Vice Provost, Research, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship

Riyadh University of Arts جامعة الرياض للفنون; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 420,000 - 720,000; Full time

Job summary

Riyadh University of Arts (RUA) seeks a senior leader to direct its research, innovation, and entrepreneurship agenda. You will set strategic priorities, oversee central research services, allocate resources to centers and postgraduate programs, and guide governance, ethics, and data stewardship to maximize cultural and academic impact.

You will also drive commercialization, knowledge exchange, and external partnerships, building a diversified funding pipeline and reporting on performance to

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in research administration, innovation management, higher education leadership, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success in building research strategy, securing funding, and managing complex portfolios.
• Strong knowledge of governance, ethics, IP, partnership management, and commercialization pathways.

Responsibilities

• Direct the annual research, innovation, and entrepreneurship strategy and priorities in line with university strategy, national funding opportunities, and institutional impact goals.
• Drive a diversified funding pipeline across grants, industry, government, philanthropy, and internal seed funding.
• Oversee research information, repository, publication, open-access workflows, and data stewardship to strengthen discoverability and dissemination.
• Lead knowledge exchange pathways and partnerships to extend impact into policy, cultural, creative, and public engagement outcomes.
• Represent the function with internal and external stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and delivery.

Education

Master's degree or higher

PhD in related field (advantage)

Job description

RUA is a forward-thinking institution for cross-cultural arts education and creative innovation in the Middle East that fosters bold ideas that inspire progress and transform society by cultivating industry and academic collaboration and rethinking creative education, all while creating a space for global ideas to flourish in a culturally inspiring environment.

• Our Vision


• To be an inspiring beacon of knowledge for future generations, integrating culture and arts, empowering students to discover passions and develop talents while fostering creativity and cultural exchange.


• Our Mission


• To cultivate an innovative educational environment in culture and arts, delivering cutting-edge programs that foster cultural and artistic engagement, enriching both the Saudi and global communities.


• Our Aspirations


• The leading cultural university across the Middle East and North Africa.


• Ranked among top 50 universities worldwide specializing in cultural education.


• A global hub for cultural education and knowledge exchange.

Job Summary

Leads the university’s research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and research excellence agenda by setting strategic priorities, directing central research services, and allocating resources to research centers, postgraduate research, and innovation programs. Drives research governance, ethics, data stewardship, publication support, and performance management, while guiding commercialization, knowledge exchange, and external partnerships that convert research into measurable academic, societal, cultural, and commercial impact.

General Accountabilities

Strategy and Planning

• Oversee the design and implementation of Research, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship department’s strategic plan, objectives, and goals ensuring alignment with RUA's strategy.


• Direct and approve the department’s operational plans and oversee implementation securing achievement of identified objectives.


• Develop the department’s performance objectives and indicators and continuously monitor progress towards realization of objectives.

Budget Management

• Oversee Research, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship budgeting cycle and lead budgeting process.


• Direct overall operations effectively within budget, and report accurately on progress made and challenges encountered to the Provost.

Policies, Processes, and Procedures

• Oversee the design and set up of Research, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship department’s policies, processes and procedures to align with and exceed best-in class standards.


• Oversee the implementation of procedures and controls to ensure efficiency, transparency and accountability across all business areas within the function.


• Oversee regular reviews of policies, processes, guidelines, and procedures to confirm alignment with RUA requirements and market developments, and coordinate corrective actions where needed.

People Management

• Inspire the team and provide guidance, delegation and mentorship to create a performance-driven culture.


• Ensure availability and qualification of team through recruitment, training, development and performance management.


• Take actions to enhance employee engagement and motivation.

Provide clear top-down communication to employees and bottom-up feedback to senior management

Job Specific Accountabilities

Research Strategy, Funding, and Portfolio Management

• Guide the annual research, innovation, and entrepreneurship strategy and priorities in line with university strategy, national funding opportunities, and institutional impact goals.


• Set thematic research priorities, center-level targets, target outputs, and milestone timelines.


• Drive a diversified funding pipeline across competitive grants, industry, government, philanthropy, and internal seed funding.


