Dean, College of Health Professions and Sciences
The Dean of the College of Health Professions and Sciences leads the strategic direction, academic excellence, and operations of a college that prepares students for healthcare careers and advances health research. This is a sample job description from Excelon Associates that you can adapt as a template for your own hire.
What does a Dean of the College of Health Professions and Sciences do?
The Dean of the College of Health Professions and Sciences is a dynamic and visionary leader responsible for overseeing the strategic direction, academic excellence, and operational effectiveness of the College. The role serves as the primary advocate for the College, fostering innovation in teaching, research, and service while cultivating collaborative relationships within the university and the broader community.
As a key member of the university’s leadership team, the Dean reports to the Provost and aligns the College’s mission and goals with institutional priorities. It is a senior academic leadership role within the higher education and healthcare space.
A College of Health Professions and Sciences spans multiple allied health and science disciplines under one academic unit. Many of its programs carry their own professional accreditation, and broader health-professions education is supported by bodies such as ASAHP, the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions.
What does the Dean oversee?
Key responsibilities of a Dean of the College of Health Professions and Sciences
- Provide strategic leadership to advance the College’s academic programs, research initiatives, and community engagement efforts.
- Develop and implement a vision for the College that emphasizes innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and student success.
- Ensure the College’s programs meet the highest standards of accreditation and professional excellence.
- Oversee the recruitment, retention, and development of a diverse and highly qualified faculty and staff.
- Foster a supportive and inclusive environment that enhances student engagement, retention, and graduation rates.
- Promote and support research and scholarship activities among faculty and students.
- Advocate for the College within the university and broader community, building partnerships with healthcare organizations, government agencies, and other stakeholders.
- Manage the College’s budget and resources effectively, ensuring financial sustainability and growth.
What qualifications does the role require?
- Earned doctorate in a health-related field or closely related discipline.
- A record of distinguished academic achievement and leadership in higher education, with a minimum of five years of progressive administrative experience.
- Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, resource management, and program development, with a proven ability to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills for engaging a wide range of stakeholders, and a commitment to student success, faculty development, and research excellence.
- Preferred: experience managing partnerships with healthcare systems or agencies, knowledge of health-professions accreditation, and a record of securing external funding.
Why is the Dean of Health Professions and Sciences role important?
This college prepares the healthcare workforce and advances health research. The Dean’s leadership over programs, accreditation, faculty, and partnerships shapes both the quality of graduates and the institution’s contribution to health outcomes, at a time when demand for health professionals is high.
Because the college spans many disciplines, each with its own accreditation and clinical needs, the strongest deans can hold a complex, multi-program portfolio together while keeping every program accredited and connected to clinical partners. That breadth is what makes the role demanding and consequential.
A hiring note from Excelon
A health-professions deanship is a portfolio role: many disciplines, many accreditors, and constant dependence on clinical partners. Through our higher education and healthcare practices, we look for doctorally prepared leaders who can keep a diverse set of programs accredited and clinically connected at once, since that breadth of oversight is the hardest part of the job.
The strongest deans hold a complex, multi-program portfolio together while keeping every program accredited and clinically connected.
Related sample job descriptions
Dean, College of Health Professions and Sciences: frequently asked questions
What does a Dean of the College of Health Professions and Sciences do?
The Dean oversees the strategic direction, academic excellence, and operations of a college spanning health professions and sciences. The role leads faculty and programs, ensures accreditation and professional standards, manages the budget, and builds healthcare and community partnerships.
What qualifications does the role require?
This sample role requires an earned doctorate in a health-related field or closely related discipline, a distinguished record of academic achievement and leadership, and a minimum of five years of progressive administrative experience.
What programs does this college typically include?
A College of Health Professions and Sciences usually spans multiple allied health and science disciplines, offering undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare students for healthcare careers, each often subject to its own professional accreditation.
Why are healthcare partnerships important to this role?
Health professions programs depend on clinical placements and applied training, so partnerships with healthcare systems, government agencies, and other organizations are essential for student experience, research, and program relevance.
Why is this role important?
This college prepares the healthcare workforce and advances health research. The Dean’s leadership over programs, accreditation, faculty, and partnerships shapes both the quality of graduates and the institution’s contribution to health outcomes.
Hiring a Dean for Your College of Health Professions and Sciences?
Excelon Associates recruits academic deans, health-science leaders, and senior administrators for colleges and 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.