Foreground is proudly supporting one of the leading learning academies in Saudi Arabia in the establishment of its new Hospitality and Culinary Education division. As part of this strategic expansion we are partnering with them to appoint a Director of Strategic Partnerships & Development Hospitality & Culinary Education to spearhead the launch growth and commercial success of this new business line.
Role Overview
This is a founding leadership role responsible for building the Hospitality and Culinary division from the ground up. The Director will oversee facility development forge global academic and industry partnerships and drive the strategic and commercial growth of the division. The focus is on business development partnerships operational setup and commercial performance rather than academic curriculum creation.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the endtoend establishment of the Hospitality and Culinary Education division including facility specifications (kitchens classrooms operational infrastructure).
- Develop and execute a strategic partnership plan to secure alliances with leading international hospitality and culinary institutions especially in Switzerland France and Europe.
- Source and implement international curricula and educational programs through strategic partnerships not through inhouse curriculum development.
- Build and manage a specialized team to deliver highquality industryrelevant training programs.
- Establish strong corporate relationships to drive program sponsorships internships and employment pathways.
- Lead business development initiatives to drive enrollment growth corporate engagement and revenue generation.
- Represent the Academy at major industry forums exhibitions and corporate networking events.
- Work closely with the executive team to ensure alignment with the Academys overall vision and commercial objectives.
Qualifications
- 5 years of experience in the hospitality or culinary sector with strong emphasis on operational leadership business development and strategic partnership building.
- Proven ability to launch or expand business units particularly in hospitality or educationrelated sectors.
- Strong international network with hospitality culinary schools or global industry organizations.
- Experience setting up facilities managing operational needs and executing strategic growth initiatives.
- Experience in Saudi Arabia or the GCC is preferred; UAEbased candidates will also be considered.
- Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to lead projects from concept to operational reality.
- Fluent in English; Arabic language skills are a strong advantage.
- Commercially driven relationshiporiented and passionate about building future talent pipelines in hospitality and culinary arts.