Independent Contractor/Respiratory Therapist Program Development Consultant

Zane State College • Zanesville Campus, OH

7d • Remote

About The Position

Zane State College seeks an experienced Respiratory Therapy Education Consultant to serve as the Respiratory Therapy Program Development Director. In this contractor role, the consultant will lead the design, regulatory documentation, accreditation preparation, and initial launch planning for the Respiratory Therapy Program, ensuring alignment with Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE), Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and other applicable regulatory standards.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Respiratory Therapy, Health Sciences, Education, or a related field.
• Current Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential.
• Current, active, and unrestricted Ohio Respiratory Care license, or eligibility to obtain licensure prior to contract start.
• Minimum of four (4) years of experience as a Registered Respiratory Therapist, including at least two (2) years of direct clinical respiratory care experience.
• Minimum of two (2) years of teaching experience as faculty, clinical instructor, or preceptor in a CoARC-accredited respiratory therapy education program.
• Demonstrated experience with curriculum development, accreditation compliance, program administration, or healthcare education leadership.
• Thorough knowledge of respiratory care practice, respiratory therapy education, and CoARC accreditation standards.
• Expertise in curriculum development, student assessment, program evaluation, and outcomes reporting.
• Strong technical writing, regulatory compliance, and project management skills.
• Ability to analyze program performance data and formulate improvement strategies.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365, Teams, Zoom, Blackboard, and related educational technology platforms.
• Ability to work independently while managing complex deliverables and regulatory deadlines.
• Must maintain all required professional credentials throughout the contract period.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Respiratory Therapy, Education, Health Sciences, Healthcare Administration, or a related field.
• Experience developing new respiratory therapy education programs.
• Experience preparing CoARC accreditation submissions, annual reports, or self-studies.
• Experience establishing and maintaining clinical affiliation agreements.
• Community college teaching or academic leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success leading continuous quality improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Develop the complete Respiratory Therapy curriculum, including course descriptions, syllabi, program learning outcomes, competency assessments, and curriculum maps aligned with CoARC standards and industry requirements.
• Design instructional plans for didactic, laboratory, simulation, and clinical education components.
• Prepare and compile all required program proposals, self-studies, reports, outcomes plans, and supporting documentation necessary for approval and accreditation by CoARC, ODHE, HLC, and other regulatory agencies.
• Lead accreditation readiness activities, including preparation for site visits, program reviews, and documentation audits.
• Identify and assist in establishing clinical affiliation agreements with healthcare providers and respiratory care departments.
• Develop clinical education frameworks, competency tracking processes, and evaluation procedures for student clinical experiences.
• Draft student handbook policies, admissions criteria, progression standards, retention plans, clinical requirements, credentialing examination preparation procedures, and graduation requirements.
• Develop assessment plans and key performance indicators for retention, graduation, credentialing exam pass rates, employment placement, employer satisfaction, and program effectiveness.
• Design continuous quality improvement processes consistent with CoARC requirements.
• Provide recommendations regarding instructional equipment, respiratory laboratory resources, simulation technology, software, instructional materials, and facility requirements.
• Assist in forecasting operational and capital resource needs for program startup.
• Recommend faculty qualifications, staffing models, workload distribution plans, and organizational structures for program administration.
• Establish the framework for a Respiratory Therapy Program Advisory Committee and provide recommendations for membership and stakeholder engagement.
• Support development of employer partnerships, workforce engagement strategies, student recruitment initiatives, and healthcare industry outreach activities.

Benefits

• A one-time milestone payment of $5,000.00 will be paid upon successful completion of approved program startup deliverables and applicable regulatory/accreditation milestones.

What This Job Offers

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