Chief of Staff & Director – Cultural Affairs

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | Posted on 10/29/2026

Black Pearl Consult is looking for an accomplished Chief of Staff & Director – Cultural Affairs 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 opportunity is suited to a professional with exceptional stakeholder management skills and experience navigating high-level institutional relationships and international collaborations.

Therole carries the highest level of institutional representation in externalaffairs. The Director represents the organization with full authority at thesenior-most levels of government and diplomacy, engaging ministers,ambassadors, and heads of major international counterpart entities as a trustedrepresentative.

Thisrole leads the organization's strategic external and cultural affairs: managingkey governmental and ministerial relationships within the UAE and internationally, cultivating diplomatic missions, opening new avenues for strategic collaboration, and leading complex project delivery that convertshigh-level partnerships into tangible results.

• 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-levelcorrespondence, statements, policy briefings, and official communications.
• Accompany the CEOto official meetings, international forums, government delegations, andsummits.
• Work in close coordination with the CEO’s Office Manager to streamline schedules, travel, and executive logistics while handling confidential matters with absolute discretion.

• Oversee and nurture relationship frameworks with UAE strategic partners and key governmentministries (including Foreign Affairs, Education, and Culture).
• Represent the organization with full authority at the highest levels of government, engagingministers, ambassadors, and diplomatic attachés across the UAE and globally.
• Monitor thediplomatic, governmental, and regulatory landscape; gather intelligence and analyze key developments relevant to institutional positioning.
• Arrangehigh-level bilateral visits, incoming official delegations, and diplomaticoccasions..

• Identify and negotiate strategic partnerships with leading global institutions andcounterpart entities in alignment with organizational goals.
• Lead high-levelpartnership discussions through to agreed legal and operational frameworks(e.g., Memoranda of Understanding, co-productions, and internationalinitiatives).
• Manageinternational strategic partnerships led by the CEO, ensuring all commitments are met and outcomes are comprehensively reported.
• Drive cross-departmental projects from concept to final delivery, establishing cleartimelines, milestones, and budget alignments.
• Gatherintelligence 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.

• Bachelor'sdegree in Arts, Arts Management, Cultural Policy, Education, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Master'sdegree or PhD in Arts…