Director, Student Counseling Center

About the role

The Director of the Student Counseling Center reports to the Assistant Provost of Student Affairs and provides strategic leadership for counseling, health, and wellness services across Zayed University’s Abu Dhabi and Dubai campuses. The role combines operational management, clinical supervision, program development, and policy oversight to ensure high‑quality, culturally‑sensitive mental health support for students.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and manage daily operations of the Student Counseling Centers, Health Clinics, and Wellness Services on both campuses.
• Develop, update, and enforce job descriptions, staffing plans, and professional development programs for clinical and administrative staff.
• Oversee delivery of empirically‑validated, confidential counseling and psychological services, ensuring compliance with ethical standards and UAE health regulations.
• Collaborate with academic units, student groups, and external partners to assess mental‑health needs and design responsive programs and outreach initiatives.
• Drive research initiatives to evaluate student mental‑health trends and the effectiveness of interventions.
• Manage crisis response systems, referrals, and community resource networks.
• Supervise clinical supervision, quality‑assurance practices, and the confidential counseling records system.
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators, budgeting, staffing, and policy frameworks aligned with university mission.

Required profile

• Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology or a closely related field from an accredited institution.
• Minimum 15 years of relevant experience, including leadership roles in higher‑education counseling or health services.
• Relevant licensure in the UAE or ability to obtain it.
• Fluency in English; Arabic preferred; strong understanding of UAE culture and student issues.

Required skills

• Budgeting and financial management for large counseling and health programs.
• Clinical supervision of counselors, psychologists, and health professionals.
• Design and execution of research initiatives to assess mental‑health needs.
• Implementation and oversight of a confidential counseling records system.
• Quality‑assurance practices to demonstrate positive outcomes.