Director of the Physician Assistant (PA) Program

Job Details

Lenoir-Rhyne University
Chair, School of Physician Assistant Studies
Director, Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program
Position Description

Location: Hickory, North Carolina, in-person

Faculty Position: Full-time position as Program Director and Chair-School of Physician Assistant Studies, Tenured or Tenure-Track appointment

Position Summary

The Director of the Physician Assistant (PA) Program is a 12-month administrative appointment with faculty rank. The director provides academic, strategic, and operational leadership for the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS) degree program and is responsible for all aspects of the planning, development, implementation, management, and evaluation of the program in alignment with the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) Standards of Accreditation, the College of Health Sciences, and Lenoir-Rhyne University policies and practices.

The Program Director works in close collaboration with the Dean of the College of Health Sciences (CHS) and other members of university leadership team to promote the vision, mission, values, goals and student learning outcomes of the PA Program, Lenoir-Rhyne University, and the PA profession.

Promotion is per the Lenoir-Rhyne University Faculty Handbook.

About College of Health Sciences

The College of Health Sciences provides current and practical knowledge and skills that prepare students for success in differing health science careers. The college offers four undergraduate degrees in exercise science, nursing, public health and sports management. At the graduate level, the college offers a Master of Science in Exercise Science, Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, Master of Public Health, Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, the Doctor of Nursing Practice with tracks for Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and a Doctor of Health Sciences.

About Lenoir-Rhyne University

Lenoir-Rhyne University is a co-educational, private, comprehensive institution founded in 1891, with its traditional campus located in Hickory, North Carolina, a city of more than 40,000. The university has an additional graduate center in Asheville, N.C. Situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lenoir-Rhyne is less than an hour’s drive from Charlotte, and the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area has a population of about 365,000. The university now offers more than 45 undergraduate and 20 graduate degree programs to approximately 2,400 students. Lenoir-Rhyne University seeks to liberate mind and spirit, clarify personal faith, foster physical wholeness, build community, and promote responsible leadership for service to the world. Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Lenoir-Rhyne is open to people from all religious and non-religious backgrounds.

Reporting

The Lenoir-Rhyne University Physician Assistant Studies Program Director reports directly to the Dean of the College of Health Sciences. The program director maintains the ultimate operational authority over the program's faculty, staff, and medical director.

Essential Program Director Duties and Responsibilities

Classroom teaching reassigned time is provided to perform the program director’s administrative, fiscal, and accreditation roles. ARC-PA mandated and institutional responsibilities include:

Program & Accreditation Leadership:

• Provide continuous administrative leadership to ensure the program remains in strict compliance with ARC-PA Standards and university policies.
• Lead the continuous self-study process, overseeing systematic collection, tracking, and analysis of program data to evaluate institutional effectiveness.

Curriculum & Instructional Oversight:

• Oversee curriculum planning, development, mapping, delivery, and rigorous ongoing review of both didactic and supervised clinical practice experiences (SCPEs).
• Contribute to student instruction and evaluation as a lecturer, laboratory instructor, or facilitator in areas appropriate to clinical experience and educational preparation.
• Actively participate in ensuring the availability and documentation of remedial instruction for students.

Fiscal & Resource Management:

• Create, manage, and advocate for an annual program budget collaboratively with the Dean that adequately supports PA operations, facilities, and learning resources.
• Ensure the program utilizes effective scheduling, technical platforms, and operational workflows to support the ongoing delivery of cohorts.

Personnel & Faculty Governance:

• Oversee the recruitment, selection, orientation, management, and formal evaluation of principal faculty, instructional faculty, administrative support staff, and the program Medical Director.
• Support university and program governance by serving on standing and ad hoc committees, task forces, and other university bodies.

Student Operations:

• Oversee the program admissions process, student recruitment, and the alignment of instructional or evaluative processes within the classroom.
• Coordinate academic advising, student professional development, and progress tracking throughout the educational program.

Service and Professional Growth:

• Participate in leadership and service activities within professional organizations (e.g., PAEA, AAPA, NCAPA) and the broader community.

Qualifications

To meet ARC-PA qualifications and university standards for institutional leadership, applicants must fulfill the following criteria:

Required Qualifications:

• Licensure & Certification: Current, active, and unrestricted certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Must hold or be eligible for a valid Physician Assistant license in the state of North Carolina or hold PA Emeritus status.
• Education: A minimum of a master’s degree in physician assistant studies (or related discipline); a doctoral degree awarded by an institution accredited by a USDE-recognized institutional accrediting agency is highly preferred.
• Academic Experience: A minimum of three (3) years of full-time higher education experience in a PA educational program.
• Clinical Experience: Documented record of clinical practice as a certified Physician Assistant.
• Skills: Exceptional organizational, fiscal management, problem-solving, and interpersonal communication skills; a strong commitment to achieving the missions of the PA program and Lenoir-Rhyne University.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior administrative experience in an ARC-PA accredited program (e.g., as Program Director, Associate Program Director, Director of Didactic Education, or Director of Clinical Education).
• Demonstrated experience with ARC-PA accreditation standards, self-study processes, and site-visit preparation.
• A record of professional, academic, and clinical achievement, including active participation or leadership in local, regional, or national PA organizations.

Application Process:

The Search Committee invites letters of nomination and applications (letter of interest, full resume/CV, and contact information of at least five references) to be submitted to the search firm assisting the University. Review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made. It is preferred, however, that all nominations and applications are submitted before August 6, 2026. Please submit electronic applications directly to Parker Executive Search. For additional information, please contact:

Jacob Anderson, Senior Principal
Hamilton Mason, Executive Recruiting Coordinator
Parker Executive Search
Five Concourse Parkway, Suite 2875 | Atlanta, GA 30328
(678) 775-4564
janderson@parkersearch.com || hmason@parkersearch.com