creative digital innovation manager

Reports to: Head of Research Strategy

Location: MHCC on site/hybrid

Type: Full-time

About the MHCC

Vision

The Mohammed bin Hamad al-Sharqi Foundation for Cultural Creativity is a dynamic hub where Arabic and Islamic cultural heritage meets digital innovation,reviving traditional knowledge forms, empowering creative experimentation, and catalysing cross-cultural exchange that shapes the future of the arts, literature, and philosophy.

Mission

We preserve and revitalise the heritage of the Arab world and wider Mediterranean and Indian Ocean cultural region, transforming traditional knowledge in Arabic and Islamic philosophy, literature, and visual arts into living practices that speak to contemporary audiences.

As a digital incubator, we lead innovation in arts and culture, providing emerging artists, writers, researchers, and thinkers with cutting-edge tools and platforms to experiment, create, and share their work globally.

We foster deep cross-cultural dialogue and knowledge transmission through publishing, language pedagogy, artistic collaboration, and intellectual exchange, connecting local traditions with regional and global conversations to enrich society.

Position Overview

We are seeking a
Creative Digital Innovation Manager
to lead digital projects at the intersection of emerging technologies and the humanities, with a focus on the history, art, and literature of the Arab and wider Islamic world. This role will oversee initiatives across MHCC's four subsidiaries; publishing, philosophy, language pedagogy, and poetry, developing transformative projects that integrate contemporary digital tools and technologies into our research and cultural strategies. The ideal candidate will have proven experience managing digital research or digital arts and humanities projects, deep technical knowledge of emerging technologies, and flexible, creative, and ethical thinking about their applications, including AI.

Key Responsibilities

Project Leadership & Innovation

• Design and deliver digital projects employing emerging technologies across publishing, philosophy, poetry, and language pedagogy.
• Create a collaborative sandbox environment where research groups and creative practitioners can explore technological applications to Arabic and Islamic cultural, literary and linguistic materials.
• Lead interdisciplinary teams to explore emerging technologies such as AI and interactive media in Arabic literature, Islamic philosophy, poetry, and cultural heritage.
• Develop prototypes and pilot programs that test new methodologies for digital practice in Arabic and Islamic intellectual and cultural history and creative practice rooted in Arabic cultural traditions.
• Transform conceptual ideas into functional applications that create new possibilities for engaging with language, intellectual history, and contemporary Arabic and Islamic culture.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration & Community Building

• Foster technological collaboration between diverse stakeholders including Arabic scholars, Islamic studies specialists, technologists, designers, artists, calligraphers, poets, anthropologists and cultural specialists.
• Facilitate workshops and collaborative sessions that enable technological experimentation with textual, literary, artistic and cultural materials.
• Build connections across the subsidiaries to identify opportunities for technological innovation in publishing, literature, philosophy, language teaching, and cultural heritage.
• Develop partnerships with research groups, academic institutions, arts organizations, technology initiatives and labs, and creative communities.

Exploring Technology-Humanities Interfaces

• Develop applications of machine learning, natural language processing, and AI for a range of literary texts, philosophical works, classical and contemporary Arabic poetry, cultural heritage and visual and linguistic materials.
• Prototype interactive and generative systems that reimagine how audiences experience cultural content, intellectual heritage, and contemporary creativity.
• Experiment with and create immersive technologies and computational approaches to textual analysis, poetry visualization (including classical Arabic poetic forms), Islamic philosophy, and art forms.
• Create experiences and projects that enable new forms of discovery and scholarly engagement with literary traditions, intellectual history, and linguistic resources.

Strategic Vision & Impact

• Contribute to MHCC's vision to lead experimentation in transformative technologies and experiences in Arabic and Islamic cultural contexts.
• Monitor emerging technologies and evaluate their potential to impact how people engage with arts, humanities, philosophy and contemporary creativity and thought.
• Build strategic partnerships with organizations working at the intersection of technology and culture.
• Represent the MHCC in professional networks working at the interface of technological and cultural innovation.
• Develop research into technologies and digital initiatives that demonstrate excellence in creative future-oriented practice rooted in Arab cultural traditions.

Knowledge Sharing & Thought Leadership

• Document experimental technology projects and share the outcomes with the digital humanities research community.
• Conduct research and share findings through projects, publications, presentations, and lectures on language technologies, cultural preservation, and digital heritage.
• Stay up to date with new technologies and develop innovative tools and ideas for Arabic digital humanities, Islamic texts, and cultural heritage.
• Guide, advise, and mentor colleagues and MHCC subsidiaries on integrating digital tools into their work in publishing, intellectual history, poetry, and language pedagogy.
• Inspire creativity and innovative application of emerging technologies to Arabic cultural futures and Islamic intellectual traditions.

Required Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in computer science, digital humanities, media studies, digital arts, design, information science, or related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience managing and delivering digital arts or digital humanities projects from concept to completion.
• Deep knowledge of emerging technologies and proven ability to apply them creatively in humanities contexts.
• Flexible, creative, and critical thinking in experimenting with emerging technologies.
• Portfolio of innovative digital projects, especially at the intersection of technology, text, language, arts, culture, philosophy, visual or material culture, and/or cultural heritage.
• Strong collaboration skills in diverse, multilingual teams, with mentoring and capacity-building experience.
• Excellent project management skills for coordinating multiple concurrent initiatives.
• Outstanding written and oral communication, with ability to translate between technical and humanistic vocabularies and sensitivity to Arabic cultural contexts.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience creating transformative digital experiences, including immersive technologies, that enhance engagement with Arabic cultural content or Islamic heritage.
• Experience with computational Arabic text analysis, machine learning applications, or interactive media development for Arabic/Islamic contexts.
• Knowledge of digital preservation standards, metadata frameworks, and heritage documentation technologies.
• Familiarity with Arabic OCR/HTR technologies, right-to-left text processing, Arabic digital publishing platforms, and web-based creative tools.
• Experience with Arabic calligraphy, Islamic geometric patterns, or other traditional arts in digital applications.
• Understanding of pedagogical approaches and digital tools for second-language acquisition.
• Experience building partnerships across academic, cultural, and technological organizations.
• Published research or creative work on technology-humanities interfaces in Arabic, Islamic, or Middle Eastern contexts.
• Knowledge of Arabic language and familiarity with literary traditions, philosophical texts, or classical poetry.
• Awareness of contemporary Arab digital creators, web culture, and emerging trends in creative technologies.

Working Environment

You will join a collegial community that values intellectual curiosity, experimentation, critical analysis, collaborative innovation, and deep knowledge for Arabic and Islamic cultural and intellectual traditions. The role requires travel for conferences, meetings, and collaborative site visits, including travel within the UAE and broader Middle East region. This position operates with flexible hybrid arrangements, balancing remote work with onsite collaboration.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Comprehensive benefits package including health insurance and professional development training.
• Generous holiday allowance and flexible working arrangements
• Support for conferences, publications, and continued education, including Arabic language or Islamic studies
• Opportunity to work in a dynamic environment driving innovation and cultural impact in Arabic and Islamic contexts
• Involvement in cutting-edge projects at the intersection of Arabic heritage and digital innovation

To Apply

Please submit a cover letter, CV, and a portfolio of 3–5 relevant projects. Preference will be given to work related to Arabic language, Islamic culture, or Middle Eastern and Asian contexts. In your cover letter, briefly describe your technical background and propose one experimental project using Arabic or Islamic cultural materials.

MHCC is committed to building a diverse community and strongly encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds. We believe transformative innovation emerges through collaboration with varied perspectives and experiences, enabling us to create better futures by, with, and for all communities.