The Courtyard Playhouse

Academy Manager

The Courtyard Playhouse | Full-Time | Dubai, UAE

Introduction

We’re looking for an ambitious, organised and commercially minded Academy Manager to lead and grow our Workshops Department at The Courtyard Playhouse.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who loves education, creativity and people, but also enjoys the business side of making things happen.

You’ll take ownership of the day-to-day operations, financial performance and continued growth of our Academy, ensuring that our students have an exceptional experience, our teachers are supported, and our programmes continue to thrive.

We’re looking for someone who doesn't just keep things running, but is constantly asking, "How can we make this even better?"

Perks of working at The Courtyard Playhouse

• Be part of a creative, friendly and close-knit team where your ideas and contributions matter.
• Take ownership of a department with genuine opportunities to make an impact.
• Work in a vibrant theatre environment surrounded by performers, educators and creative professionals.
• Free access to selected theatre workshops, classes and performances.
• Opportunities for professional development, leadership growth and mentorship.
• The freedom to introduce new ideas, improve systems and help shape the future of our Academy.
• Regular team socials, performances and community events.

A week in the life

One day you might be reviewing enrolment figures and identifying opportunities to grow a programme. The next, you're observing a class, supporting a teacher, planning the next term or working with Marketing on a campaign to attract new students.

You could be coordinating a holiday camp, resolving a parent's concern, reviewing budgets or presenting a new idea to the Leadership Team.

You'll spend your time balancing people, operations, creativity and commercial performance. No two weeks look quite the same, but everything you do contributes to creating exceptional learning experiences and a thriving Academy.

What you’ll do

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Academy Leadership & Operations

• Take full ownership of the Academy's operations, performance and continuous improvement.
• Ensure the department meets its financial, operational and customer experience objectives.
• Lead the planning and scheduling of workshop terms, holiday camps, showcases and special programmes.
• Oversee the smooth running of classes, ensuring teachers, students and parents have everything they need.
• Identify operational challenges and implement practical, long-term solutions.
• Develop and improve systems, processes and documentation to increase efficiency and consistency.

Growth & Financial Performance

• Identify opportunities to grow enrolments, revenue, retention and profitability.
• Monitor key performance indicators, including enrolments, attendance, conversion rates, customer feedback and financial performance.
• Analyse data and prepare regular performance reports with recommendations for improvement.
• Develop initiatives to improve customer experience, operational efficiency and commercial performance.
• Work closely with Finance on budgets, forecasting, invoicing and profitability.
• Work with Marketing to develop campaigns that attract new students and encourage existing students to return.
• Research industry trends and explore opportunities for new programmes and services.

People & Teaching Quality

• Recruit, onboard, train and manage workshop teachers, assistant teachers and coordinators.
• Build a positive, accountable and collaborative department culture.
• Maintain high teaching standards through regular observations, feedback and coaching.
• Support the professional development of teachers and team members.
• Ensure consistent delivery of high-quality learning experiences across all programmes.
• Address performance concerns constructively and proactively.

Customer Experience & Community

• Ensure students and parents receive a consistently excellent experience from their first enquiry to their final showcase.
• Build strong relationships with students, parents, teachers and the wider Playhouse community.
• Handle customer concerns professionally and identify opportunities to prevent recurring issues.
• Use feedback and customer insights to improve programmes and services.
• Develop initiatives that encourage student loyalty, repeat enrolments and community engagement.

Strategy & Collaboration

• Work closely with the Leadership Team to develop and deliver the Academy's growth objectives.
• Present performance updates, improvement plans and strategic recommendations.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Finance, Artistic and Front of House to ensure smooth operations.
• Take initiative, identify opportunities and turn ideas into practical action.
• Contribute to maintaining The Courtyard Playhouse's reputation as a leader in creative education.

What we’re looking for

• Experience managing programmes, education, events, operations or a similar department.
• Strong leadership skills and the confidence to coach, support and hold a team accountable.
• A commercially minded approach, with an understanding of budgets, revenue and profitability.
• Confidence working with numbers, analysing performance and making data-driven decisions.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with warmth and professionalism.
• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset and the initiative to make things happen.
• The ability to balance big-picture thinking with hands-on execution.
• A genuine interest in education, creativity, performing arts and community building.
• A commitment to continuous improvement and finding better ways of doing things.

Most importantly, we're looking for someone who thinks like an owner, takes responsibility and genuinely cares about making the Academy a success.

How to apply

If you're excited by the idea of leading a creative education department, developing people, improving systems and driving meaningful growth, we'd love to hear from you.

Join us and help shape the next chapter of The Courtyard Playhouse Academy.