JOB DESCRIPTION

VICE PRESIDENT AND SAUNDERS DIRECTOR, ROBERT H. SMITH

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR JEFFERSON STUDIES (ICJS)

REPORTS TO: PRESIDENT AND CEO

FLSA STATUS: Exempt

EEO-1 CLASSIFICATION: Executives/Senior Officials and Managers

I. Job Purpose

The purpose of this job is to plan, lead, and organize the operation of the ICJS; to supervise the departments of History, Archaeology, the Getting Word African American Oral History Project, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson (Retirement Series), and The Jefferson Library; and to oversee the Center’s fellowship and conference programs. Collaborating closely with colleagues in the Foundation’s Guest Experiences division, Curatorial and Restoration departments, and with the President’s office, the Saunders Director leads the Foundation’s scholarly activities, provides Foundation-wide guidance on historic matters, and supports the training and continuing education of Monticello’s frontline staff. The Saunders Director also has important external roles, engaging with scholarly and publications programs at the University of Virginia and other institutions. As the leader of ICJS, the Saunders Director helps to represent the Foundation and its scholarly activities, engaging frequently with donors and other stakeholders. As a member of Monticello’s senior leadership team, the Saunders Director works closely with colleagues to establish and execute the strategic priorities of the Foundation and to align the work of ICJS to support those priorities.

II. Essential Functions

1. 1. Guiding the mission and realizing the vision of the Foundation by serving on the Leadership Team.
   2. Leading ICJS to develop and sustain broad engagement and reciprocal knowledge sharing across the Foundation’s departments, with special attention to Jefferson’s world and Monticello.
   3. Contributing to the Foundation’s public programs and assisting with fundraising and donor cultivation efforts.
   4. Managing ICJS staff and resources, including hiring, staff development and review, and preparing budgets, annual, and interim reports for Board and advisory committees.
   5. Developing and executing, in close collaboration with other Leadership Team colleagues, the Foundation’s research programs, including fellowships, conferences, symposia, seminars, lectures, and the collections scope of the Jefferson Library.
   6. Developing and executing, in close collaboration with other Leadership Team colleagues, the Foundation’s scholarly publications, including reports and volumes, documentary editing projects, as well as podcasts and other digital humanities outputs.
   7. Cultivating and engaging a broad network of institutional research partners and individual scholars, nationally and internationally.
   8. Planning and priority-setting for ICJS departments within the Foundation’s broader strategic plan.
   9. Managing meetings of and agendas for the ICJS Advisory Committee, whose members are appointed by the President in consultation with the Saunders Director.
   10. Preparing materials for the Scholarly Activities Committee of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, in collaboration with the President’s office and the Trustee serving as committee chair.
   11. Original research and writing related to Monticello’s mission and publishing and presenting research to scholarly and public audiences.
   12. Other duties as assigned.

III. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1. 1. Experience successfully leading a department, center, or team, and demonstrated commitment to change management and fostering a collegial and inclusive culture of robust assessment and continuous improvement.
   2. Demonstrated excellence in one or more of the fields that constitute “Jefferson studies” as the ICJS defines it, including biographical studies of Thomas Jefferson and the people of the Mountaintop; the history of late colonial and early national America; African American history in the eras of slavery and emancipation; material culture and architectural history; plantation archaeology; documentary editing; and public history/museum studies.
   3. A record of publications, grant awards, and presentations, which, in addition to scholarly writing, can include exhibitions, digital humanities projects, and other forms of knowledge production.
   4. An understanding of the functions and requirements of departments outside their area of specialization, including specialized research libraries and documentary editing processes and technologies.
   5. Experience with scholar-teacher partnerships and/or other forms of communityengaged scholarship.
   6. High-level interpersonal, organizational, and leadership skills, including an awareness of effective management practices, and the ability to set priorities, meet deadlines, and recruit and mentor top talent.
   7. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, orally and in writing.
   8. A familiarity with external institutions and individuals whose scholarly work has a bearing on Jefferson studies and Monticello’s mission.

IV. Physical Demands and Work Considerations

While brief periods of hybrid work may be possible, this job is site-based, at Monticello’s Kenwood campus in Charlottesville, Virginia. Monticello is located on a mountaintop and walking on uneven, rocky terrain is a normal occurrence. Travel is also required for conferences, presentations, etc.

V. Education

The Saunders Director should hold a PhD or the equivalent terminal degree in their field.