Job Openings Programmes Development Section Head // DCT

About the job Programmes Development Section Head // DCT

Job Title: 

Programme Development Section Head

Role Purpose

Responsible for developing, curating, and overseeing high-impact cultural content and programs that celebrate heritage, arts, and creativity. This role requires a visionary leader with deep cultural insight, strong curation expertise, and the ability to engage diverse audiences through compelling storytelling and innovative programming.

The role also involves collaborating with cultural institutions, artists, and stakeholders to position the organization as a key player in the regional and international cultural landscape. In addition to ensure cultural partnerships serve the Culture Sector's priorities and mandate, advancing Abu Dhabi's cultural strategy and aligning with DCT's overarching strategic partnership framework.

Manage the teams and partners involved. Support and oversee the creation of programs and creation content for assigned festivals and events overall.

Key Responsibilities

Creative, Culture and heritage content development and programming

  • Develop and manage the curation of the programs as part of the festival.
  • Drive the programming of all activations as part of the projects assigned. Ensure that cultural content is authentic, engaging, and aligned with heritage preservation and contemporary discourse. 
  • Identify emerging cultural trends and integrate them into programming strategies.
  • Monitor the development of materials and content for dissemination to current and potential partners, raising the profile of the Culture 
  • Sector of DCT both locally and globally.

  • Develop and drive the content created for Bait Al Gahwa

  • Disseminate the content of the events across relevant experiences and platforms in Abu Dhabi where relevant.

  • Ensure effective communication of Culture Sector's mission, initiatives, and achievements to partners, as needed.
  • Meet with the relevant culture and heritage experts and lead on completion of:

  • Heritage and culture performances

  • Show direction.

  • Crafts and heritage demonstrations.

  • Ensure authenticity of heritage materials selection.

  • Heritage/local F&B and retails’ content development and selection.

  • Traditional and contemporary performances

  • Meet and lead on development of the creative and contemporary programs including talents, artistic production, retail and F&Bs..etc.
  • Monitor the development of materials and content for dissemination to current and potential partners.

  • Develop and drive the content created for the assigned events.

  • Disseminate the content through co-experiences approach.

  • Review the content materials developed for the events’ programme, including brochure, schedule,...etc.

  • Lead on selection and direction to videography and photography

  • Lead on reviewing content marketing and social media related to the programming as well as website.

  • Branding review across the programme components.

  • Support in briefing spokespersons of DCT for media interviews

Music, visuals and artistic direction

  • Lead on delivery of music, visuals and artistic direction related to the main show, reenactments, and others.

  • Review main show and performances scripts where relevant.

  • Leading rehearsals of programming where relevant.

Programs layout and venue programming setup

  • Lead completion of site map in relevance to the experiential design, visitors experience from programming perspective, aesthetics, potions of programs.

Content materials and branding endorsement

  • Review the content materials developed for the festival, including brochure, festival schedule, run of show, leaflets, invitations ..etc.

  • Lead on selection and direction to videography and photography

  • Lead on reviewing content marketing and social media related to the programming as well as website.

  • Branding review across the festival components.

  • Support in briefing spokespersons of DCT for media interviews.

Audience Development & Engagement

  • Develop audience-centric strategies to foster engagement and participation in cultural activities.
  • Utilize digital platforms and technology to expand access to cultural content.
  • Conduct audience research and feedback analysis to refine programming.

Resources management

  • Lead the creative, culture and heritage producers hired by DCT

Strategic Planning

  • Analyse both internal and external factors that affect the projects’ performance objectives.
  • Taking on the challenge of sequentially developing new value propositions and more efficient delivery capabilities.
  • Manage and monitor the overall identification, development, and fostering of strategic cultural partnerships with organizations and industry players that align with the Culture Sector's priorities and DCT's strategic partnership framework.

  • Ensure alignment of the strategy with sectoral culture strategy.

  • Ensure continuous liaison with Culture Sector leadership and Culture 
  • Sector departments to identify short-term and long-term high- priority partners for specific initiatives and projects.

Policies and Governance

  • Safeguard the brand usage, applications of the practices and activities.
  • Oversee content quality control and maintain cultural sensitivity in all projects.

