Imaging Rights Unit Head // Cultural Institution

This is a Generic JD - not the client official JD

Position: Imaging Rights Unit Head

Job Overview: 

Our client, a leading cultural institute in Abu Dhabi, is seeking a highly experienced and detail-oriented Imaging Rights Unit Head to lead and oversee all matters related to image rights, licensing, permissions, and intellectual property. This role is critical in ensuring the ethical and legal use of visual materials while supporting the institutes broader cultural, educational, and commercial goals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the Imaging Rights Unit and manage a team of specialists focused on rights clearance, usage policy, and licensing agreements.
  

• Develop, implement, and enforce image rights policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with international intellectual property laws.
  

• Oversee the rights management of all digitized and physical visual assets, including photographs, artworks, videos, and exhibition content.
  

• Manage licensing agreements, both incoming and outgoing, for the use of visual content in publications, exhibitions, marketing materials, and online platforms.
  

• Serve as the main point of contact for all internal departments and external partners regarding image rights usage, negotiations, and permissions.
  

• Work closely with legal, curatorial, communications, and digital teams to advise on appropriate image usage.
  

• Coordinate with artists, estates, rights holders, and agencies to secure necessary clearances.
• Maintain and update the rights metadata within the institute's digital asset management system.
  

• Stay up-to-date on developments in IP law, copyright, and rights management best practices.
  

Requirements:

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Art History, Cultural Heritage Management, Law, Museum Studies, or related fields.
  

• Minimum 7+ years of experience in rights management, ideally in a museum, archive, cultural institution, or publishing environment.
  

• Deep knowledge of copyright law, licensing practices, and rights clearance processes.
  

• Strong leadership and team management experience.
  

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and organizational skills.
  

• Familiarity with digital asset management systems (DAMS) and metadata standards.
  

• Multilingual abilities (especially Arabic and English)