Director of Clinical Training and Tenure-Track Faculty Position in Clinical Psychology (PsyD Program)

Point Loma Nazarene University • San Diego, CA

5d • $87,216 - $153,052 • Onsite

About The Position

Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU), a Christian liberal arts university, is seeking applicants for a full-time, three-semester, tenure-track faculty position in clinical psychology. This role includes an administrative assignment as the founding Director of Clinical Training for the Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology program. The PsyD program is a five-year, post-baccalaureate, practitioner-scholar program delivered on campus. It is designed to meet APA Standards of Accreditation and requires WSCUC approval. The program will launch in Fall 2027, with practicum placements beginning in Fall 2028. The Director of Clinical Training will be responsible for developing and managing the clinical training infrastructure, including identifying and securing suitable training sites, executing training agreements, and recruiting additional sites as needed. The program is situated within the College of Health Sciences and emphasizes integrated care training through coursework in psychological foundations and interprofessional collaboration. The program utilizes a single-cohort model with sustained faculty mentorship and a Scholarship Cohort structure for research training, where students work with a faculty mentor from the second year through dissertation defense. The standard faculty load is 27 units per year, with release time for clinical training leadership, research mentorship, and teaching doctoral-level courses. Teaching assignments will cover areas such as practicum seminar, ethics and law, psychological assessment, evidence-based intervention, supervision and consultation, and professional development, based on the candidate's expertise and program needs. Applications will be reviewed starting October 2026, with virtual interviews in November-December and on-campus interviews in early 2027. The anticipated start date is August 16, 2027. Initial rank, compensation, and tenure eligibility will be determined by degrees, licensure, and experience.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or Psy.D. in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, or a closely related health service psychology field, from an APA-accredited program, by the start date.
• Current licensure as a psychologist in California, or current licensure in another jurisdiction with California licensure obtained within twelve months of the start date.
• Experience in clinical training administration, such as practicum coordination, training site development, internship preparation, or training clinic direction.
• Evidence of scholarly activity and the capacity to supervise doctoral-level research to completion.
• Evidence of the ability to establish and maintain relationships with clinical training sites, supervisors, and community partners.
• Evidence of excellence in graduate teaching.
• Evidence of support for diverse peoples and perspectives, and of attunement to cultural humility in teaching, supervision, scholarship, and service.
• Evidence of Christian commitment and active church involvement.
• Agreement to live in agreement with PLNU’s Community Life Covenant.
• Commitment to the Mission of Point Loma Nazarene University and liberal arts education.

Nice To Haves

• Prior service as a Director of Clinical Training or practicum coordinator.
• Experience in a doctoral program completing APA initial accreditation, including self-study preparation, site visit preparation, or competency assessment system design.
• Experience providing clinical supervision to graduate-level trainees.
• Experience preparing doctoral students for internship application and the APPIC match.
• Existing relationships with clinical training sites in San Diego County or Southern California.
• A research agenda that can involve doctoral students as collaborators, including applied research on clinical training, supervision, assessment, or service delivery.
• Teaching expertise in psychological assessment, evidence-based intervention, ethics and law, supervision and consultation, or clinical health psychology.
• Experience with student remediation, professional competence review, and gatekeeping in professional psychology training.

Responsibilities

• Clinical training administration: Develop practicum training infrastructure, clinical partnerships, practicum evaluation system, and clinical training handbook.
• Assess PLNU’s existing clinical training relationships for doctoral suitability, and recruit, vet, and approve additional sites capable of supporting doctoral-level training.
• Administer internship preparation, including APPIC application support, readiness portfolio review, and tracking of match outcomes.
• Maintain the clinical training records required for APA self-study and site visit, including placement tables, supervisor credentials, hours data, direct observation documentation, and competency outcome data.
• Teaching, research, and mentorship: Teach doctoral-level clinical psychology courses.
• Mentor a Scholarship Cohort of four to six doctoral students, including research design, IRB preparation, data collection, analysis, and writing.
• Maintain an active program of scholarship, particularly applied and clinically relevant research that involves doctoral students as collaborators.
• Advise and mentor students academically, professionally, personally, and spiritually.
• Program and university service: Participate as core faculty in admissions, curriculum development, program assessment, and student competency review.
• Participate in departmental activities and governance.
• Serve on faculty committees and perform other normal faculty duties.
• Engage with the off-campus community, including involvement in a local Christian church.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Tuition benefits for employees and dependents
• Competitive retirement matching
• University assistance with the cost of housing in Southern California (potential)
• Faculty chapel
• Weekly faculty lunches
• Robust wellness program

What This Job Offers

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