Assistant Program Director, OT
An Assistant Program Director for an occupational therapy program supports the Program Director with administrative leadership for aspects of program operation, implementing strategies and ensuring outcomes align with university goals. This is a sample job description from Excelon Associates that you can adapt as a template for your own hire.
What does an Assistant Program Director for an OT program do?
The Assistant Program Director, OT supports the Program Director with administrative leadership for aspects of program operation. The role implements strategies to achieve goals locally and across the academic program consistent with university goals and policies, prepares and furnishes outcome data, oversees and evaluates contributing faculty, and supervises students.
The position carries a reduced teaching workload along with service and scholarly activities. It is a program leadership role at the intersection of higher education and healthcare.
An Assistant Program Director, OT supports leadership of an occupational therapy education program. OT programs are accredited by ACOTE, the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, and the role requires a state-licensed or eligible therapist with an advanced doctoral degree.
What does the Assistant Program Director support?
Key responsibilities of an Assistant Program Director, OT
- Implement strategies to achieve goals, both locally and across the academic program, consistent with university goals and policies.
- Collect, prepare, and furnish outcome data and relevant information about the program as required by the university.
- Participate, as requested, in Program Director Council to contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures.
- Oversee and evaluate contributing faculty in areas related to the professional program.
- Supervise students of the program, handling student issues such as complaints, appeals, and misconduct.
- Carry a reduced teaching workload not to exceed 0.5 FTE, along with service and scholarly activities.
- Participate in marketing activities and other activities as a representative of the university.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the program director.
What qualifications does the role require?
- State licensed (or eligible) therapist in the academic program, with current state license or eligibility.
- An advanced doctoral degree and demonstrated leadership ability.
- Prior entry-level therapy education teaching required; graduate-level education administration preferred.
- Proven organizational skills, demonstrated data analysis skills, and experience with collaboration, facilitation, and team building.
- Excellent communication, time management, and the ability to work independently on numerous projects with little supervision.
- Ability to manage change and travel to off-site locations for marketing and professional activities.
Why is this role important?
The Assistant Program Director helps keep an OT program running, accredited, and improving, supporting the Program Director across outcome data, faculty oversight, and student supervision. In an ACOTE-accredited program, this leadership bench protects continuity and compliance.
Because the role blends administration with teaching and a clinical license, the strongest candidates are credentialed OT educators who can manage faculty and data while still teaching. That dual capacity is what makes the position valuable to a program director.
A hiring note from Excelon
OT program leadership searches are constrained by ACOTE faculty requirements and a small pool of licensed OT educators with administrative depth. Through our higher education and healthcare practices, we look for credentialed OT faculty with accreditation and data experience who can also teach, since programs need a true second-in-command, not just an administrator.
The strongest candidates are credentialed OT educators who can manage faculty and data while still teaching.
Related sample job descriptions
Assistant Program Director, OT: frequently asked questions
What does an Assistant Program Director for an OT program do?
The Assistant Program Director supports the Program Director with administrative leadership for an occupational therapy program, implementing strategies, preparing outcome data, overseeing contributing faculty, supervising students, and teaching at a reduced load.
What qualifications does the role require?
This sample role requires a state-licensed (or eligible) therapist in the academic program, an advanced doctoral degree, demonstrated leadership, and prior entry-level therapy education teaching, with graduate-level education administration preferred.
What is ACOTE?
ACOTE, the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, accredits occupational therapy education programs in the United States. Program leadership roles like this one support accreditation requirements.
How is this different from the DPT version?
This role supports an occupational therapy (OT) program and uses OT credentialing and ACOTE accreditation, while the Assistant Program Director, DPT supports a physical therapy program under CAPTE accreditation.
Does the role include teaching?
Yes. The role carries a reduced teaching workload not exceeding 0.5 FTE, along with service and scholarly activities expected of program faculty.
Hiring an Assistant Program Director for Your OT Program?
Excelon Associates recruits occupational therapy program leaders, OT faculty, and health-science academic talent for universities across the United States through our healthcare recruitment practice. Retained executive search since 2007, headquartered in Asheville, NC, with offices in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, FL.
More Sample Job Descriptions
Templates you can adapt for your own roles.