Tenure Track – Program Director: Physician Assistant - Master of Science in Medicine Program

Point Loma Nazarene University•San Diego, CA

7d•$138,866 - $174,295•Onsite

About The Position

Point Loma Nazarene University invites applications for a Program Director to lead its Department of Physician Assistant Education in the College of Health Sciences. The Director will provide strategic leadership and vision, guide program operations in collaboration with faculty and staff, and advance the department in alignment with the university’s mission. The role reports to the Dean of the College of Health Sciences and includes teaching in areas of expertise as available, as well as service supporting the program and profession. The program offers a 117-unit Master of Science in Medicine over 28 months, delivered face-to-face at PLNU’s Balboa Regional Center in San Diego. It includes didactic and clinical phases, cohorts growing from 30 to 34 students, and a dedicated service month each year. The program has ARC-PA Accreditation-Continued status and reported first-time PANCE pass rates of 93% in 2023, 97% in 2024, and 100% in 2025. The Director will sustain accreditation, support student-centered and active learning, advance curriculum and clinical partnerships, and oversee program evaluation and fiscal management. This is a 12-month, full-time (1.0 FTE) faculty appointment, with tenure-track and non-tenure-track options. Candidates must demonstrate a thorough commitment to Christian higher education, provide evidence of Christian commitment and active church involvement, and agree to live in accordance with PLNU’s Community Life Covenant. Applications received by December 1, 2026, receive priority consideration; the search remains open until the position is filled.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited physician assistant program.
Minimum of a master’s degree.
NCCPA certified or certification eligible.
Licensed, or eligible for licensure, as a Physician Assistant in California.
Prior experience with the development of a physician assistant program.
Demonstrated experience in administration, management, and leadership.
Demonstrated leadership and dedication to fostering diversity, equity, and belonging in an ethnically and culturally diverse community.
Thorough commitment to Christian higher education and desire to work at a Christian university while supporting its religious and educational goals.
Evidence of Christian commitment and active church involvement.
Agreement to live in accordance with PLNU’s Community Life Covenant.

Nice To Haves

Doctorate; an earned doctorate is preferred.
Prior experience as a program director.
Commitment to excellence in graduate teaching, preferably with demonstrated effectiveness teaching students from diverse backgrounds.
Ability to work strategically and communicate effectively, particularly with an ethnically and culturally diverse Christian campus community.

Responsibilities

Lead the program toward student-centered, active learning approaches to instruction.
Oversee development, preparation, and continuing assessment of ARC-PA accreditation.
Collaborate with clinical phase faculty to develop and maintain clinical affiliation sites and agreements.
Lead ongoing curricular revisions to maintain state-of-the-art programs of excellence.
Manage day-to-day program matters, including faculty and staff hiring, evaluation, and development.
Coordinate and assess courses offered.
Provide continuous program evaluation, analysis, and improvement.
Oversee departmental fiscal management.
Teach in areas of expertise as available.
Perform service activities that advance the program and profession, including assisting with student recruitment, orientation, and retention.
Convey a clear sense of departmental purpose consistent with the University’s mission.
Guide and collaborate with faculty and staff to set clear, realistic goals and develop an organizational plan to achieve them.
Communicate departmental priorities and needs, including personnel, space, and funding, to the Dean of the College of Health Sciences.
Communicate administration priorities and expectations to departmental faculty and staff.
Recruit well-qualified and promising faculty and professional staff.
Involve faculty and staff appropriately in decisions and recommendations affecting the program, and inform them of decisions affecting them or the program.
Be accessible to and mentor faculty and staff.
Work effectively with departmental faculty, University administrators, and academic support offices to implement academic policies and procedures consistently and soundly.
Encourage effective working relationships with other departments and schools.
Arrange an effective and equitable allocation of faculty responsibilities.
Encourage and support faculty in obtaining extramural grants.
Contribute to the department’s image and reputation within the University community.
Provide effective leadership and management of all facets of the program and department.