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

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

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.

Associate Program Director, Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) - Associate or Full Professor (tenure-track/tenured or clinical track), commensurate with qualifications or exceptional candidates at advanced Assistant Professor rank. The Associate Program Director will 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.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 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.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 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.

Instructions and Required Materials for Application:

• Cover letter addressing qualifications and leadership vision.
• Curriculum vitae.
• Leadership statement (2–3 pages) describing experience with accreditation, faculty development, fiscal management, and program assessment.
• Teaching statement and scholarly/clinical agenda (as appropriate to rank/track).
• Names and contact information for three references (references will be contacted only with candidate's…