Program Director

Job Title: Program Director

Department: Health and Professional Sciences (Brian Mann)

FLSA: United States of America (Exempt)

Location: Suwanee Campus

The Program Director & Chair of Physician Assistant Studies provides visionary leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS) program at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. This senior academic leader is responsible for programmatic excellence, accreditation compliance, faculty and staff leadership, curriculum innovation, and student success, while advancing PCOM’s mission of osteopathic, patient-centered, and competency-based health professions education.

The Program Director/Chair serves as the administrative officer for the PA program, ensuring full compliance with ARC-PA Standards, fostering a culture of collaboration, professionalism, innovation, and continuous quality improvement, and positioning the program for long-term sustainability and distinction. The position reports directly to the Dean of the School of Health Professions & Sciences and carries faculty rank commensurate with qualifications and experience.

1. Provide strategic leadership to advance a high-quality, mission-aligned PA program consistent with PCOM’s institutional priorities.

2. Maintain continuous compliance with all ARC-PA Standards, institutional policies, and applicable state regulations.

3. Work collaboratively with the Accreditation Specialist and serve as the primary liaison to ARC-PA, overseeing:

• Program applications and appendices
• RC portal updates and reporting
• Self-study development and documentation
• Annual and monitoring reporting
• Substantive change reporting
• Accreditation site visit coordination

4. Provide direct supervision and leadership for:

• Medical Director
• Assistant Program Directors
• Director(s) of Didactic Education
• Director(s) of Clinical Education
• Principal Faculty, instructional faculty, and program staff

5. Chair and oversee key committees, including:

• Curriculum Committee
• Admissions Committee
• Accreditation and CQI Committee
• Progression, Conduct, and Appeals Committee

6. Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of program-level policies, procedures, goals, and strategic plans with institutional leadership.

7. Oversee program budgeting, fiscal planning, and resource allocation in collaboration with institutional leadership.

8. Lead faculty and staff recruitment, onboarding, mentoring, evaluation, remediation, and professional development.

9. Foster an inclusive, collegial, and high-performance culture that supports retention and excellence.

10. Cultivate and maintain strong partnerships with clinical sites, health systems, and community stakeholders to ensure high-quality supervised clinical practice experiences.

11. Collaborate with admissions, registrar, student affairs, financial aid, marketing, and other institutional offices to ensure seamless program operations.

12. The Program Director & Chair is responsible for leadership continuity and succession planning through faculty development, cross-training, and documented transition processes that ensure uninterrupted program operations and ongoing compliance with ARC-PA Standards.

1. Oversee the design, implementation, and continuous refinement of the didactic and clinical curriculum.

2. Ensure curriculum mapping alignment with:

• ARC-PA Standards
• Program-defined competencies
• NCCPA content and task area blueprints

3. Approve course objectives and syllabi, ensuring measurable outcomes and standards compliance.

4. Lead a robust assessment and CQI framework, incorporating:

• Admissions and progression data
• Course and exam performance
• OSCEs and simulation outcomes
• PACKRAT and summative evaluations
• Clinical performance data
• PANCE outcomes
• Graduate, employer, and preceptor feedback

5. Use data-driven insights to inform program improvement, resource planning, and accreditation documentation.

6. Promote innovative teaching and assessment strategies, including simulation, interprofessional education, and…