AA - Program Director, Master of Health Science in Anesthesia (MHSA)

Burrell College of Health Sciences • Melbourne, FL

9d • Onsite

About The Position

Burrell College of Health Sciences invites applications for a founding Program Director to lead the development and launch of the Master of Health Science in Anesthesia (MHSA) program within the School of Health Professions. This is a distinctive opportunity for an accomplished Anesthesiologist Assistant educator and leader to build a program from the ground up, shaping curriculum, faculty, clinical partnerships, and institutional culture in alignment with the College’s mission and the standards of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The Program Director serves as the academic and administrative leader of the MHSA program and holds full authority and accountability for all aspects of program development, accreditation, faculty recruitment and oversight, budget stewardship, and educational quality. This position reports directly to the Executive Vice President & Dean of the School of Health Professions and holds a faculty appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor or above, commensurate with credentials and College policy. This position is Exempt. This position reports to the Dean & Executive Vice President/Chief Academic Officer of the School of Health Professions. The selected candidate will support Burrell College’s organizational health initiatives, focusing on enhancing leadership, promoting clarity of purpose, improving communication, and reinforcing a respectful, purpose-driven culture. This role is key to fostering a healthy, high-performing organization that values integrity, transparency, and collaboration.

Requirements

• A graduate degree from a CAAHEP-accredited Master’s program in anesthesiology assistant studies.
• Current and active certification as a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant (CAA) in good standing with the National Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants (NCCAA).
• Minimum of five (5) years of clinical experience as a practicing Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant.
• Minimum of three (3) years of full-time higher education experience in an AA or allied health graduate program, with demonstrated academic and administrative responsibility.
• Demonstrated participation in CAAHEP accreditation processes, including self-study preparation, site visit involvement, or related accreditation activities.
• Demonstrated experience in curriculum development, program design, or academic leadership in a health professions graduate setting.
• Experience with faculty supervision, budget management, and administrative operations in an academic program.
• Exceptional leadership, organizational, and decision-making capabilities with the ability to manage a complex, evolving academic program in a fast-paced environment.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated effectiveness in communicating across diverse audiences, including students, faculty, clinical partners, institutional leadership, and accreditation bodies.
• Demonstrated ability to collect, analyze, and apply program outcome data to drive continuous quality improvement and support accreditation compliance.
• Ability to build and sustain productive collaborative relationships with clinical affiliates, faculty, institutional colleagues, and professional organizations.
• Proficiency with learning management systems, accreditation data management tools, and standard office and educational technologies.
• Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Nice To Haves

