Physician Assistant Program Director / Department Chair

Description:
Job Description Summary:The Chairperson provides academic leadership in the development and operation of a graduate program for the preparation of physician assistants. The Chairperson leads department development efforts, including recruitment of faculty, determination of curricula and academic policies, and development of initial clinical affiliations. Advises admission student recruitment and marketing strategies. Provides leadership in achieving and maintaining professional accreditation status. Manages the capital and operational budget for the department. Directs program evaluation and guides quality management systems. Assesses equivalency of student learning and campus services for all cohorts. Mentors junior faculty to develop effective teaching strategies.
Duties and Responsibilities:

Teaching responsibilities (25%):

• Physician assistant courses, as assigned.
  
  

Program responsibilities (75%):

• Recruit and retain program faculty.
  
  
• D evelop a five-year plan for the program and contribute to the development of the College’s strategic plan.
  
  
• Manage the operational and capital budget for the program.
  
  
• Maintain collaborative relationships with regional colleges and clinical agencies for both the recruitment of students and development of clinical placements.
  
  
• Develop new clinical contracts to enable students to meet program objectives in collaboration with University leadership.
  
  
• Represent the department on Academic Leadership Team and other University committees as appropriate.
  
  
• Provide leadership in advancing the mission and values of the College/University, incorporating principles of quality management for continuous improvement.
  
  
• Guide the Department in achievement and maintenance of professional accreditation; maintain compliance with ARC-PA Standards
  
  

Annual duties, including:

• Set goals for the department for each new academic year.
  
  
• Evaluate department faculty and staff.
  
  
• Implement a faculty development plan based on individual and department needs.
  
  
• Develop the capital and operational budget for the department.
  
  
• Provide annual reports and survey data.
  
  
• Coordinate assessment of outcomes from all cohorts, assess and assure equivalency across multiple sites.
  
  

Supervises:

• Assistant/Associate Program Director
  
  
• Medical Director
  
  
• Program Manager
  
  
• Principal and Instructional Faculty and Administrative Staff
  
  

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Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The items below are representative of the knowledge, skills, abilities, education, and experience required or preferred.

This position requires the ability to effectively establish and maintain cooperative working relationships within a diverse multicultural environment.

• Excellent writing and oral presentation skills.
  
  
• Ability to prioritize and organize workload.
  
  
• Knowledge of curriculum development and department management in higher education.
  
  
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
  
  
• In-depth knowledge of the roles and requirements of physician assistant.
  
  
• Ability to develop annual and strategic plans to accomplish department goals: business plan, five-year academic plan, marketing plan.
  
  
• Ability to identify and negotiate clinical affiliations with physicians, health maintenance organizations, and other appropriate clinical settings.
  
  
• Knowledge of budget development and management for an academic department.
  
  
• Ability to use a variety of teaching methods effectively.
  
  
• Clinical expertise as a physician assistant.
  
  
• Computer expertise with word processing, e-mail, spreadsheet and presentation software.
  
  

Education and/or Experience

• National certification as a physician assistant.
  
  
• Master’s degree in Physician Assistant.
  
  
• Doctorate in a health science or related field preferred.
  
  
• A minimum of four years of experience as a practicing physician assistant.
  
  
• Teaching experience required and administrative experience strongly preferred; at least 3 years full-time higher education teaching experience required.
  
  

Working conditions

• Typical office environment with remote, hybrid and on-campus activities.
  
  
• Mostly indoor office environment with windows.
  
  
• Offices with frequent interruptions.
  
  

Physical requirements

• Considerable time is spent at a desk using a computer.
  
  
• Use telephone and other electronic equipment used in general university operations.
  
  
• May be required to travel to other buildings and campuses.
  
  
• May be required to attend conference and training sessions within Bay Area or in- or out-of-state locations.
  
  
• May be required to occasionally travel .
  
  

Employee Status:Regular
Exemption Status:United States of America (Exempt)
Time Type:Full time
Job Shift:

Pay Range:

Annual salary range: $160,000 ~ $190,000

Samuel Merritt University currently provides base salary ranges for all positions-on job advertisements-in the United States based on local requirements. Individual compensation will ultimately be determined based on a variety of relevant factors including but-not limited to qualifications, geographic location, and other relevant skills.