CCHS - Associate Program Director Occupational Therapy Associate/Full Professor – Tenure/Tenure Track - 529486

The University of Alabama • Alabama, AL

33d • Onsite

About The Position

The University of Alabama invites applications and nominations for the Associate Program Director of its new Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program. Pending approval by The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama, the OTD program will fill a distinct need for care and tap into a pipeline of interested and qualified students. We seek an entrepreneurial and visionary student-centered leader, practitioner, and scholar to help build a nationally distinctive program aligned with CCHS' founding mission that expands access to high-quality occupational therapy for areas of need, including rural communities across Alabama and the Southeast. The Associate Program Director will help build the program, including all aspects of program development, accreditation, operations, and strategic growth. CCHS is vibrant and growing with academic program offerings in Rural Community Health, Population Health Sciences, Translational Science and Medicine, and several programs on the horizon. CCHS is home to a nationally renowned Sports Medicine Clinic and Sports Medicine Fellowship for Family Medicine Physicians. CCHS also houses Family Medicine and Psychiatry Residency Programs and Family Medicine Residency Fellowships in Geriatrics, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Psychiatry, and Emergency Medicine. The University Medical Center (UMC) within CCHS is a network of multidisciplinary clinics and hospitalists serving communities across West Alabama with approximately 300,000 patient encounters annually. Appointments to the faculty of The University of Alabama are based on the personnel requirements of the University’s academic programs and on the goal of achieving and maintaining excellence in its teaching, research, and service/academic citizenship activities.

Requirements

• Initially certified occupational therapist with an active, unencumbered OT license in a U.S. jurisdiction and eligibility for Alabama licensure.
• Doctoral Degree from a US Department of Education recognized institution (OTD, PhD, or equivalent).
• Minimum eight (8) years of OT experience that must include: Clinical practice, Academic administrative experience (e.g., program planning and implementation, personnel management, evaluation, and budgeting), Scholarship of application or teaching and learning, Understanding the role of the occupational therapy assistant.
• Four (4) years of experience as a faculty member with teaching, responsibilities at the postbaccalaureate level.
• Qualifications commensurate with Associate or Full Professor (tenure-track/tenured or clinical track), or exceptional candidates at advanced Assistant Professor rank.

Nice To Haves

• Sustained leadership in rural health, community-engaged practice, or service with rural populations (e.g., building rural clinical partnerships, rural pathway programs, or distributed clinical education).
• Success leading teams through initial ACOTE accreditation or substantial accreditation milestones.
• Experience creating, launching, or scaling new academic programs (faculty hiring, facilities planning, simulation, technology infrastructure).
• Documented professional development/education in educational theory and methodology, instructional design, student evaluation, and program/outcome assessment.
• Experience with program evaluation, curriculum development, and accreditation processes; working knowledge of ACOTE expectations and timelines.
• Evidence of interprofessional education/practice and collaborative partnerships with health systems and community organizations.
• Experience with grant writing, external funding, and/or practice-based research; familiarity with value-based and population-health models relevant to rural care.
• Active engagement in AOTA or related professional organizations.
• Mission-driven leadership.
• Strategic thinker who is organized, collaborative, and outcomes-oriented, with excellent communication skills.
• Relationship-builder who can galvanize clinical partners statewide to expand rural training sites and graduate a workforce responsive to Alabama’s needs.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Program Director in the Leadership & Administration, Accreditation & Compliance requirements of the University of Alabama's Occupational Therapy Program.
• Supporting Faculty and Student scholarship, educational and research components of the program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree