Visual Arts Department Manager (Emirati)

Job Purpose
Developing a sector-wide strategy to support, activate and develop the visual arts field in the Emirate of Dubai, and identifying gaps, requirements and challenges through engagement with external stakeholders, target audience segments, and creatives in the sector.

Key Responsibilities — Functional

1. Prepare and implement purposeful sector-wide strategic plans to support, activate, develop and enable the visual arts field, including developing objectives, initiatives, strategic programs, key performance indicators and targets, in coordination with relevant internal and external stakeholders.
2. Prepare and follow up on implementing the annual operational plan for the department and its affiliated organizational units, including cascading performance indicators and identifying budget needs, in coordination with relevant organizational units and in line with the Authority's strategic plan.
3. Conduct a survey of the visual arts ecosystem to identify gaps, requirements and challenges through engagement with external stakeholders, target audience segments, and creatives in the sector.
4. Identify needs for developing sector policies related to the visual arts field and contribute to formulating policies, legislation and laws, providing all inputs, data and documents required to enable formulating these policies from a legal standpoint.
5. Provide the support, inputs and data required to evaluate department performance, submit periodic performance reports according to methodologies approved for the relevant organizational unit within the Strategy Sector, and work on developing and implementing related improvement plans.
6. Oversee the process of evaluating the impact and results of sector policies related to the visual arts field and provide appropriate recommendations based on the outcome.
7. Oversee the preparation of internal organizational policies and procedures specific to the department, propose relevant performance indicators, and follow up on their implementation and report to the relevant organizational unit.
8. Work with relevant organizational units to align the Visual Arts Department's agenda and programs with the strategic agenda for cultural education.
9. Plan and manage strategic programs in coordination with the relevant organizational unit, develop progress reports, and identify any risks or challenges hindering progress along with plans to reduce and overcome them.
10. Identify and build the necessary partnerships to implement the strategic plan and sector initiatives and projects.
11. Identify the need to design and implement funding programs, grants and awards, and work on developing the general framework for these programs in cooperation with relevant stakeholders.
12. Work with internal and external partners and stakeholders to develop and implement programs for attracting, developing, nurturing and promoting national, local, regional and international talent in the visual arts field.
13. Work closely with the organizational unit responsible for marketing and communications to prepare the visual arts promotional plan in line with the annual calendar of programs, events, publications plan, and exhibitions.
14. Oversee the promotion of the visual arts field in Dubai by supporting its importance and engaging relevant stakeholders.
15. Participate in and attend exhibitions and conferences related to the visual arts field, inside or outside the country.
16. Oversee the preparation of the annual activation plan and programs specific to the visual arts field and their schedules, including key performance indicators and expected outputs, and work on designing, implementing and monitoring the performance of all activities and activation programs in coordination with relevant organizational units.
17. Design a methodology to measure the impact and effectiveness of activation programs in coordination with relevant organizational units, apply it, follow up on achieving the defined key performance indicators, and report on them.
18. Provide support, guidance and technical expertise on all matters related to permanent and temporary exhibitions specific to the Arts, Design & Literature Sector, and interpretive planning.
19. Develop plans and schedules for holding temporary exhibitions and updating exhibitions at all Arts, Design & Literature Sector sites, based on strategic plans and available resources, and follow up on implementation and report on their performance.
20. Identify and evaluate external exhibition-building teams and provide purchasing recommendations.
21. Oversee the registration and documentation of all current and future acquisitions in the department.
22. Work with service providers and all relevant partners and organizational units to develop exhibition designs by subject and content, within the Authority's brand guidelines and interpretive recommendations.
23. Work with relevant organizational units to develop and follow up on implementing interpretive programs linked to temporary and permanent exhibitions at all Arts, Design & Literature Sector sites.
24. Contribute and provide support on files related to the innovation and institutional excellence agenda, and other possible institutional files, to achieve the strategic plan.
25. Commit to applying information security policies and procedures, maintaining data confidentiality, and reporting any violations or breaches of approved policies to the Information Security Officer.
26. Commit to occupational health and safety procedures, policy and instructions, and the environmental management system policy applied at the Authority.
27. Perform other duties and responsibilities related to the role as assigned.

Key Responsibilities — Operational

• Ensure timely provision of data and reports to leadership and provide recommendations on operational improvements to support planning, decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Monitor monthly and quarterly performance results, identify performance gaps and their implications, and lead the process of preparing corrective actions that address the root causes of those gaps.
• Follow up on the performance of the Visual Arts Department by identifying key performance indicators and goals, and continue to identify areas needing improvement and provide recommendations to support achieving the sector strategy.

Financial Management

• Manage budget allocation at the Visual Arts Department level to ensure full compliance, identify any non-compliance with the plan in a timely manner, and take corrective actions as required, in line with the approved governance process.
• Consolidate all staff budget inputs to prepare the Visual Arts Department budget, submit it to leadership for approval, and carry out further consolidation processes.

People Management

• Participate in preparing unified workforce planning strategies and budgets, talent acquisition, and training and development for the relevant department to ensure sufficient recruitment processes and achieve optimal operational fluidity.
• Set section objectives for all direct managers and review performance at mid-year and year-end. Monitor performance and provide specialized consultations as needed to ensure performance goals are met.
• Identify competencies.
• Provide guidance to section managers on operational matters and staff management.
• Follow up with and guide section managers as needed to ensure their ability to track operational requirements from professional and behavioral aspects.

Stakeholder Management

• Internal: All organizational units within the Authority
• External: Relevant semi-government and private entities; relevant local and federal entities

Required Qualifications

• Academic: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business Administration, Fine Arts, or Visual Arts, or equivalent from an accredited university.
• Experience:
  • 10+ years of relevant work experience.
  • Ability to prepare consistent recommendations and inputs for policies, legislation and laws to enable the sector.
  • Experience managing high-impact programs, with significant coordination and engagement across numerous internal and external stakeholders.
  • Experience managing and leading multidisciplinary teams and coordinating a wide range of strategic initiatives and activities aimed at activating and developing the sector.
  • Application of knowledge related to the sector and emerging trends in preparing enabling strategies and policies.

Competencies

• Leadership (Advanced): Enabling and Supporting Change, Leading and Inspiring Others, Strategic Thinking
• Behavioral (Advanced): Radiating Positive Energy, Excellence in Execution, Community Service and Responsiveness to Customer Needs, Institutional Understanding
• Technical (Advanced): Strategic Planning and Performance Management, Sector Knowledge and Capability Development