Director of CDL & Diesel Mechanic Programs

Belong to something. Believe in something. Strive for something. UHP creates professionals, builds leaders, and reveals purpose. We’re looking for people to join our team who believe this mission is worth showing up for every day.

UHP is a veteran-focused education and leadership development organization based on a scenic 800-acre campus in Northwest Arkansas.

The UHP School of Health & Performance offers program tracks in personal training, health coaching, and culinary nutrition. At the UHP Skilled Trades Institute, students earn the certifications necessary to launch careers in high-demand trades. Leadership development is baked into every program.

We also work with a network of employer and industry partners to open career pathways for our graduates. While we can't guarantee employment, everything we do is designed to give service members and veterans a real path toward meaningful careers.
Veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses are strongly encouraged to apply.

At UHP, you are joining more than a company — you are helping build something designed to create lasting impact.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Contribute to a mission larger than yourself

• Help shape and build new systems and programs

• Work alongside passionate and purpose-driven people

• Directly impact the lives of veterans and future generations

• Be part of building the future workforce

The Opportunity

UHP is adding two transportation trades programs in 2027, a CDL truck driving school and a Diesel Mechanic program, and the Founding Director of CDL & Diesel Mechanic Programs owns both from day one. This is a build role, not a maintain role. You will write the curriculum, stand up the range, fleet, and shop, get the programs licensed, registered, and on track for accreditation, hire the instructor team, and then teach in the programs you built.

The CDL program will enroll students from across the country, run 20-student cohorts, and train toward Class A and Class B licenses under federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) rules. The Diesel Mechanic program will run 20-student cohorts on the UHP trades calendar. Both are being built alongside Northwest Arkansas employer partners, including J.B. Hunt and Walmart.

The two programs run together on purpose. Drivers who understand the equipment are safer and more employable, and mechanics who understand how trucks are driven diagnose them better. We want one leader who has worked both sides of the truck and can build a single, connected transportation pathway.

Expect to spend about 25% of your time teaching during the build year, growing toward 50% once both programs are running.

Build the Programs

• Lead the launch of the CDL and Diesel Mechanic programs from planning through the first graduating cohorts

• Design or adapt curriculum: federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) theory and behind-the-wheel content for Class A and Class B, and a diesel curriculum aligned to ASE Education Foundation standards

• Specify the trucks, trailers, range, shop bays, tools, and training aids each program needs, and work with procurement to get them in place

• Set cohort calendars, student-to-instructor ratios, and systems for tracking training hours and completions

Licensing, Compliance, and Safety

• Serve as program director on the Arkansas Division of Higher Education (ADHE) private career school application for the CDL program

• Keep UHP compliant as an FMCSA Training Provider Registry provider, including timely reporting of student completions

• Own DOT compliance for the training fleet: USDOT registration, drug and alcohol testing, driver qualification files, inspections, and maintenance records

• Work toward Arkansas third-party CDL skills testing and ASE Education Foundation accreditation for the diesel program

• Build a strong safety culture on the range, on the road, and in the shop

Lead and Teach

• Recruit, hire, train, and supervise the CDL lead instructor, behind-the-wheel instructors, and diesel instructors, and confirm each meets federal, state, and accreditation requirements

• Observe classes, coach instructors, and keep instruction consistent across cohorts

• Teach CDL classroom and range sessions, behind-the-wheel coaching, and diesel shop instruction as your credentials allow, and step in when an instructor is out

Employers, Funding, and Reporting

• Work with J.B. Hunt, Walmart, and other carriers and fleets on hiring pipelines, curriculum input, and student placement

• Support students from enrollment through…