• Approve transparent allocation of research funds to centers, projects, and postgraduate research using evidence-based criteria.


• Formulate short-term operational plans, resource requirements, and performance indicators for the function.

Research Excellence, Publications, and Knowledge Systems

• Lead institutional research excellence support, including proposal development, grants administration, sponsored research agreements, and funder reporting.


• Direct research information, repository, publication, and open-access workflows to strengthen discoverability and dissemination.


• Champion research data management, secure storage, retention, sharing, and stewardship practices in partnership with D&T.


• Advise researchers on manuscript submission, journal selection, publication standards, and scholarly visibility.


• Oversee library and archival research services, including special collections, digitization, licensing, and subject liaison support.


• Deliver training and capacity-building for researchers and postgraduate researchers on research integrity, publications, and data stewardship.

Research Centers and Postgraduate Research

• Govern research and other centers through approved charters, operating policies, and KPI oversight.


• Direct center portfolio selection, project approvals, peer review processes, and milestone reviews.


• Guide the postgraduate research lifecycle from recruitment and admission through supervision, progress reviews, ethics, and completion.


• Approve scholarship and stipend administration and monitor completion, retention, and progression metrics.


• Strengthen central research infrastructure and shared services that enable researchers and postgraduate students to succeed.


• Build interdisciplinary collaboration, visiting scholar, exchange, and partnership activity that strengthens center performance and reputation.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

• Lead innovation and entrepreneurship programs that translate research and creative work into market-ready products, services, and ventures.


• Screen invention disclosures and guide market validation, protection, patenting, licensing, and spin-out pathways.


• Approve incubator, accelerator, and venture support initiatives, including mentoring, business enablement, and prototyping clinics.


• Broker industry pilots, commercialization partnerships, and ecosystem resources that advance adoption and scale.


• Develop knowledge exchange pathways that extend impact into policy, cultural, creative, professional, and public engagement outcomes.


• Track startup, licensing, revenue, jobs, and pilot conversion outcomes to refine programs and demonstrate impact.

Governance, Compliance, Performance, and Stakeholder Management

• Establish and maintain research policies, procedures, and controls that support integrity, accountability, and operational excellence.


• Direct ethics, IRB, and compliance processes for sponsored research and research-related activities


• Advise on intellectual property, technology transfer, memoranda of understanding, and funder compliance obligations.


• Maintain dashboards and quarterly reports covering grant income, publications, citations, patents, postgraduate progress, commercialization metrics, and impact outcomes.


• Reallocate resources based on performance trends, risk, and strategic priorities.

Represent the function with internal and external stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and delivery.

Knowledge & Experience

• 10+ years of progressive experience in research administration, innovation management, higher education leadership, or a related field, including at least 4 years in a managerial position


• Demonstrated success in building research strategy, securing competitive funding, and managing complex research or innovation portfolios


• Strong knowledge of research governance, ethics, intellectual property, partnership management, and commercialization pathways.

Education & Certifications

• Master degree in in research management, higher education leadership, business administration, innovation management, or a related discipline


• Doctorate is an advantage where the role requires deep research credibility and scholarly engagement


• Professional certifications in research administration, project management, innovation, or knowledge transfer are an advantage

Internal Stakeholders

• School and Colleges leaderships


• Faculty Affairs


• Digital &Technology (D&T)


• Legal & GRC functions


• Vice Deans of Research & Innovation (across Schools)

External Stakeholders

• National Research Funding Bodies and Grant Councils


• Industry Partners and Commercial Collaborators


• Government Ministries, Regulators, And Policy Bodies


• Publishers, Journals, and Scholarly Networks


• Philanthropic Foundations and Donors

RUA represents a platform for discovery, a space where talent is nurtured, and a gateway for Saudi art and culture to the world. We welcome you to join us on this exceptional journey. Together, we will shape the ambitious cultural future of the Kingdom and inspire the world.

As the first of its kind in the MENA region, RUA serves as a center of creativity, knowledge, and innovation, contributing to shaping the future of Saudi Arabia’s cultural ecosystem and creative economy, driving the growth of Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.