National Director - Cultural Projects

Turner & Townsend Plc.; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is on the lookout for a Cultural Projects Director to lead transformative projects in the cultural sector. This role requires a visionary leader with extensive experience in managing cultural facilities, ensuring client satisfaction, and driving business growth. The successful candidate will oversee the entire project lifecycle, from initial planning to execution, while fostering collaborative relationships with stakeholders. Join a dynamic team where your expertise will shape the future of cultural institutions, ensuring they thrive in a competitive landscape. This is a unique opportunity to make a significant impact in the cultural domain.

Benefits

Flexible Working Environment

Health and Wellness Programs

Professional Development Opportunities

Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience with cultural institutions managing projects.
• Expertise in strategic advisory and innovative approaches for cultural clients.
• Proven track record in managing diverse project teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead cultural operations team to achieve strategic objectives.
• Oversee client relationships and contractual arrangements.
• Manage complete project lifecycle ensuring adherence to scope and budget.

Skills

Cultural Facility Design

Project Management

Client Relationship Management

Cost Control

Scheduling

Analytical Skills

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Related Field

Master's Degree in Related Field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

MS Project

Project Management Software

Job description

Founded in 1952 and formerly known as Heery International Inc., the firm operates throughout the United States as part of Turner & Townsend. It specializes in project and program management for public sector organizations, with industry-leading experts in corporate, cultural, healthcare, justice, sports, K-12 education, higher education, aviation and government facilities.

Recognized for service excellence by a broad spectrum of professional organizations and industry publications, the talented multidisciplinary team at Turner & Townsend Heery exceeds client expectations — adding value, best practice and expertise at every turn. The team's unique client-centric culture is integrated into each project and reflects a passion for the built environment and staying true to the client’s vision.

Job Description

Turner & Townsend Heery is seeking a Cultural Projects Director with extensive knowledge of cultural facility design, construction, and operations; understanding of owner representation and requirements for cultural institutions; mastery of scheduling, cost control and project control techniques specific to cultural venues; must have excellent written, verbal, and analytic skills; understands the dynamic and enjoys working in collaborative team project environments. The purpose of this position is to monitor design and construction projects for cultural clients, with direct accountability for project delivery.

The ideal candidate will have significant experience working with museums, performing arts centers, cultural heritage sites, or other cultural institutions delivering capital improvement programs and projects. Leadership experience with cultural organizations, educational institutions, or governmental entities managing cultural facilities is required. This individual should be a self-starter, and able to take initiative and drive activities with limited oversight, while having extensive experience leading multidisciplinary teams.

We are seeking a candidate that has experience in P&L responsibility/management, leading work streams, strong client relationship acumen, and has the desire to support the business development and growth of our cultural portfolio within our fast-paced environment. This role will be expected to support leadership and take the lead role when delivering scope with some of our major cultural clients.

Furthermore, the Cultural Director must be experienced in the coordination of Cultural Projects and Programs, and previously held executive point of contact positions between the Client, the Architect, the Contractor, and other Consultants. This position establishes positive client relationships and is responsible for ensuring all aspects of services are delivered at the highest level to ensure the Client's needs are addressed. The Cultural Director is responsible for total management of Turner & Townsend Heery cultural programs, including the complete financial management of projects and the achievement of a profitable outcome. The successful applicant will have a proven track record dealing with new, ground-up cultural construction, as well as additions and interior renovations of existing cultural facilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the cultural operations team to achieve strategic objectives and business growth in the cultural sector.
• Oversee client relationships, contractual arrangements, and serve as the executive point of contact for cultural programs.
• Conduct operational assessments of existing venues to evaluate staffing, programming, facility use, and financial performance.
• Develop and implement efficient data management systems for cultural project benchmarking and performance tracking.
• Drive business development through proposal creation, fee development, and client presentations for cultural institutions.
• Lead and manage RFP processes for clients, including drafting scopes of work, reviewing submissions, serving as advisor, and supporting selection.
• Manage the complete project lifecycle from set-up through closeout, ensuring adherence to scope, schedule, budget, and quality standards.
• Guide clients through programming and pre-design phases to align project goals with operational needs.
• Create comprehensive project plans with detailed budgeting and resource allocation for all project phases.
• Develop operational readiness plans and risk mitigation strategies to support successful facility openings, including staffing plans and launch timelines.
• Identify cross-divisional opportunities that add value for cultural clients and enhance service delivery.
• Facilitate early stakeholder meetings, workshops, and client planning sessions.
• Lead early-phase project planning efforts, including operational modeling, market analysis, and feasibility studies.
• Deliver progress reports, requirements documentation, and presentations to project teams and key stakeholders.
• Support the transition from planning phases into Owner's Representation (OR) and Project Management (PM) delivery.
• Lead project teams by clearly communicating objectives, motivating performance, and maintaining accountability.
• Cultivate collaborative relationships with owners, consultants, design professionals, and contractors throughout project execution.
• Apply expertise in project management principles, methods, and techniques specific to cultural facilities.
• Respond proactively to project risks and issues to maintain project baselines and fiscal responsibility.
• Coordinate with internal analysts and subject matter experts to produce client-ready strategic deliverables.
• Foster an environment of creative problem-solving, teamwork, and innovation across cultural project teams.
• SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of applicable experience with cultural institutions, including tracking and planning of cultural projects.
• Strategic advisory expertise at project conception, offering innovative approaches to achieve cultural clients' objectives with measurable results.
• Ability to win new cultural work of significant size within 18 months of employment.
• Excellence in client relationship management with cultural institutions and multidisciplinary stakeholders throughout project lifecycles.
• Exceptional leadership skills with demonstrated success managing diverse project teams in delivering complex cultural facility projects.
• Experience developing live event programming strategies aligned with mission, market, and revenue goals of cultural institutions.
• Superior organizational abilities to manage multiple priorities simultaneously while maintaining quality standards and meeting time-sensitive deadlines.
• Effective communication skills to develop and deliver compelling reports, proposals, and presentations to various stakeholders including executive-level decision makers.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, MS Project, and industry-specific project management software with practical knowledge of construction contracts and practices.
• Demonstrated commitment to information management, ensuring project data is properly documented, shared among team members, and securely archived for future reference.

Education/Experience

• Bachelor's degree in related field required, master's in related field preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise managing capital projects for museums, performing arts centers, and cultural heritage sites.
• Experience developing strategic consulting outcomes into actionable inputs for scope, schedule, and budget development.
• Active membership in relevant professional organizations.
• Proven track record delivering new construction, renovation, and capital maintenance projects for cultural facilities.
• Advanced knowledge of systems and best practices specific to cultural venues.
• Expert ability to interpret specifications, contract documents, and RFPs.
• Comprehensive understanding of specialized requirements for exhibition spaces, performance venues, and cultural collections.
• Experience supporting clients in planning and execution of live events, including vendor coordination and production oversight.
• Experience navigating the unique funding and stakeholder dynamics of cultural institutions.
• Success managing mission-driven projects that balance cultural significance with practical project needs.
• Ability to prioritize multiple concurrent projects while maintaining attention to detail.

Additional Information

*On-site presence and travel requirements may change depending on our client's needs

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