Director - Arts and Culture (Centre of Excellence)

About the role

Aldar Education, a family of schools serving over 38,000 students across the UAE, is looking for a Centre of Excellence (CoE) Director of Arts and Culture in Abu Dhabi. The role leads the strategic, cultural and commercial development of arts and culture across the group, turning the CoE into a hub for outstanding arts education, cultural engagement, elite talent development and high-quality public programming.

Key responsibilities

• Set and deliver a group-wide strategy for Music, Drama, Musical Theatre, Visual Arts and cultural programming, working with Principals on school improvement plans.
• Develop revenue streams through events, venue use, partnerships, sponsorship and grants, with clear income, cost and impact measures.
• Lead, coach and develop employees, build succession pipelines and promote internal career progression.
• Nurture elite student talent through coaching, scholarships, auditions and university/conservatoire pathways.
• Plan and run group-wide performances, festivals, productions and ensembles, and coordinate special guest appearances.
• Build partnerships with universities, conservatoires, theatres, opera companies and cultural institutions, and turn them into structured programmes.
• Manage budgets, resources, safeguarding and performance reporting, and report termly on quality, access and impact.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Music, Drama, Performing Arts, Arts Education or a related field, or an equivalent professional qualification.
• Typically 10+ years of arts and culture experience, including at least 5 years leading a school arts programme or similar education portfolio.
• Professional industry experience as a performer, director, conductor, producer or artistic director, with sustained work with school-age learners.
• Postgraduate study in arts, education or leadership is desirable.

Required skills

• Strong artistic judgement in Music or Drama, with the breadth to lead through specialist colleagues.
• Commercial planning, revenue development, production and project management, budget management and negotiation.
• Knowledge of international arts admissions, audition preparation and scholarship processes.
• Excellent communication, public representation and partnership building.

What we offer

• An attractive remuneration package with a range of benefits.
• Emphasis on professional development, coaching and training, with access to a wide network of professionals.