Manager - Regional Cultural Program

Qiddiya is Saudi Arabia's future capital of entertainment, sports, and culture — a 360 km² mega-project just outside Riyadh. From F1-grade racetracks and theme parks to stadiums and performance venues, we're creating a destination like no other. This is more than a project — it's a national transformation. As construction accelerates, we're hiring ambitious talent to help shape it. If you're driven by scale, impact, and the chance to build something iconic from the ground up — Qiddiya is calling Role Purpose Lead the planning, coordination, and delivery of regional cultural programming, ensuring representation of Saudi regions through authentic, engaging, and high-quality cultural experiences aligned with overall programming objectives. Key Responsibilities Program Planning & Delivery - Develop, produce, deliver, and manage detailed programming plans for all regional pavilions, aligned with the overall programming calendar - Structure daily and seasonal schedules across regions to ensure diversity, balance, and continuous visitor engagement - Coordinate delivery of performances, demonstrations, and experiences across regional zones Cultural Representation & Content Development - Curate authentic regional content in collaboration with regional entities and cultural stakeholders - Ensure consistency in quality, storytelling, and visitor experience across all regional pavilions - Define program requirements, themes, and cultural narratives for each region Stakeholder & Government Coordination - Manage relationships with regional representatives, government entities, and cultural institutions - Coordinate participation, logistics, and readiness of all regional contributors - Ensure alignment with stakeholder expectations and cultural objectives Operational Integration & Readiness - Coordinate with Operations, FM, and Asset teams to ensure readiness of all regional spaces - Ensure program feasibility, scheduling, and capacity planning across pavilions - Support setup, rehearsals, and live delivery across all regions Performance & Continuous Improvement - Monitor visitor engagement and attendance across regional programs - Identify underperforming areas and implement improvements - Ensure consistent delivery standards across all regional experiences - Drive financial performance of regional programs through program planning, development, and delivery - Work with Commercial to identify and develop revenue opportunities that support program financial sustainability - Maintain strong knowledge of and relationships with regional cultural organizations and stakeholders - Establish and manage relationships with relevant regional and international cultural entities and aligned programs/events Key Success Metrics - Participation of regional stakeholders - Visitor engagement across regional pavilions - Quality and authenticity of representation - Delivery of regional program budget in line with approved targets Required Skills & Competencies - Strong understanding of Saudi regional culture and heritage - Stakeholder coordination and relationship management - Event/program delivery capability - Cultural sensitivity and attention to detail - Strong cross-functional collaboration skills across programming, commercial, marketing, and ecosystem teams - Ability to balance cultural integrity with commercial objectives and outcomes Requirements - 6-10 years of experience, with a strong background in cultural programming, event management, or heritage-related initiatives - Proven experience working with regional cultural programs, heritage initiatives, or community-based cultural activities - Strong understanding of Saudi regional cultures, traditions, and heritage diversity - Experience ensuring authentic representation and cultural accuracy across multiple contributors - Demonstrated experience managing multiple stakeholders, including: - Government entities - Regional representatives - Cultural institutions - Ability to coordinate and align diverse stakeholders with varying expectations and requirements - Experience working within structured or government-led environments is preferred - Proven experience in planning and delivering multi-activity or multi-location programs - Ability to manage parallel program streams across different zones or locations - Experience translating high-level programming plans into detailed schedules and execution plans - Experience working closely with operations teams to ensure program feasibility and delivery - Understanding of site logistics, capacity management, and event constraints - Ability to support delivery in live, fast-paced environments - Experience in large-scale cultural festivals, national events, or destination programming - Exposure to multi-regional or multi-cultural program environments - Experience in pre-opening or activation phases is an advantage