Interior & Furniture Design Education Lead Tashkeel

About the role:

Department: Studio & Workshops

Working Days: SaturdayWednesday

Weekend: Thursday & Friday
Working Hours: 8 hours per day with flexibility according to workshops programmes residencies and events.

Role Overview

Tashkeel is seeking an experienced Interior & Furniture Design Education Lead to develop and lead its designeducation programme from junior and introductory learning through to advanced workshops visiting designresidencies and professional mentorship.

This is a leadership educational and practical role. The successful candidate will shape Tashkeels annual designlearning programme while building a network of designers craftspeople makers educators and technicalspecialists who can contribute their methods and expertise. They are not expected to personally teach everyworkshop but must ensure the programme remains relevant diverse commercially viable and delivered to a higheducational standard.

The role requires strong design education experience combined with practical knowledge of materials fabricationand production. A key responsibility is working with the Design Supervisor on Tanween by Tashkeel mentoringemerging designers from research and concept development through prototyping and final production.

Design Education & Annual Programming

• Develop and manage Tashkeels annual design education programme with a clear progression fromjunior and introductory learning to advanced and professional-level programmes.
• Develop and manage the Tanween by Tashkeel programme coordinating with mentors and participantsscheduling in-house studio time mentorship sessions and critiques and ensuring agreed milestones andfinal outcomes are delivered on time.
• Lead the written design content for the annual Tanween by Tashkeel catalogue working with participantsto gather the necessary research concepts material and production information and writing clearaccurate texts that communicate each designers process development and final outcome.
• Regularly review and adapt existing programmes to reflect current design practice industry needsmaterials technologies and methods of making.
• Develop programming across interior furniture product materials craftsmanship and contemporarydesign practice.
  Recruit designers craftspeople makers educators and technical specialists to deliver workshopsdemonstrations and masterclasses throughout the year ensuring the programme provides access to a
  diverse range of professional methods and technical skills.
• Build and maintain a strong network of UAE-based regional and international practitioners who cancontribute specialist knowledge to Tashkeels programmes residencies and mentorship activities.
• Teach directly where appropriate while taking primary responsibility for curating coordinating andmaintaining the quality and relevance of the overall programme.
• Ensure educators are appropriately selected briefed and supported and that programmes are plannedaround Tashkeels facilities technical capabilities and available resources.

Visiting Designer Residencies

• Develop Tashkeels design residency programme by identifying and communicating with relevantdesigners craftspeople and specialist practitioners nationally and internationally.
• Create a suggested list to the Director of Tashkeel of practitioners to invite whose expertise cancontribute meaningfully to Tashkeels education mentorship and wider design programmes.
• Develop a clear programme for each visiting designer before their arrival in Dubai defining how their timeand expertise will be utilised across workshops mentorship talks critiques demonstrations and otherrelevant activities.
• Work with the Admin Coordinator to organise the practical requirements of each residency includingtravel accommodation scheduling and other arrangements related to the designers visit.
• Ensure the complete residency schedule is confirmed and communicated before the visiting designerarrives.
• Develop workshops masterclasses or other paid educational activities around the visiting practitionersspecialist knowledge and methods.
• Coordinate with the relevant marketing team sufficiently in advance so residency programmes andworkshops are promoted before arrival allowing adequate time to generate awareness registrations andpaid participation.
• Integrate visiting designers into Tanween by Tashkeel and other mentorship activities where theirexpertise can strengthen participating designers work.
• Ensure each residency has clear educational objectives and makes effective use of the visitingpractitioners time knowledge and presence in Dubai.
• Develop ongoing relationships with successful visiting practitioners for future programmes collaborationsand international exchange.

Workshops Outreach & External Programmes

• Develop commercially viable workshops and educational activations for delivery at Tashkeel and off-site.
• Create programmes for art and design fairs exhibitions festivals universities cultural institutionscorporate programmes and other external platforms.
• Research relevant UAE and international design fairs festivals conferences and cultural programmeswhere Tashkeel should strategically position its educational offering.
• Maintain an annual calendar of relevant external opportunities so participation can be proposed andplanned well in advance.
• Build relationships with institutions universities fair organisers and design platforms to expandTashkeels educational reach.
• Select suitable educators from Tashkeels practitioner network including the Tanween by Tashkeelalumnae for external workshops and activations.
• Evaluate opportunities according to educational relevance audience visibility revenue potential and strategic value.

Tanween by Tashkeel Design Mentorship

• Work closely with the Design Supervisor on the planning mentorship and development of Tanween byTashkeel.
• Guide participating designers from research and concept development through material explorationprototyping technical refinement and final production.
• Establish development milestones and conduct structured critiques throughout the programme.
• Evaluate projects from conceptual aesthetic functional material and production perspectives.
• Strengthen the relationship between concept form function material and fabrication while ensuringdesigners retain authorship of their work.
• Work with and alongside the Design & Production Lead to help participants understand materialbehaviour construction production feasibility costs and opportunities for refinement.
• Connect participants with relevant visiting designers craftspeople manufacturers material experts andtechnical specialists where their expertise can strengthen a project.
• Work towards tangible programme outcomes ensuring projects progress from ideas into high-qualityprototypes and professionally resolved products suitable for exhibition and where appropriate
  commercial opportunities.

