Program Director - Mental Health & Wellbeing

alkalma Healthcare; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 450,000 - 750,000; Full time

Job summary

alkalma Healthcare seeks a senior Program Director to design, commercialise, and scale mental health and wellbeing programs for corporate and government clients in the UAE. You will lead from concept through market launch, shaping a portfolio that reflects evidence-based practice and strong client value.

You will blend clinical literacy with commercial acumen to build business cases, price programs, and close deals with sophisticated stakeholders while ensuring delivery excellence and program

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in program design, health services development, or commercial health management.
• Proven B2B sales experience in healthcare or professional services.
• Significant UAE healthcare market experience.
• Deep clinical literacy in mental health and wellbeing.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen with ability to build a business case and pricing.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop alkalma's mental health program portfolio from concept to full specification.
• Ensure programs are evidence-based and DHA/DOH compliant.
• Build scalable program models for deployment across sites.
• Develop pricing structures and commercial models; manage client relationships through the pipeline and contracts.
• Oversee delivery of contracted programs and report outcomes to clients and the CHO.

Skills

Program design

B2B sales

Healthcare market experience

Clinical literacy

Commercial acumen

Education

Bachelor's degree in health sciences/business/psychology

Master's degree (MBA/MPH) strongly preferred

Tools

PMP

PRINCE2

Job description

This is a rare, senior opportunity for a commercially minded health professional to shape alkalma's program portfolio from the ground up. As Program Director, you will design, commercialise, and scale a portfolio of structured mental health and wellbeing programs for corporate clients, government entities, insurers, schools, and community partners — while working closely with alkalma's clinical and executive leadership to ensure every program reflects the highest standard of evidence-based practice.

The role demands an unusual combination: deep clinical literacy in mental health and wellbeing, the commercial acumen to build a business case and price a program, and the sales confidence to pitch and close deals with sophisticated external stakeholders. You will own the full lifecycle — from idea and clinical design through to market launch, client acquisition, delivery oversight, and renewal.

Reporting directly to the Chief Health Officer, you will have the mandate, the clinical and operational support, and the platform to build something meaningful at a time when mental health has never been higher on the UAE's corporate and public health agenda.

What You Will Do

Program Design & Development

• Design and develop alkalma's mental health and wellbeing program portfolio — including EAPs, structured group interventions, clinical pathways, awareness campaigns, and institutional partnerships — from concept through to full program specification.
• Work closely with the CHO, Medical Directors, and clinical leads to ensure all programs are evidence-based, clinically governed, and compliant with DHA/DOH regulatory standards.
• Build tiered, scalable program models that can be deployed across all alkalma sites and adapted for external delivery contexts.

Commercialisation & Revenue Generation

• Develop commercial models, pricing structures, and packaging for the full program portfolio; build business cases for new program investments.
• Own the commercial pipeline — identify and qualify leads, manage relationships with prospective clients, and convert opportunities into signed contracts.
• Negotiate service agreements with corporate clients, government entities, insurers, and institutional partners; develop referral and co-delivery partnerships.

Market Development & Client Engagement

• Identify and develop target market segments in the UAE — corporate employers, government health authorities, educational institutions, NGOs, and insurance networks.
• Lead or contribute to proposals, pitch decks, capability statements, and RFP responses; represent alkalma at industry events and stakeholder forums.
• Gather market intelligence on client needs, pricing benchmarks, and emerging mental health trends to inform program development and positioning.

Delivery, Quality & Reporting

• Oversee delivery of contracted programs — scheduling, resource allocation, facilitator briefing, and logistics — to the agreed specification and quality standard.
• Establish outcome monitoring frameworks; report program effectiveness data to clients and to the CHO regularly.
• Manage client relationships through the delivery phase: progress check-ins, issue resolution, and contract renewal.

What We're Looking For

Essential

• 8+ years of experience in program design, health services development, or commercial health management — with a demonstrated track record of designing and commercialising structured health or wellbeing programs.
• Proven B2B sales experience in a healthcare or professional services context — including client acquisition, proposal development, and contract negotiation.
• Significant experience in the UAE healthcare market; familiarity with DHA/DOH frameworks, insurance ecosystems, and corporate health procurement is essential.
• Deep clinical literacy in mental health and wellbeing — able to engage meaningfully with clinical content and earn the confidence of clinical teams, without being a practitioner.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen — able to build a business case, model pricing, and read a P&L.
• Bachelor's degree in a health sciences, business, psychology, or related field; Master's degree (MBA, MPH, or equivalent) strongly preferred.

Valued

• Arabic language proficiency — a significant advantage for client engagement across the UAE.
• Experience with EAPs, occupational health programs, group clinical interventions, or population health initiatives.
• Certification in project management (PMP, PRINCE2) or health management.
• Established professional network in the UAE corporate wellness, government health, or insurance sectors.

Why alkalma

alkalma offers a rare opportunity to build something that matters. Mental health is at the top of the UAE's national and corporate health agenda — and alkalma is positioned to lead the market with a clinical offering that is evidence-based, culturally grounded, and genuinely impactful.

What you can expect:

• A senior mandate with real authority — reporting to the CHO and working alongside the CEO and clinical leadership.
• The opportunity to build alkalma's commercial programs function from an early stage, with the clinical and operational platform already in place.
• A multidisciplinary clinical team committed to excellence, whose capabilities you will translate into real-world programs.
• A fast-growing organisation with regional ambition and a compelling mission.