Director - Cultural Programming and Visitor Experience

Role Overview

The Director of Cultural Programming and Experience will oversee the planning, curation, and execution of cultural events and experiences at the destination. This position leads the programming calendar, content creation, exhibit design, visitor journey optimization, and manages external partnerships to ensure an engaging, authentic, and seamless cultural offering that supports visitor growth and business objectives throughout the year and during festival seasons.

Core Responsibilities

• Own and manage the comprehensive programming calendar, balancing operational feasibility with cultural relevance aligned to asset priorities and audience expectations.
• Lead the creation of compelling program content, narratives, and written materials that reflect cultural authenticity, driving greater interest, participation, and supporting commercial goals in collaboration with marketing and commercial teams.
• Design and oversee the complete visitor journey through all programming elements to provide a consistent, intuitive, and engaging cultural experience from arrival to participation year-round and for special events.
• Supervise the design, activation, and maintenance of exhibitions and program spaces, ensuring they deliver high-quality experiences that embody the destination's cultural story and meet operational standards.
• Manage and cultivate relationships with external cultural organizations, contributors, and partners to uphold program credibility, continuity, and alignment with the destination's cultural vision.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with operations, facilities management, marketing, and commercial departments to integrate programming needs into site readiness, operational delivery, communication strategies, and visitor engagement.

Success Metrics

• Timely and high-quality delivery of annual, seasonal, and festival programming calendars.
• Effectiveness of program content in boosting attendance and visitation growth.
• Visitor satisfaction and engagement throughout programmed touchpoints.
• Exhibit readiness and sustained quality aligned with cultural narratives.
• Robust and continuous external partnerships supporting program execution.
• Successful coordination and delivery of year-round and festival programming with internal teams.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Extensive leadership experience in cultural programming and visitor experience management.
• Proven capability to plan and sustain a year-round and seasonal cultural programming calendar.
• Strong skills in content creation, narrative development, and culturally authentic storytelling.
• Expertise in visitor journey mapping and experience design.
• Experience overseeing exhibit design and operational management.
• Ability to build and maintain effective external partnerships.
• Cross-departmental coordination and team leadership experience.

Preferred Background

• Over 10 years of relevant experience in cultural programming, exhibitions, festivals, destination experiences or related visitor attractions.
• Proven track record in public-facing cultural, heritage, entertainment, or destination settings.
• Experience collaborating with external institutions, cultural contributors and strategic partners.
• Background working within Saudi Arabian or similar regional cultural contexts.