Curator & Studio Director

Studio 152 is a new world-class exhibition space and gallery created by ITP Media Group and Al-Futtaim. We re seeking a Curator & Studio Director to be the day-to-day leader and single point of contact for everything that happens in the space owning the calendar curating the programme running venue operations and front-of-house and delivering white-glove client service. The operating model is hybrid: ITP-hosted cultural programming and venue-hire activations for third-party brands and partners. With activities ranging from editorial photo shoots to blue-chip brand galas the role blends curatorial vision with operational excellence and hospitality.

Requirements

1) Calendar Ownership & Programming

• Own the master calendar and year plan; schedule curated exhibitions brand experiences/pop-ups talks/panels/salons screenings/performances education/workshops/school tours and private events.
  
• Develop concepts themes and curatorial narratives that position Studio 152 as a cultural destination while supporting ITP brands and partner needs.
  
• Balance public-facing moments with private/closed activations; coordinate holds options and confirmations with Sales and Events.
  

2) Venue Management & Operations

• Lead day-to-day venue operations (load-in/out timing floor plans AV/lighting needs furniture/configuration cleaning/turnarounds) with an Ops/Facility Manager as a direct report.
  
• Build and manage front-of-house (welcoming ushering guest services ticketing/check-in when applicable); ensure accessibility and an elevated guest experience.
  
• Maintain venue readiness standards (HSE checks incident reporting daily walk-throughs handover/strike protocols).
  
• Create and enforce house rules technical specs and production guidelines for visiting clients and vendors.
  

3) Client Services & Sales Enablement

• Run full client-service workflows for venue-hire and partnerships: brief-taking proposals rate cards contracts production schedules on-site show management and post-event reporting.
  
• Partner with Sales Leads (who own commercial targets) to upsell services refine packages and support pitches with space layouts mood boards and programme ideas.
  
• Serve as the primary client point of contact from client introductions through booking to wrap ensuring expectations are met and exceeded.
  

4) Communications/PR & Brand Stewardship

• Position Studio 152 as a standalone cultural brand: maintain the brand voice programming pillars and quality bar.
  
• Partner with ITP s central Marketing & Events teams on comms plans listings social roll-outs eDMs and media relations.
  
• Own all documentation: media kits tech specs floor plans press notes photo/video documentation and the Studio 152 archive.
  

5) Cross-Functional Liaison

• Coordinate with ITP editorial brands (e.g. Harper s Bazaar Esquire T Magazine MENA Arabian Business) and external event owners to align creative scheduling and operational needs.
  
• Build working relationships with Al-Futtaim stakeholders mall/estate management security and facilities teams.
  

6) Budgeting Vendors & Procurement

• Manage programme and event-level budgets (estimates POs reconciliations) and ensure cost control without compromising experience.
  
• Source and manage approved vendors (AV fabrication rigging logistics d cor staffing FOH equipment); oversee tenders when required.
  

7) Governance Compliance & Risk

• In collaboration with the Ops/Facility Manager and central ITP teams ensure compliance with all permits insurance requirements and relevant local approvals.
  
• Implement HSE policies safeguarding and incident-response procedures; maintain risk assessments and method statements for higher-risk builds.
  

8) Audience Insights & Measurement

• Establish a measurement framework with central Marketing/Analytics: footfall dwell time audience profiles/first-party data capture (where appropriate) NPS/CSAT.
  
• Produce concise post-event and quarterly impact reports; translate insights into programming choices and client pitch narratives.
  

9) Team Leadership

• Line-manage the Ops/Facility Manager; matrix-lead FOH and temporary staff.
  
• Run interfacing with central events and marketing teams to ensure successful delivery of events.
  
• Set clear objectives SOPs and training for service standards; foster a culture of hospitality inclusion and calm solution-oriented delivery.
  
  

Qualifications

• 8 years in gallery/museum/experiential programming cultural venue management or premium brand activations ideally mixing curatorial work with operations.
  
• Demonstrated ability to curate and deliver a fast diverse calendar (multiple events per week) while maintaining quality and guest experience.
  
• Strong client-service pedigree; comfortable with luxury partners and high-profile stakeholders.
  
• Solid grasp of event production basics (AV/lighting vernacular fabrication timelines floor plans access/logistics).
  
• Excellent planning budgeting vendor management and stakeholder communication skills.
  
• Comfortable partnering with central Marketing/PR teams; confident in media walk-throughs and on-site hosting.
  
• Bilingual Arabic/English strongly preferred; additional languages a plus.
  

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Primary KPIs

• Audience data & insight quality: footfall dwell profile depth newsletter sign-ups/registrations (where applicable).
  
• Client service & retention: CSAT/NPS repeat bookings testimonial quality.
  

Additional KPIs

• Utilisation rate: % of programmed/occupied days and prime-time slots.
  
• Operational excellence: on-time load-ins/outs incident-free delivery turnaround speed.
  
• Budget adherence: variance vs. forecast per activation/quarter.