Budget management

  • Lead on reviewing the costs related to the scope assigned to the consultant

Innovation Planning

  • Growth approach and plan for culture and heritage events assigned.

  • Integrate the ecosystem of culture and heritage partner and customer with more efficient co-creation, production and effective usage, and expansion of the culture and heritage industries, thereby, promoting ecosystem efficiency.

Partnerships Development and Management

  • Support DCT in selection of relevant stakeholders and partners related to programming including recommending benefits for DCT as well as its potential partners.
  • Manage and monitor assessing, identifying, and establishing relationships with target cultural partners and networks at local, regional, and international levels.
  • Generate, manage and grow partnerships operating model and engagement plan.
  • Manage the establishment of a partnership engagement, development, and management framework to institutionalize, prioritize, and streamline partnerships across all Culture departments in close liaison with the core Partnerships team in DCT.
  • Continuously oversee and ensure that partnerships meet set priorities and needs of the events.
  • Generate best customer relationship management (CRM) tools and practices for the events and direct the section for implementation.
  • Provide guidance and direction to maintain accurate records of partnership activities and outcomes.
  • Ensure that all partnership inquiries are assessed and reviewed from internal and external stakeholders, informed by policies and decision-making frameworks.

Shared Activity

Strategic Contribution

  • Ensure effective cascading of the functional strategy into section business plans to ensure vertical alignment and horizontal integration with other interfacing sectional strategies.

People Management

  • Manage the effective achievement of assigned objectives through the leadership of the Section by setting of individual objectives, managing performance, developing and motivating staff to maximize performance.
  • Lead the talent development initiatives for the assigned section, collaborating with technical/discipline experts and thereby ensure the availability of talent to fit business requirements.
  • Act as a role model and drive adherence to organizational values and ethics by employees of the assigned section to foster a value driven culture within the organization.

Budgeting and Financial Planning

  • Manage the preparation and recommend the section budget and monitor financial performance versus the budget while ensuring all sectional activities are conducted in line with the approved guidelines.

Policies, Systems, Processes & Procedures

  • Manage and ensure effective implementation of functional policies, procedures and controls covering all areas of assigned section activity so that all relevant procedural/legislative requirements are fulfilled while delivering a quality, cost-effective service.

Continuous Improvement

  • Lead the identification of opportunities for continuous improvement and sustainability of systems, processes and practices considering global standards, productivity improvement and cost reduction.

Reporting

  • Ensure that all section reports are prepared timely and accurately and meet DCT requirements, policies and quality standards.

HSE

  • Adhere to the DCT Occupational Safety and health policy, regulations, and laws, and provide help to the Corporate EHS in executing the OSHMS.
  • Report any incidents, near misses, occupational illnesses, unsafe practices, and conditions immediately to the concerned person and participate in the investigation of OSH incidents, as required.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Events, Cultural Studies, Heritage Management, Arts Administration, or a related field.
  • 8+ years of experience in cultural curation, programming, or content development.
  • Proven experience in managing large-scale cultural projects, exhibitions, or festivals.

Experience

  • Network skills within the cultural and creative industries.

  • Expertise in heritage preservation, storytelling, and digital cultural content.
  • At least 6 8 years of experience in partnership development, project management, business development relationship management, and culture engagement. Preferably, with strong understanding of the cultural landscape at local, regional, and international levels.

Skills

  • Language: Full professional English and Arabic proficiency both in speaking and writing

  • Skilled in MS Office (PowerPoint, Word, and Excel)

  • Excellent leadership and managerial skills: the ability to manage teams and multi-projects.
  • Strong knowledge and track record of achievements in the tourism sector is preferable.

  • In-depth and thought leadership.

  • Visionary, emotionally intelligent leader with a proven track record of achievements that contributed to improving competitiveness of the tourism sector in a specific region / area with a similar context to Abu Dhabi.
  • Proven track record in developing strong strategic partnerships which requires strong networking, relationship building and negotiating skills.

  • Strategic and future-focused mindset.

  • Ability to lead teams in diverse, multi-cultural organizations and ability to lead transformational change to the organization.
  • Ability to manage multiple initiatives and programmes, agility & ability to work in a very fast paced environment.