• Doctoral degree (EdD, PhD, DMSc, DHSc, or equivalent relevant to health professions education or a related field) is strongly preferred.
• Candidates without a doctoral degree who are appointed to the role should demonstrate a commitment to continued professional and academic development consistent with the needs of the program.
• Prior service as a Program Director, Associate Program Director, or Director of Didactic or Clinical Education in an AA or allied health graduate program.
• Experience establishing a new academic program, including participation in or leadership of an initial CAAHEP accreditation process.
• Demonstrated record of scholarly activity, professional leadership, or service to the AA profession or health professions education community.
• Familiarity with Higher Learning Commission (HLC) institutional accreditation standards and expectations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and implementation of all programmatic elements required to achieve CAAHEP accreditation, including self-study preparation, policy documentation, and readiness for initial site review.
• Establish the program’s mission, goals, competencies, and assessment framework in alignment with CAAHEP standards and institutional priorities.
• Develop all program policies, procedures, and student-facing documentation, including academic progression policies, professional conduct standards, remediation processes, technical standards, and appeals procedures.
• Collaborate with the EVP & Dean and institutional leadership to build the operational infrastructure needed to support program launch and inaugural cohort matriculation.
• Serve as the primary institutional liaison to CAAHEP and ARC-AA for all accreditation-related communications, including submission of required reports, responses to accreditation correspondence, and coordination of site visits.
• Oversee the design, sequencing, and continuous review of the didactic and clinical curriculum to ensure alignment with CAAHEP standards, program competencies, and current standards of anesthesia practice.
• Maintain and update the curriculum map to reflect current accreditation standards, program-defined competencies, and national CAA certification content blueprints.
• Ensure that all course objectives and syllabi are measurable, accreditation-compliant, and aligned with program goals.
• Lead a comprehensive program assessment and continuous quality improvement process, using data from admission metrics, student academic performance, summative evaluations, clinical performance, graduate outcomes, and preceptor and employer feedback to inform program decisions.
• Promote and support evidence-based, student-centered teaching methodologies, including simulation, interprofessional education, and technology-enhanced instruction.
• Recruit, hire, orient, supervise, evaluate, and mentor all MHSA program faculty and staff in collaboration with the EVP & Dean and Human Resources.
• Conduct annual performance reviews for all direct reports and support ongoing professional development and scholarly growth.
• Foster an inclusive, collegial, and high-performing academic environment that supports faculty retention, well-being, and productivity.
• Manage faculty teaching loads, course assignments, and scheduling in compliance with accreditation standards and program quality expectations.
• Build, develop, and maintain a clinical site network of sufficient breadth and quality to support supervised clinical practice experiences for all students in compliance with CAAHEP standards.
• Establish clinical affiliation agreements in collaboration with institutional leadership and legal counsel.
• Recruit, credential, orient, and evaluate clinical preceptors to ensure they meet program and accreditation requirements.
• Ensure all supervised clinical practice experiences are appropriately coordinated, documented, and incorporated into the program’s continuous quality improvement process.
• Maintain a collaborative peer relationship with the Program Medical Director to ensure appropriate physician oversight of all clinical components.
• Oversee student recruitment and admissions in collaboration with institutional admissions and marketing teams, including application review and participation in candidate selection.
• Provide or oversee academic advising, remediation planning, and professional development support for all MHSA students.
• Lead new student orientation to ensure students understand program expectations, policies, technical standards, and available institutional resources.
• Monitor students’ academic progress and coordinate timely, appropriate interventions for students experiencing academic or professional difficulties.
• Support student preparation for CAA national certification and state licensure requirements.
• Manage and steward the MHSA program budget in collaboration with the EVP & Dean and institutional finance leadership, ensuring the responsible allocation of resources to support program operations and accreditation compliance.
• Provide regular budget reporting and participate in annual institutional budget planning cycles as directed.
• Identify and advocate for the program resources necessary to maintain accreditation standards and program quality.
• Fulfill teaching responsibilities within the MHSA didactic or clinical curriculum in areas of content expertise, consistent with the faculty appointment and applicable accreditation standards.
• Engage in scholarly and professional activities that advance the field of anesthesiologist assistant education and practice, which may include educational research, peer presentations, and active participation in professional organizations.
• Maintain clinical competency as a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with all applicable CAAHEP standards, ARC-AA policies, and institutional and state regulatory requirements.
• Maintain all program records and documentation required by CAAHEP and ARC-AA, including current faculty credentials, job descriptions, and accreditation files.
• Coordinate timely communication with CAAHEP and ARC-AA regarding substantive changes, personnel changes, program modifications, or any other items requiring accreditor notification.
• Oversee the preparation and public disclosure of required program information, including accreditation status, student outcome data, graduation rates, and program costs.
• Participate in College governance, committees, and service activities appropriate to the Program Director role and faculty appointment.
• Represent the MHSA program and Burrell College at regional, state, and national AA and health professions education events, as well as within relevant professional organizations.
• Develop and chair a Program Advisory Committee that supports program development, community engagement, and continuous improvement.
• Serve as a visible advocate and ambassador for the MHSA program within Burrell College and the broader anesthesia and healthcare education communities.

Benefits

• Faculty appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor or above, commensurate with credentials and College policy.
• Dedicated flex time within the work schedule to support clinical practice expectation.

What This Job Offers

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