff, volunteers, and students; assists in managing report writing.

Essential Functions:

• Works with Director of Research and Collections to oversee excavations at the Leonard Calvert House site:
  • Supervise excavation team, including staff, volunteers, and students
  • Ensure excavation team safety by enforcing best practices for responsible on-site behavior
  • Maintain overall site protection, including plastic cover, assembly of tents, monitoring of security concerns, etc.
  • Ensure proper site documentation to standards included in HSMC’s Standards and Guidelines for the Performance of Archaeological Investigations within the St. Mary’s City National Historic Landmark
  • Maintain all relevant field records, including provenience and stratum registers, photo log, field journal, site/unit maps, etc.
  • Ensure maintenance of excavation equipment and storage facilities; advise on equipment repair/replacement needs
• Assists in oversight of laboratory processing and analysis of archaeological materials associated with cultural resource mitigation processes.
• Assists in hiring, training, and supervision of lower-level staff, interns, students, and volunteers in fieldwork and laboratory methods.
• Assist in direction of HSMC’s annual Field School in Historical Archaeology.
• Manage on-site public visitation, including coordination with Education Department.
• Assists in coordination with Maryland Historical Trust and other relevant state agencies for mitigation strategy preparation, permit acquisition, and final reporting.
• Advises on research, evaluation, recommendation, and procurement of archaeological supplies, specialized equipment, and services.
• Works with museum staff to design exhibits and public programming based on archaeological projects.
• Presents results of excavations in publications, professional conferences, and public presentations.
• Represents HSMC as an active member of the archaeological and cultural heritage communities through active participation, publication, research, and professional service.
• Contributes to fundraising applications as opportunities arise and to ensure delivery against externally funded project objectives.
• Contributes to departmental efforts to support HSMC social media and communications campaigns.
• Other duties as assigned.

Desired knowledge, skills, and abilities:

The incumbent should possess

• Expert knowledge of colonial and precolonial archaeology, architecture, and artifacts; strong familiarity with the colonial history and archaeology of the Chesapeake region.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to excel in a team-oriented environment.
• Personal desire and ability to engage the public in person and in digital formats.
• Ability to use computers, especially Microsoft Office software including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Ability to use Microsoft Access, Adobe Creative Suite (including Photoshop and Illustrator), and ArcGIS desired.
• A willingness to learn and adopt new technological tools to serve the museum’s Research and Collections program.

Education and Professional Experience:

• Minimum of ten years of experience working with precolonial and colonial archaeological materials.
• Record of supervisory experience on cultural resource management projects.
• Record of assisting in archaeological report writing. Experience presenting at professional conferences desired.

Compensation:

This position is full-time (40 hours per week), non-exempt. Contractual rate is $25/hour. State health insurance plans are available.

Historic St. Mary’s City is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including minority candidates.