Academic Officer Occupational Therapy

Evidence in Motion

About The Position

Academic Officer – Occupational Therapy The Academic Officer (AO) – Occupational Therapy (OT) provides senior academic leadership and discipline-specific oversight for Occupational Therapy programs supported by Evidence In Motion (EIM) and its University Partners (UPs). This role serves as EIM’s primary academic authority for occupational therapy education, ensuring that academic models, didactic and clinical curricula, fieldwork education, and instructional practices align with accreditation standards, institutional expectations, and EIM’s hybrid education framework. Operating at a strategic and enterprise level, the Occupational Therapy Academic Officer partners with and provides academic oversight, consultation, and direction to UP academic leadership and internal EIM teams supporting Occupational Therapy programs. Through cross-functional collaboration, data-informed decision-making, and discipline stewardship, the AO strengthens academic integrity, instructional effectiveness, and student outcomes while supporting the consistent and predictable delivery of EIM’s academic services across institutions. In addition, the Occupational Therapy Academic Officer contributes to EIM’s thought leadership, educational research, and scholarly engagement by advancing discipline-informed perspectives on occupational therapy curriculum design, hybrid and accelerated delivery models, fieldwork and capstone education, and academic performance—supporting EIM’s position as a leader in graduate healthcare education.

Requirements

Terminal doctoral degree appropriate to the Occupational Therapy education (e.g., PhD, EdD, OTD, or equivalent).
Minimum of 10 years of combined academic, clinical, and leadership experience within Occupational Therapy, including:
Significant experience as core faculty in an accredited Occupational Therapy program
Demonstrated academic administrative or leadership experience (e.g., Program Director, Associate Director, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, or equivalent)
Demonstrated record of educational research and scholarly dissemination (publications, presentations, or equivalent).
Demonstrated experience working with Occupational Therapy programmatic accreditation standards.
Proven ability to lead complex academic initiatives, advise senior academic stakeholders, and operate effectively in multi-institution environments.
Strong communication, collaboration, and strategic thinking skills.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience serving as a Program Director or equivalent senior academic leader.
Experience launching new Occupational Therapy programs or leading programs through accreditation review or transition.
Familiarity with hybrid or accelerated education models and learning analytics.
Experience working within or alongside an Online Program Management (OPM) organization.
Demonstrated commitment to innovation, access, and quality in healthcare education.

Responsibilities

Serve as EIM’s senior academic leader and subject-matter authority for Occupational Therapy education, including entry-level OTD programs.
Provide strategic academic direction and oversight for Occupational Therapy UP programs, ensuring alignment with institutional goals, accreditation expectations, and EIM’s academic model.
Act as the primary academic liaison to UP program leadership and faculty, supporting shared understanding of academic expectations, priorities, and risks relating to OT education.
Represent EIM in Occupational Therapy professional, accreditor, and academic forums, as appropriate.
Contribute Occupational Therapy-specific insight to enterprise academic strategy, program growth planning, and innovation initiatives.
Provide academic oversight for the maintenance and strategic evolution of Occupational Therapy curricula and Learning Object Repository (LOR) resources.
Ensure curricular frameworks support the development of occupation-centered practitioners through integration of foundational sciences, occupational therapy theory, evidence-based practice, and clinical reasoning.
Ensure curricula appropriately integrate didactic instruction, Level I and Level II fieldwork education, and the doctoral capstone experience consistent with professional standards.
Guide academic priorities for curriculum development, revision, and innovation, while preserving clear ownership and execution with curriculum-focused roles.
Monitor curriculum-related risks and trends that may impact academic quality, student performance, or accreditation readiness.
Serve as EIM’s discipline-level authority on Occupational Therapy accreditation standards and expectations established by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
Provide academic input into accreditation planning, submissions, reporting, site visit preparation, and response strategies as needed.
Ensure Occupational Therapy academic models, curricula, and instructional practices remain aligned with accreditation and regulatory requirements.
Identify discipline-specific academic or compliance risks and advise UP programs and internal teams on mitigation strategies.
Advise UPs on Occupational Therapy faculty models, workload structures, and staffing plans aligned with ACOTE requirements and programmatic needs.
Support faculty recruitment and hiring strategies that result in high-quality faculty appointments, strengthening instructional effectiveness and overall program success.
Collaborate with Faculty Success teams to inform faculty onboarding, development priorities, and teaching standards aligned with accreditation and regulatory requirements.
Contribute discipline-specific guidance to faculty development programming addressing clinical reasoning instruction, occupation-based teaching strategies, and doctoral-level scholarship.
Contribute Occupational Therapy expertise to EIM’s thought leadership initiatives, including publications, white papers, presentations, and professional engagement.
Partner with Faculty Success and Scholarship & Educational Research teams to inform and support Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and educational research initiatives.
Support and, where appropriate, participate in research initiatives examining EIM’s hybrid delivery model, curriculum effectiveness, and learning outcomes within Occupational Therapy programs.
Contribute scholarly insights to faculty development resources, continuing education offerings, and academic communications that extend EIM’s academic visibility and credibility within the Occupational Therapy education community.
Educate internal EIM teams on Occupational Therapy standards, fieldwork expectations, capstone requirements, and accreditation considerations across service lines.
Provide ongoing academic consultation and direction to internal EIM teams to guide the delivery of Occupational Therapy-specific services and ensure aligned support for UP programs.
Contribute to business development efforts by advising on academic feasibility, program design considerations, and accreditation implications for new partnerships.
Support enterprise academic initiatives, pilots, and innovation efforts as directed by Academic Affairs leadership.