Education & Skills Development Manager

We are currently looking for an Education & Skills Development Manager to support a key initiative within the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) on a 12-month freelance contract.

DCT Abu Dhabi is the government entity responsible for driving the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture, tourism and creative industries, playing a central role in positioning the emirate as a global hub.

This role is responsible for translating the talent pathway into operational education and skills programs. The successful candidate will develop, launch, and manage initiatives spanning school-level exposure, vocational training, bootcamps, university programs, certifications, and employment-linked pathways.

• Translate the talent pathway blueprint into concrete program designs: learning objectives, target cohorts, curriculum outline, delivery model, duration, certification, and progression to the next pathway stage.
• Work with partner institutions and industry experts to develop or adapt curricula.
• Benchmark international programs and certifications and adapt proven models to the UAE context.
• Create pitch documents for the identified partners, structuring the potential initiatives and supporting the negotiations.

• Manage the day-to-day operational relationship with delivering institutions, including schools, universities, vocational providers, academies, and bootcamps.
• Own program launch and operations, including enrollment campaigns, student selection, scheduling, instructor and mentor sourcing, facilities and tooling, and issue resolution.
• Monitor delivery quality against the agreed program design and partnership agreements.

• Maintain the cohort-tracking data for all programs, including enrollment, completion, certification, progression, and placement into employment.
• Prepare program performance reporting for the Head’s KPI framework and recommend program improvements or discontinuation based on outcomes.

• Provide program-level input to business cases and partnership negotiations, including costs, capacity, delivery feasibility, and expected outcomes.
• Support annual planning and budgeting for the education and skills program portfolio.

• Strong program-management skills, with the ability to run multiple programs and partners in parallel against timelines, budgets, and quality standards.
• Experience managing a diverse set of stakeholders across different levels and functions.
• Fluency in English.

• Arabic-language ability is an asset.

Location:

Abu Dhabi

Contract:

12 months

If this sounds relevant to your background, please apply and submit your updated CV.