Reporting to the Program Director for the Physician Assistants Program, the position of Program Director will be responsible for the following items:

The Associate Program Director will work closely with the Program Director to help lead the Physician Assistant Program (Program).  Early phase development activities include support of facilities design, accreditation tasks, design of policies and procedures, establishment of examinations and assessments, program curriculum development, support of hiring faculty, staff, and didactic instructional faculty, delegation of tasks to appropriate team members, and program preparation for the initial cohort of students. Once the Program is established, the Associate Program Director will lead the planning and organization of day-to-day activities while supporting the Program Director in continuous quality review, analysis, and improvement of the Program.

This full-time position will comply with accreditation standards of release for clinical work and maintenance of clinical licenses. 

Continued employment contingent on successful Program approval by MHEC and accreditation by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Some of the major responsibilities include:

Program

• Support the Program’s participation in the accreditation process according to the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
• Work closely with the Program Director to ensure elements of the curriculum and Program are in place to meet accreditation and credentialing requirements.
• Provide effective organization and administration of the daily activities of the program and support the overall program development and operation.  Lead orientation efforts and support performance assessment of instructors and staff.
• Work closely with the Program Director to provide oversight and execution of the continuous review, analysis, and improvement of the Program to ensure compliance with ARC-PA Standards.
• Support the development, ongoing evaluation, and implementation of Program policies and procedures.
• Support the ongoing monitoring of the Program.
• Ensure curriculum design and continuity of coursework.
• Assist with the identification of clinical affiliates, clinical site development, and clinical site monitoring.
• Support an inclusive climate in which educators are motivated to achieve excellence in teaching.
• Engage in professional development and scholarly activity or service at local, national, and international levels.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Academic and Research

• Teaching duties within the Program as assigned.
• Collaborate with the Center for Instructional Design and Delivery (CIDD), the IT support team and others to identify required expertise and common educator development needs (including skills related to online and distance education).
• Orient and support educators to the Program, support evaluations of teaching performance.
• Working closely with the Program Director, ensure alignment of learning outcomes with Program and professional goals, and ensure consistent delivery of required content.
• Assist the Program Director’s work with the Office of Assessment, Strategic Planning, Institutional Research and Effectiveness (ASPIRE) to conduct course and Program evaluation, using results to plan for continuous improvement.

Student Recruitment and Retention

• Collaborate with the Admissions Office to recruit a high quality and diverse pool of applicants to the Program.
• Represent the Program at recruitment, admissions, orientation, graduation, and other special events.
• Serve as a liaison between students and Program educators.
• Work closely with the Program Director to report on enrollment, retention, and progression of students in the Program, and use data to recommend Program resource, policy, or practice changes to increase student success and retention.

Fiscal

• Help facilitate the acquisition of resources needed for academic Program, multidisciplinary clinician educators, and students through allocation in the Program budget, application to internal and external grants, and identification of potential donors.
• Maximize resources in accordance with sound fiscal principles.

Outreach

• Assist in soliciting feedback from Program stakeholders in relation to Program coordination processes, outcomes, and design.
• Foster partnerships and relationships with key stakeholders and communities (regionally, nationally, and internationally) to strengthen and support the ongoing development of the program.
• Represent Mount St. Mary’s University and the Program at professional meetings. Collaborate with colleagues form other schools to advance PA and Advanced Practice Provider Education.

Job Requirements: Education, Experience and Skills:

Special knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Minimum of three years clinical experience as a PA.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the roles, responsibilities and scope of practice of the Physician Assistant profession.
• Highly organized.
• Demonstrated experience with PA student education.
• Demonstrated experience in leadership.
• Demonstrated experience recruiting, orienting, motivating, and supporting staff.
• Demonstrated ability to design solutions that combine information and ideas in new and innovative ways.
• Demonstrated ability to support broad teams (both on-site and remote).
• Demonstrated ability to plan, manage, and evaluate projects.
• Demonstrated experience promoting interdisciplinary practice and education.
• Demonstrated ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential topics with discretion and professionalism.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and proactively solve problems in clinical practice and education.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and respond to emerging trends.
• Demonstrated ability to work quickly with high accuracy, and to balance competing priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to act with moral and academic integrity.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to organize and clearly present information to varied audiences.

Salary/Benefits

This is a full-time position with full benefits and annual, holiday and sick leave. The university offers a generous benefits package, including tuition remission for graduate and undergraduate classes at Mount St. Mary’s University, retirement program with a match as well as a generous paid time off schedule. Competitive salary commensurate to experience.

Technical qualifications or specialized certifications:

Current NCCPA certification is required, and applicants should hold a Maryland Physician Assistant (PA) license or be eligible to obtain a Maryland Physician Assistant (PA) license at the time of hire.

Specific physical requirements for the job:

• Sitting in a normal seated position for extended periods of time.
• Reaching by extending hand(s) or arm(s) in any direction.
• Finger dexterity required to manipulate objects with fingers rather than with whole hand(s) or arm(s), for example, using a keyboard.
• Communication skills using the spoken word.
• Ability to move about.