Director of Arts, Culture & Public Engagement

About the role

Black Pearl Consult is seeking an accomplished Director of Arts, Culture & Public Engagement to provide senior-level leadership across cultural strategy, international artistic partnerships, cultural diplomacy, business development and stakeholder engagement. The Director leads international artistic collaborations, co-commissions, co-productions, diplomatic relationships and revenue-generating initiatives, acting as a key advisor to executive leadership.

Key responsibilities

• Formulate and implement cultural diplomacy and international partnership strategies, and establish relationships with cultural institutions, festivals and diplomatic bodies through MOUs, letters of cooperation and co-production agreements.
• Direct the development of flagship international programming, co-commissions and co-productions while maintaining high curatorial, artistic and ethical standards.
• Cultivate relationships with embassies, ministries of culture and international cultural bodies, and oversee cultural diplomacy projects, official receptions and engagements involving Royal Protocol and VIPs.
• Develop sponsorship, philanthropic and commercial opportunities, author pitch decks and proposals, and lead negotiations with partners and funders.
• Prepare research dossiers, briefing notes and meeting briefs for leadership, and recommend international trips, conference appearances and award recognitions.
• Manage memberships in international networks such as UNESCO, ECOSOC and the European Festivals Association, and represent the foundation at cultural summits and conferences.
• Lead public affairs communication, create thought-leadership assets such as white papers and policy briefs, and moderate panels and symposiums.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Arts Management, Cultural Policy, International Relations, Business Administration or a related discipline; a Master's degree in Cultural Policy, Arts Administration, International Relations, International Diplomacy or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive senior-level experience in cultural affairs, arts administration, cultural diplomacy, international partnerships, stakeholder engagement or business development.
• Experience in a leading cultural institution, foundation, festival, government cultural entity, international arts organization or comparable environment.
• Proven track record of negotiating MOUs, co-commissions and co-productions, and of writing proposals, pitch decks and partnership strategies.
• Experience working across multiple countries and cultures, preferably including the GCC and international markets.
• Exposure to royal protocol, VIP engagement, government relations or diplomatic environments is highly desirable.