Overview
Spa Director Jobs in Dubai, United Arab Emirates at Soneva
Title: Spa Director
Company: Soneva
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The Global Director of Spa & Wellness is responsible for defining, leading and commercialising Soneva Soul across the Soneva portfolio.
This role will establish Soneva Soul as one of the world's leading luxury wellbeing brands focused on extending healthspan through practical, accessible and evidence-informed non-invasive interventions that guests can adopt before, during and after their stay. Working across Operations, Commercial, Marketing, Development and Resort Leadership teams, the Global Director will ensure Soneva Soul evolves beyond traditional spa and wellness offerings into a differentiated wellbeing ecosystem that drives guest transformation, brand positioning, commercial growth and long-term brand value. The role is primarily strategic, commercial and brand-focused, providing direction, governance and innovation across the portfolio while supporting resort teams in delivering exceptional guest experiences.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Define and Lead the Soneva Soul Strategy
Develop and execute the long-term vision, roadmap and growth strategy for Soneva Soul.
Position Soneva Soul as the leading luxury hospitality wellbeing platform focused on non-invasive healthspan interventions.
Ensure all wellness offerings remain aligned with Soneva's philosophy of
- Healthspan extension
- Preventative wellbeing
- Behaviour change
- Sustainability
- Human connection and learning
Lead annual strategic planning, investment priorities and innovation roadmaps.
Identify emerging wellbeing trends and evaluate their relevance to Soneva Soul.
Develop a multi-year plan for growth across resorts, residences, digital engagement and future developments.
2. Build and Evolve the Four Soneva Soul Wellbeing Pillars
Develop, refine and oversee all wellness programming under the four Soneva Soul pillars
Mental Wellbeing
- Breathwork
- Meditation
- Journaling
- Mindfulness
- Stress management
- Emotional resilience
Natural Holistic Therapies
- Ayurveda
- Traditional Chinese Medici
- Therapeutic bodywork
- Spa therapies
- Energy and healing practice
- Traditional and indigenous wellbeing approach
Rest & Recovery
- Sleep optimisation
- Circadian wellbeing
- Recovery protocols
- Nervous system regulation
- Relaxation therapies
Movement
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Stretching
- Fascia mobility
- Functional movement
- Running
- Tennis and Padel
- Swimming and Watersports
- Strength and conditioning
- Movement Education
Nutrition as a Cross-Pillar Enabler
While not a standalone pillar, nutrition remains an integral component of the Soneva Soul philosophy and guest experience. Partner with Culinary, Nutrition and Resort Teams to support:
- Gut health education
- Healthy culinary experience
- Functional menu development
- Dietetic guidance and Personalised nutritional recommendations
- Culinary learning experiences
The objective is to promote practical and sustainable nutrition habits that guests can continue beyond their stay.
3. Guest Journey Design and Behaviour Change
Design wellbeing journeys that support guests before, during and after their stay.Create pathways that move guests from:
Awareness
- Learning
- Trial
- Adoption
- Long-term behaviour change
Develop measurable wellbeing experiences supported by:
- Assessments
- Diagnostics
- Progress tracking
- Personalised action plans
Drive greater integration of Soneva Soul into the overall guest experience and resort journ
ey. Support the development of tools, content and engagement strategies that help guests continue their wellbeing practices after returning home.
4. Commercial Growth and Business Development
Own the commercial strategy for Soneva Soul across the portfolio. Develop annual budgets, forecasts and growth plans.Drive revenue generation through:
- Wellness retreats, Group programmes, Corporate wellbeing programs, Executive resilience programmes, Expert-led retreats, Annual wellbeing festivals, Residential wellbeing offerings, Retail products and collaborations, Digital wellbeing opportunities. Develop compelling wellness packages that increase participation and capture across the guest journey. Identify opportunities to stimulate demand during shoulder and off-peak periods through strategic programming.Establish commercial performance benchmarks and reporting systems.
Key Commercial Metrics
- Wellness Revenue
- Wellness Profitability
- Wellness Revenue per Occupied Villa
- Participation Rates
- Package Conversion
- Repeat Wellness Guests
- Retreat and Festival Performce
5. Thought Leadership, Partnerships and Innovation
Establish Soneva Soul as a recognised thought leader within the global wellbeing sector.Build strategic relationships with:
Wellness ex
- Wellness experts, Longevity specialists, Universities & Research institutions, Wellness technology providers, Influencers and content creators, Corporate wellbeing partners. Lead the annual Soneva Soul Festival and establish it as a flagship industry event.
Identify and evaluate emerging evidence-informed wellbeing practices and technologies. Ensure all innovations remain aligned with the Soneva Soul philosophy of accessible and non-invasive wellb
eing.Represent Soneva Soul at industry conferences, events and strategic forums.
6. Brand Development and Marketing
Partner with Marketing and Commercial teams to strengthen the global positioning of Soneva
Soul.Develop clear messaging focused on:
- Healthspan
- Behaviourchange
- Non-invasive wellbeing
- Education and empowerment
- Sustainable lifestyle
Support content creation, storytelling, public relations and social media engagement. Develop ambassador relationships and strategic collaborations that strengthen brand awareness and credib
ility. Ensure consistency of messaging and positioning across all guest touchpoints.
7. Governance, Standards and Portfolio Performance
Establish portfolio-wide standards
- Programming, Service delivery, Practitioner quality, Guest experience, Measurement and reporting, Conduct regular reviews of wellness performance across all resorts.
Ensure consistency while preserving the unique character of each destination. Develop governance frameworks that support innovation while maintaining brand standards and operational excellence. Monitor guest feedback, satisfaction metrics and quality assurance outcomes.
8. Talent and Practitioner Development
Develop a global wellness talent strategy for Soneva Soul. Recruit, develop and retain world-class practitioners, coaches and wellbeing specialists. Build a network of ambassadors, visiting practitioners and strategic partners. Establish competency frameworks and development pathways for wellness teams. Support succession planning for key wellness leadership positions. Promote a culture of learning, innovation and continuous improvement.
9. Future Development
Provide strategic wellness input into future resort developments and residential
projects.Support the planning and design of:
- Wellnes Centres, Movement studios, Recovery spaces, Sleep environments, Wellbeing residences, Outdoor wellness experiences.
Ensure future developments reflect the Soneva Soul philosophy and support long-term commercial objectives.
EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATION
- Minimum 10 years of senior leadership experience within luxury wellness, hospitality, wellbeing or healthspan-focused businesses.
- Proven experience leading multi-site wellness operations, brands or programmes.
- Strong commercial and financial acumen.
- Experience developing and growing wellness concepts, brands or business platforms.
- Demonstrated success in innovation, guest experience design and revenue generation.
- Strong leadership, communication and stakeholder management capabilities.
- Ability to work effectively across multiple disciplines and cultures.
- Experience with globally recognised luxury hospitality or wellness brands.
- Background in wellbeing, performance, behavioural science, hospitality, coaching, nutrition, movement or related disciplines.
- Established network of international practitioners
- Experience leading retreats, festivals or large-scale wellness events.
- Experience supporting resort development and pre-opening projects.