Talent Identification & Retail Opportunities

• Identify skilled and commercially promising designers and makers through Tashkeels workshopsresidencies and mentorship programmes.
• Recommend suitable designers and products to the Art and Design Consultant for evaluation andpotential representation through the Shop exhibitions consignment product development and other
  retail or commercial opportunities.
• Create pathways for strong participants to remain engaged with Tashkeel beyond a single workshop orprogramme.
• Support the development of Tashkeels wider design ecosystem by connecting education and mentorshipwith professional exhibition and commercial opportunities.

Materials Innovation & Design Research

• Research emerging materials fabrication techniques craftsmanship and manufacturing developmentsrelevant to furniture interiors and product design.
• Explore sustainable and circular approaches including bio-materials agricultural waste recycledmaterials plant-based alternatives composites and innovative applications of existing materials.
• Introduce relevant material research experimentation and specialist practitioners into workshopsresidencies and mentorship programmes.
• Maintain awareness of contemporary designers studios manufacturers and international developmentsand translate relevant developments into Tashkeels programming.
• Encourage original design thinking and critically evaluate proportion ergonomics materials constructiondetailing finishes and production quality.
• Build relationships with material researchers manufacturers suppliers and craftspeople who cancontribute specialist knowledge to Tashkeel.

Collaboration & Programme Management

• Collaborate with Tashkeels production specialists technicians and relevant Studio & Workshops teammembers.
• Coordinate programme requirements including educators materials equipment fabrication andtechnical resources.
• Ensure programmes residencies and workshops are planned sufficiently in advance for operational andmarketing teams to prepare effectively.
• Monitor programme schedules educator requirements budgets and delivery against agreed plans.
• Participate in relevant critiques presentations exhibitions and design events.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Performance will be assessed across educational quality programme growth commercial performance anddesigner development including:
• Revenue and appropriate margins generated through workshops masterclasses residencies and externaleducational programmes.
• Workshop registrations capacity utilisation repeat participation and participant satisfaction.
• Successful delivery of a balanced annual programme across junior introductory advanced andprofessional design education.
• Continuous development and adaptation of Tashkeels existing programme to remain relevant tocontemporary design practice and audience needs.
• Growth and quality of Tashkeels network of designers educators craftspeople makers and technicalspecialists.
• Successful planning and delivery of visiting design residencies with schedules educational activities andmarketing completed before each practitioners arrival.
• Strong participation and revenue performance for workshops and programmes developed around visitingdesigners.
• Quality and timely progression of Tanween by Tashkeel projects from concept and prototype through toprofessionally resolved finished products.
• Demonstrable improvement in the design quality material understanding technical resolution andproduction readiness of Tanween by Tashkeel outcomes.
• Effective collaboration with the Design Supervisor to maintain Tanween by Tashkeel milestones andmentorship standards.
• Identification of high-potential designers and qualified recommendations to the Art and DesignConsultant for Shop retail exhibition or other commercial opportunities.
• Development of new institutional partnerships off-site workshops and participation in relevant art anddesign fairs festivals and cultural programmes.
• Introduction of relevant new materials processes craftsmanship and specialist knowledge into Tashkeelseducational programme.
• Delivery of programmes and residencies within agreed schedules and budgets.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Masters degree in Interior Design Furniture Design Product Design Industrial Design or a closely relateddiscipline.
• Proven experience teaching design at university level in a practical studio-based environment withhands-on experience guiding students through concept development materials prototyping fabrication
  and finished design outcomes.
• Strong professional experience in interior furniture and/or product design.
• Demonstrated understanding of the complete design process from concept through prototypingtechnical development and production.
• Strong knowledge of materials furniture construction and fabrication processes.
• Experience mentoring critiquing and supporting the development of emerging designers.
• Experience developing design curricula workshops residencies or practitioner-led educationalprogrammes.
• Ability to identify recruit and work with designers educators craftspeople makers and technicalspecialists.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to plan programmes visiting practitioners and educationalschedules well in advance.
• Ability to provide clear constructive and intellectually rigorous design criticism.
• Strong awareness of contemporary design practice and international developments.

Highly Preferred

• PhD or doctorate in a relevant design discipline.
• Experience managing annual design education or residency programmes.
• Knowledge of sustainable circular and experimental materials.
• Established professional networks across design craftsmanship universities manufacturing and materialresearch locally and internationally.
• Fluency in Arabic and English.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is both an experienced design educator and practitioner who can curate knowledge identifytalent and bring the right people together.

They should understand that a strong design education programme is not built around one persons expertise.
Their role is to continually introduce Tashkeels audiences to different designers craftspeople methods materialsand ways of making through workshops mentorship and visiting residencies.

They should be equally comfortable discussing the thinking behind a design and examining how it will actually bemade. They must be able to critique and guide designers without designing on their behalf while recognising
promising talent that could progress into professional exhibition or commercial opportunities.

Above all the Interior & Furniture Design Education Lead is responsible for keeping Tashkeels design educationrelevant and progressive generating sustainable programme revenue strengthening Tanween by Tashkeeloutcomes developing meaningful design residencies and expanding Tashkeels network of designers educatorsand specialist practitioners.