Associate Director - Clinical Operations

Excelsior • Albany, NY

11h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director of Clinical Operations is responsible for the leadership, coordination, and execution of clinical operations for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Reporting to the Associate Dean, Academic Operations, this position supports the planning, development, and implementation of clinical operations to ensure high-quality, compliant, and scalable clinical and practice experiences for students. This role also provides oversight of State Board of Nursing operations, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant licensure support services for students and graduates across all jurisdictions. The Associate Director supervises State Board staff and ensures alignment of licensure processes with institutional, regulatory, and student success goals. This role functions as a working leader, actively contributing to daily clinical operations workflows while supervising and guiding the clinical operations team. The Associate Director balances strategic oversight with direct participation in operational tasks, particularly during peak academic cycles and critical periods, ensuring continuity, efficiency, and service excellence.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in operations or clinical coordination environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing staff, including supervision, performance management, and team development.
• Proven ability to balance strategic leadership with hands-on operational execution.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage complex workflows and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience working in higher education or distance education environments.
• Familiarity with clinical placement systems and compliance tracking platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, development, and execution of clinical operations initiatives, ensuring timelines, deliverables, and outcomes are achieved.
• Provide direct supervision, coaching, and performance management for clinical operations team, including hiring, training, assigning work, and evaluating performance.
• Model operational best practices by actively engaging in team workflows and demonstrating effective process execution.
• Ensure equitable workload distribution while maintaining the ability to independently perform team responsibilities.
• Ensure continuity of operations by directly assuming responsibilities during staffing shortages, peak periods, or complex situations.
• Provide direct oversight and supervision of the State Board team, including State Board Coordinators and related roles, ensuring high-quality, compliant licensure support services.
• Establish performance expectations, monitor workload distribution, and ensure timely processing of licensure-related activities and student communications.
• Ensure staff maintain current knowledge of evolving state-by-state licensure requirements and service protocols.
• Function as a working leader by actively performing clinical operations tasks alongside team members.
• Maintain working proficiency in all Clinical Operations Associate responsibilities, including: Maintaining and auditing health record/compliance databases. Managing student records and documentation systems. Preparing, tracking, and reconciling clinical and practice experience assignments. Communicating with students, faculty, and clinical partners regarding requirements, placements, and compliance.
• Provide direct operational support during high-volume periods (e.g., term start, clinical clearance deadlines).
• Serve as both escalation point and operational backup for all team functions.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex operational issues through both leadership and hands-on engagement.
• Collaborate with faculty leadership to establish, develop, and maintain clinical placement sites aligned with program goals.
• Oversee affiliation agreements and contracts with clinical partners, including initiation, renewal, and termination.
• Manage coordination and tracking of clinical placements to ensure appropriate student placement and regulatory compliance.
• Identify and resolve issues related to clinical placements and partner relationships.
• Ensure compliance with healthcare partner requirements, regulatory standards, and accreditation expectations.
• Serve as a subject matter expert, liaison, and active system user for clinical systems and health record databases, ensuring data accuracy through direct entry, audit, and reporting activities.
• Develop and maintain processes that ensure students and faculty meet eligibility requirements for clinical participation.
• Prepare, review, and maintain accurate records, reports, and documentation related to clinical operations.
• Develop and implement standardized processes, procedures, and documentation to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability.
• Collaborate with academic leadership and cross-functional departments to support operational goals and resolve challenges.
• Assist in onboarding and supporting clinical instructors and preceptors as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned or required.

Benefits

• Hybrid schedule includes two days on site in our Albany office, with the flexibility to work remotely the remaining days.
• Core hours are 8:30 AM–5:00 PM, including a 1-hour lunch, for a 37.5-hour week.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level