Riyadh University of Arts Film College Program Manager

University of Southern California•Los Angeles, CA

1d•$109,264 - $140,000•Onsite

About The Position

SAUDI FILM ACADEMY PROGRAM MANAGER Introduction The USC School of Cinematic Arts’ International Programs team is at the forefront of global film and media training. Since 2005, the USC School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) has successfully developed and provided customized consulting services and on-site training for international film schools, global media companies, and government agencies investing in emerging media markets around the world. Current and past consulting and training programs have spanned the cinematic arts landscape with hands-on expertise in curriculum development, facilities and equipment design, recruiting and assessing prospective faculty, student admissions and program evaluations, as well as targeted in-person and virtual training programs for students, professionals, and educators. SCA has recently entered into a one-year consulting agreement with the new (not yet open) Riyadh University of the Arts (RUA) in Saudi Arabia, a joint association with the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Princess Nourah University. RUA is being designed as a multi-discipline accredited university with academies for music, theater, visual arts, and film. The Film Academy is tentatively scheduled to launch its initial four-year undergraduate cinema degree program in late 2026, as well as offering shorter term cinema diploma certificate courses. By Year Five, the Academy’s goal is 500 enrolled students. The USC School of Cinematic Arts has been selected to consult in the design and development of the Film Academy’s curriculum and course preparation, instructor training programs, and advisement services for student admissions, physical space allocation, facilities and classrooms, cinema library, preparation of the Academy’s handbooks for faculty, staff and students through its collaboration with RUA’s president and senior Academy leadership. Year one of this program will focus entirely on the design, preparation, and delivery of required reports, guides and advisory services to support RUA in meeting these goals and deadlines. Job Summary The Program Manager will have the overall responsibility for all programmatic, administrative, and budgetary components of this new unique project. The program manager will work closely with SCA faculty, staff and entertainment professionals to design and deliver multiple academic cinematic arts courses syllabi for Bachelor’s degree and diploma program students attending the new University of the Arts Film Academy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The manager will also work closely with senior University of the Arts, Saudi Ministry of Culture and educational management specialists to prepare, deliver and administer advisory services, documentation and reports outlined in the approved Scope of Work (SOW) in a timely manner. This position will initially be a USC one-year contract. Continuing beyond that period will be partially dependent on whether SCA and RUA extend their relationship for one or more additional years, and after SCA’s evaluation of the program manager’s performance during the first year. The program manager will report to SCA’s Associate Dean of International Projects. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in program management and leadership as well as preexisting familiarity of or current professional involvement within the larger MENA media and education communities. The successful candidate should be an active collaborator, exceptional communicator, flexible and calm in the face of challenges, and passionate about developing young talent. This position will be in-person and based fulltime at the USC School of Cinematic Arts on the main USC campus in Los Angeles. This is a fixed-term benefits eligible staff position.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree required in film, television, media education or related disciplines from an accredited university or college.
Pre-existing awareness and interest in the MENA cinema and television industries, and a strong sense of international socio-political and cultural geography and sensitivities.
Minimum five years of work experience at a management leadership level in a related field
Exceptional writing and communication skills
Budget organization and management
Strong organizational skills with the ability to oversee multiple projects daily
Adaptable and resourceful in the face of unexpected problems
Outstanding people skills to collaborate with many types of individuals in diverse cultural settings
Problem identification and resolution
Ability to undertake occasional international travel, particularly to the Middle East.
Awareness and sensitivity for other cultures, religions, national identity

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree or work experience/education as substitute for the MA.
Current or prior management-level work experience at a national university or college
International living or work experience, preferably in the Middle East, as a filmmaker, business executive, senior manager, consultant or educator
Pre-existing relationships with MENA creative talent, management and organizations
Experience in the American and/or international film/TV industries
Fluency in a second language; Arabic speaking skills preferred
U.S. citizenship or a permanent work visa in the U.S.

Responsibilities

Develop the operational and administrative vision of the program that aligns with the Saudi Film Academy and are within SCA’s established guidelines.
Conduct research, establish realistic program goals and create plans to implement and supervise the preparation, completion and delivery of reports, documentation, course curricula and planned activities for the key stake holders. Responsible for the preparation of all required external and internal written materials related to the partnership’s development. The focus in the first year will be the development, design and timely delivery of multiple documents and reports for review and approval by the designated Saudi institutions.
Serve as the primary liaison between SCA and the Saudi institutions and assigned personnel through regularly scheduled virtual meetings and correspondence, overseeing and reviewing the status of assigned activities and deadlines, and aligning SCA program activities to support those objectives.
Oversee the program’s daily operations, working with senior SCA leadership and assigned International Programs staff, as well as with selected SCA instructors, staff, and possible outside independent contractors who will prepare and deliver high quality approved materials and outcomes.
Responsible for identifying, developing, and maintaining key relationships with assigned Saudi representatives from each of the participating Saudi government and educational institutions and other officials, as well as with MENA creative artists, schools, professional facility and technical facility companies.
Develop a network of SCA faculty and Hollywood/international industry professionals to serve as potential instructors and mentors. Establish performance standards and evaluation strategies for the larger diploma and Bachelor’s degree programs and courses.
Navigate cross-cultural settings and successfully bridge gaps in understanding between American/international instructors and the Saudi Film Academy partners and participants. Collaborate with SCA instructors to assure that course content is relevant and respectful in their cultural context.
In collaboration with the SCA International staff and HR, prepare the Program Administrator position’s responsibilities and qualifications, post and hire. The selected candidate will relocate to Saudi for six months during the first year to be the primary administrative liaison and manager with our Saudi counterparts, reporting directly to the program manager.
Perform other related duties as assigned or requested. The University reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.
The person selected for this position should be currently living or based in Southern California and agree to work in-person at USC up to five days a week. If relocating to Los Angeles, you must be able to start work on the designated first date of employment at USC. No relocation expenses will be provided or reimbursed.