Chief of Staff and Director, Cultural Affairs

About the role

Black Pearl Consult is recruiting a Chief of Staff and Director of Cultural Affairs in Abu Dhabi to provide strategic leadership across executive operations, cultural affairs, government relations and international partnerships. Reporting directly to the CEO, the role represents the organization with full authority at the highest levels of government and diplomacy, engaging ministers, ambassadors and heads of international counterparts. It leads the organization's strategic external and cultural affairs, turning high-level partnerships into tangible results.

Key responsibilities

• Support the CEO's office: manage the CEO's priorities, agendas and engagements; prepare briefing notes, talking points, stakeholder profiles and recommended positions; draft correspondence, statements and policy briefings; accompany the CEO to meetings, forums, delegations and summits; coordinate with the CEO's Office Manager on schedules, travel and logistics.
• Oversee relationships with UAE strategic partners and key government ministries (Foreign Affairs, Education, Culture); represent the organization at ministerial and diplomatic levels; monitor the diplomatic, governmental and regulatory landscape and arrange bilateral visits and official delegations.
• Negotiate partnerships with global institutions and lead them through to legal and operational frameworks such as Memoranda of Understanding and co-productions; ensure commitments are met and outcomes reported.
• Drive cross-departmental projects from concept to delivery, set KPIs, maintain governance and ethical standards, and report on risks and milestones.
• Gather intelligence on global public policy and institutional engagement trends and turn them into assessments for executive leadership.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Arts, Arts Management, Cultural Policy, Education, Business Administration or a related field; Master's or PhD in Arts Management, Cultural Governance, Education or Executive Business Administration strongly preferred.
• 12 to 15+ years of progressive senior leadership experience in major institutions, diplomacy, government entities or an executive office; prior experience as a Chief of Staff, Head of Office or Director in a Private Office strongly preferred.
• Proven track record of high-level diplomatic engagement, stakeholder management and multi-stakeholder partnerships.
• Thorough understanding of the UAE's governmental, diplomatic and institutional landscape.

Required skills

• Exceptional written and spoken English; French strongly preferred; Arabic an advantage.
• Expertise in managing complex international networks and high-level stakeholder ecosystems.