Head of Industry Talent Attraction

About the Role

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) seeks an experienced professional for the position of Head of Industry Talent Attraction. This 12-month freelance contract involves leading a strategic initiative to attract international talent to support the growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture, tourism, and creative sectors. The role entails designing a comprehensive talent attraction proposition incorporating visa support, incentives, relocation aid, and operational facilitation, while targeting priority audiences worldwide and delivering substantial talent acquisition results.

Key Responsibilities

• Create a complete talent attraction product covering visa arrangements, both monetary and non-monetary incentives, operational help, business setup, licensing, administrative support, and relocation facilitation.
• Specify relocation assistance including housing, family services, onboarding, and cultural integration into the local community.
• Conduct benchmarking against other leading global talent destinations to build a competitive offer tailored to diverse target groups.
• Map out the entire applicant journey, from initial contact through arrival and settlement, defining eligibility, application processes, approval, onboarding, and follow-up protocols.
• Set clear service standards for every phase of the application and relocation process.
• Identify and quantify priority talent segments and select optimal source regions and attraction methods based on talent availability, mobility tendencies, and sector demands.
• Customize propositions to address the professional, financial, lifestyle, and family needs of different target audiences.
• Develop operational structures to manage applications, case workflows, and oversee relocation and support service partners.
• Collaborate with government bodies to manage visa mechanisms, incentive authorization, and regulatory compliance.
• Facilitate talent connection to sector-specific job platforms, entrepreneurial opportunities, and funding sources.
• Monitor applicant experiences and resolve any operational issues throughout their journey.
• Partner with marketing to plan and execute the global promotion strategy, including messaging, channels, campaigns, partnerships, and presence at key international events.
• Co-manage the conversion funnel from awareness through application, approval, and arrival, leveraging data insights to optimize targeting and messaging.
• Define and manage key performance indicators for talent attraction, tracking applications, approvals, arrivals, job placements, and retention rates.
• Analyze performance data by segment and source location, adapting strategies as needed.
• Oversee the talent attraction budget effectively.

Candidate Profile

• Proven skills in product design and management, including crafting value propositions, mapping customer journeys, delivering services via partners, and iterating based on conversion metrics.
• Excellent command of English.
• Preferred experience includes designing and implementing global talent attraction or relocation programs with measurable results.
• Familiarity with visa types and incentive schemes commonly utilized in international talent programs, such as digital nomad visas, long-term residency options, and relocation benefits.
• Experience liaising with government agencies, regulatory bodies, and cross-sector collaborators.
• Arabic proficiency is advantageous.

Contract Details

This opportunity is a 12-month freelance contract based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.