Program Director for Bedst for Os+

Do you want to lead the way as we find new solutions to one of the welfare society's most important challenges?

Do you want to lead a groundbreaking project that will ensure that children and young people with severe mental distress and mental disorders can realize their full potential through education, employment and participation in meaningful leisure communities?

Then the position as Program Director for Bedst for Os+ might be something for you.

As Program Director for Bedst for Os+ you will have a central and leading role in a large research and development project that, over the coming five years, will set new standards for evidence-based support to children, young people and families across psychiatry, municipal initiatives, schools and civil society.

About Bedst for Os+ Bedst for Os+ is an ambitious project and partnership, supported by Novo Nordisk Fonden and Det Obelske Familiefond, focusing on establishing and maintaining connection to education, part-time jobs and leisure activities for the children and young people who, due to mental distress and illness, are in contact with psychiatry. The project is built on a holistic view, where school, family and civil society are seen as equal arenas for recovery and development.

Bedst for Os+ focuses on preventing mental distress and illness from developing into longer-term disengagement from education, work and social communities. The goal is thus to support the child and the young person in the arenas where life is actually lived, to help children and young people complete primary school and a youth education and to gain foothold in meaningful leisure communities.

Bedst for Os+ is an expansion of the existing Bedst for Os partnership, where the focus is to develop a coherent and holistic model for preventive and treatment-supportive interventions for children and young people – in close collaboration with municipalities and general practice.

While Bedst for Os has been running since September 1, 2024, Bedst for Os+ officially starts on January 1, 2027.

About the job You will be employed in Bedst for Os, Aalborg University Hospital, Region North Jutland, which is housed in the Hospital City in Aalborg East. The position as program director will, however, involve a considerable amount of travel and meeting activity within Region Nordjylland and the upcoming Region Østdanmark as well as the involved municipalities. Your primary base can be agreed closer based on your wishes as well as the project’s needs and development.

As Program Director you will be responsible for driving the development of Bedst for Os+.

Your primary responsibilities will be to

• lead and drive the strategic and professional development of Bedst for Os+
• ensure close and constructive collaboration across partners, including Aalborg University, a number of municipalities in especially Region Nordjylland and the upcoming Region Østdanmark, actors from both educational institutions and civil society organizations as well as other national and international partners
• create coherence between professional activities, strategic goals and timelines
• be a visible front figure for the project together with the program director and other central actors in Bedst for Os+ and Bedst for Os

As Program Director for Bedst for Os+ you will have a significant role in leading, mobilizing and executing on a project that is expected to have a high societal impact and to establish new standards for how we as a society ensure attachment, community and equal opportunities for children and young people with severe mental distress and illness.

The position as Program Director does not, in principle, include personnel responsibility.

About you We are seeking a professional with

• extensive knowledge and much experience from the social sector and/or the children and youth sector, including with interventions and collaborations across civil society, municipalities/government and research institutions
• strong project management skills and experience in leading and driving complex programs and larger projects in the social sector and/or the children and youth sector, and who has a good understanding of the municipal sector and civil society organizations
• a high professional integrity and the ability to secure followership and a common direction
• political savvy as well as strategic sense and impact, including experience with political and strategic communication
• a development-oriented focus and the ability to create results through coordination and structure
• readiness to be a front figure and the ability to build and maintain relationships and networks.

We offer A leadership, meaningful and strategic role in a groundbreaking research and development project that will create new, concrete and evidence-based solutions for future interventions targeting children and young people with mental distress and illness in Denmark.

You get

• the opportunity to be a key person in developing and driving Bedst for Os+ from idea to implementation-ready concept and evaluation,
• close collaboration with a strong professional team in Bedst for Os+ and Bedst for Os,
• a cross-sectorial and research-focused working environment,
• flexibility in planning the work.

About us Bedst for Os is a partnership between Psychiatry – Region Nordjylland, Novo Nordisk Fonden and Det Obelske Familiefond, which works for an improved family-oriented stepped-care model for children and young people with psychological difficulties. Bedst for Os+ builds on this foundation and expands cooperation to new areas and actors within the social and education sectors as well as civil society.

Would you like to know more Further information about the position can be obtained by contacting Program Director for Bedst for Os Jan Mainz at email [email protected] or the Bedst for Os Secretariat at [email protected] .

The practical

• The position is desired to be filled by January 1, 2027 or shortly thereafter.
• Application deadline: Monday, November 2, 2026.
• The first round of interviews is expected to be held on November 9, 2026 and the second round on November 17/18, 2026.
• The position is a full-time position and is time-limited to five years, corresponding to the project period for Bedst for Os+.
• Salary and terms of employment according to the prevailing collective agreement for academics employed in regions etc. entered into with the relevant AC organizations
• We will obtain references on the candidate we wish to hire.