About the Role
An accomplished Chief of Staff & Director – Cultural Affairs is sought to provide strategic leadership across executive operations, cultural affairs, government relations, and international partnerships in the UAE. Reporting directly to the CEO, this senior leadership role requires exceptional stakeholder management skills and expertise in navigating high-level institutional relationships and international collaborations. The Director will represent the organization at the highest levels of government and diplomacy, engaging with ministers, ambassadors, and leaders of major international counterparts as a trusted representative. This position leads the organization's strategic external and cultural affairs, managing key governmental and ministerial relationships both within the UAE and globally, cultivating diplomatic missions, and driving complex project delivery that transforms high-level partnerships into concrete outcomes.
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Key Responsibilities
1. Office of the CEO Support:
- Manage the strategic priorities, agendas, and engagements of the CEO to optimize executive leadership time and focus.
- Prepare comprehensive briefing notes, talking points, stakeholder profiles, and recommended positions prior to every official engagement.
- Serve as the principal point of follow-through on decisions made by executive leadership: record actions, track departmental progress, and report on delivery.
- Draft high-level correspondence, statements, policy briefings, and official communications.
- Accompany the CEO to official meetings, international forums, government delegations, and summits.
- Work closely with the CEO’s Office Manager to streamline schedules, travel, and executive logistics while handling confidential matters with absolute discretion.
2. Strategic Partnerships, Institutional Diplomacy & Government Relations
- Oversee and nurture relationship frameworks with UAE strategic partners and key government ministries (including Foreign Affairs, Education, and Culture).
- Represent the organization with full authority at the highest levels of government, engaging ministers, ambassadors, and diplomatic attachés across the UAE and globally.
- Monitor the diplomatic, governmental, and regulatory landscape; gather intelligence and analyze key developments relevant to institutional positioning.
- Arrange high-level bilateral visits, incoming official delegations, and diplomatic occasions.
3. International Partnerships
- Identify and negotiate strategic partnerships with leading global institutions and counterpart entities in alignment with organizational goals.
- Lead high-level partnership discussions through to agreed legal and operational frameworks (e.g., Memoranda of Understanding, co-productions, and international initiatives).
- Manage international strategic partnerships led by the CEO, ensuring all commitments are met and outcomes are comprehensively reported.
4. Project Delivery, Intelligence & Governance
- Drive cross-departmental projects from concept to final delivery, establishing clear timelines, milestones, and budget alignments.
- Gather intelligence on global trends in public policy and institutional engagement, translating insights into actionable assessments for executive leadership.
- Lead the department by setting clear KPIs, maintaining strict adherence to governance and ethical frameworks, and reporting regularly on risks and milestones.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Arts, Arts Management, Cultural Policy, Education, Business Administration, or a related field.
- Master’s degree or PhD in Arts Management, Cultural Governance, Education, or Executive Business Administration (strongly preferred).
- 12 to 15+ years of progressive senior leadership experience within major institutions, diplomacy, government entities, or the executive office of a senior leader.
- Prior experience as a Chief of Staff, Head of Office, or Director in a Private Office is strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated expertise in managing complex international networks and high-level stakeholder ecosystems.
- Proven track record of high-level diplomatic engagement, stakeholder management, and building multi-stakeholder partnerships.
- Thorough understanding of the UAE’s governmental, diplomatic, and institutional landscape.
- Exceptional written and spoken English; French strongly preferred; Arabic an advantage.
