Academy Lead

Department: Creative

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Dubai, UAE

Description

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Own the cohort calendar from intake through delivery, bringing together sessions, venues, trainers, mentors, creators and production support so every cohort runs brilliantly.
• Maintain one clear view of delivery, priorities, dependencies and what needs attention across the Academy.
• Own the day-to-day relationship, working closely with the Executive Producer and making sure commitments turn into delivery.
• Track the operating budget weekly, stay ahead of variance and close every cohort with a clear, documented cost outcome.
• Identify risks before they become problems and come with solutions, options and recommendations, not simply flags.
• Connect producers, trainers, mentors and creators around a clear plan, with everyone knowing what they own and when it needs to happen.
• Alongside Producers, source, manage and negotiate with venues, transport, catering, equipment providers, trainers and other local partners, balancing quality, reliability and cost.
• Build the staffing model and forecast capacity two quarters ahead so growth never catches the operation by surprise.
• Create tighter review and approval rhythms across post-production so work is properly reviewed, feedback is clear and nothing reaches the client before its ready.
• Own the operational rhythm beyond the Academy, building the local supplier, facilities and ground-support infrastructure that allows the wider BD team to operate brilliantly in the market.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

• 5+ years owning recurring operations where people, places, schedules, suppliers and deadlines all have to come together, whether thats a training program, event series, venue, studio or production operation.
• Youve built one, managed against it, understood the variances and can tell us where you saved, where you overspent and what you did about it.
• Youve sourced, negotiated and managed external partners with real numbers attached, balancing quality, reliability and cost.
• Youve built staffing and capacity plans that other people relied on to make decisions, not spreadsheets that sat in a folder.
• Youve worked with government, enterprise or similarly complex clients where detail, communication and delivery really matter. GCC experience would be a strong advantage.
• You use it day to day to plan, analyse, communicate, solve problems or remove repetitive work. We wont ask if youre comfortable with AI. Well want to understand how its made you a better operator.