Job Description

• The Subject Matter Expert – Regulator will act as the Lead Inspector for the Substance Use Disorder Audit Programme. The position is responsible for providing overall professional leadership for the inspection process and ensuring that each facility audit is conducted objectively, consistently and in accordance with the approved Department of Health – Abu Dhabi standards, audit methodology and evidence requirements.
• The Lead Inspector will direct the on-site audit team, lead engagement with facility leadership, determine the sufficiency and reliability of evidence, identify regulatory and governance risks, and ensure that findings are translated into clear, defensible and practical audit conclusions.

1. Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensure that the audit tools translate the DoH SUD standards into clear, objective, measurable and auditable requirements.
• Lead opening and closing meetings with facility executives, clinical leadership and other relevant stakeholders.
• Direct structured interviews with facility leadership, clinical governance personnel, operational managers and members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Evaluate whether policies, governance structures and documented procedures are implemented consistently in practice rather than relying solely on the existence of written policies.
• Determine whether evidence submitted by facilities is sufficient, current, credible and representative of actual service delivery.
• Identify immediate, significant or systemic risks requiring escalation to Aspen Medical and the Department of Health.
• Maintain consistency of regulatory interpretation, evidence thresholds and scoring across all participating facilities.
• Facilitate professional discussion between the regulatory and clinical SMEs where findings involve both governance and clinical practice.
• Lead daily audit-team calibration meetings to review evidence, resolve differences in interpretation and agree preliminary findings.
• Ensure that inspection findings distinguish between:
  • confirmed non-compliance;
  • partial or inconsistent implementation;
  • emerging risk;
  • opportunities for improvement; and
  • examples of good practice.
• Provide senior regulatory input into facility-specific reports, the consolidated audit report and strategic recommendations.
• Review and approve the regulatory accuracy, proportionality and defensibility of audit findings before submission.
• Support the development of practical corrective actions, prioritised according to patient safety, regulatory risk and implementation urgency.
• Present key findings and system-level observations to the Department of Health and participate in clarification or debriefing meetings as required.

• Postgraduate qualification in health services management, healthcare regulation, mental health, psychology, governance, public administration or a related discipline.
• Formal education or executive development in regulatory strategy, inspection, corporate governance or enforcement.
• A professional background in mental health, healthcare, nursing, psychology or another relevant health or social care discipline is highly desirable.
• Advanced regulatory, governance or corporate compliance qualifications are desirable.

• At least 15 years of senior experience in healthcare, mental health, social care or public-sector regulation. 
• Substantial experience working within, or directly advising, a statutory regulator, inspectorate or public authority. 
• Demonstrated experience leading regulatory inspections, compliance assessments, investigations or enforcement processes. 
• Experience at Chief Inspector, Deputy Chief Inspector, Chief Executive, Director or equivalent senior regulatory leadership level. 
• Demonstrated experience developing and applying national standards, governance frameworks, inspection methodologies or regulatory codes. 
• Experience producing, reviewing or approving formal regulatory reports intended for government, providers and the public. 
• Evidence of leading complex organizations, multidisciplinary teams and large-scale regulatory or public-service functions.
• Experience assessing governance, leadership, service quality, patient safety, human rights and organizational accountability. 
• International or national advisory experience relating to mental health policy, regulation, rights-based care or whole-of-government approaches is highly desirable. 

• Expert understanding of regulatory inspection principles, evidence-based decision-making, proportionality and procedural fairness. 
• Strong understanding of service governance, patient rights, safeguarding, quality assurance and risk management. 
• Ability to distinguish between documented policy, operational implementation and embedded practice. 
• Ability to make balanced and defensible regulatory judgements where evidence is incomplete, inconsistent or contested. 
• Strong leadership, facilitation and stakeholder-management skills. 
• Ability to challenge senior facility representatives constructively while maintaining professional relationships.