Excelon Associates  ·  Sample Job Description  ·  Higher Education · Allied Health  ·  October 2025

Sample Job Description · Physical Therapy · Allied Health Education

Department Chair, Physical Therapy

Position Summary

About the Role

Excelon Associates is partnering with an accredited institution to identify an accomplished leader to serve as Department Chair for Physical Therapy. This search represents an opportunity for a proven academic professional to elevate a growing Physical Therapy program to new levels of distinction in student outcomes, clinical readiness, and program accreditation standing.

The Department Chair provides strategic, academic, and operational leadership for the Physical Therapy program, ensuring alignment with institutional goals, CAPTE accreditation standards, and evolving professional practice expectations. The Chair oversees curriculum development, faculty mentorship, student success initiatives, and community and clinical partnerships, while fostering a culture of excellence in education, research, and clinical service.

This position requires someone who can lead at both the strategic and operational levels — setting a compelling vision for the program while managing the day-to-day realities of a complex academic department in a regulated health profession.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead all academic, administrative, and operational functions of the Physical Therapy department, ensuring alignment with institutional strategic priorities and program mission.
  • Ensure ongoing compliance with CAPTE accreditation standards, institutional policies, and state licensure requirements, including preparation and submission of required reports and self-studies.
  • Oversee faculty recruitment, onboarding, development, and annual performance evaluation processes, fostering a high-performing and professionally engaged academic team.
  • Guide curriculum design, assessment, and continuous quality improvement initiatives to ensure graduates are clinically prepared, evidence-based practitioners.
  • Develop and sustain strategic partnerships with clinical sites, healthcare systems, and community organizations to expand student placement opportunities and program visibility.
  • Manage departmental budgets and resource allocation to support program priorities, capital investments, and faculty development.
  • Foster a culture of collaboration, diversity, equity, inclusion, and professional integrity among faculty, staff, and students throughout the program.
  • Represent the Physical Therapy department in institutional governance committees, accreditation bodies, and external professional associations including APTA and regional PT organizations.
  • Support faculty scholarship, grant development, and student research within rehabilitation sciences and related health disciplines.
  • Advise and mentor students on academic progression, clinical placement, licensure preparation, and professional development within the field of physical therapy.
Minimum Qualifications

Required Qualifications

Education
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) or terminal academic degree (PhD, EdD, ScD) in physical therapy, rehabilitation science, or a closely related field is required.
Licensure
Current physical therapy licensure in the state of employment, or eligibility to obtain licensure prior to appointment. Board certification in a clinical specialty is a plus.
Experience
Minimum five years of academic experience with progressive leadership responsibility in a physical therapy or allied health program. Prior department chair, program director, or equivalent role preferred.
Accreditation
Demonstrated success in CAPTE accreditation processes, including on-site reviews, self-study preparation, and ongoing compliance monitoring. Experience navigating accreditation status reviews is a strong differentiator.
Preferred Attributes

What Sets the Best Candidates Apart

Program Development

New Program Experience

Demonstrated experience developing new degree programs, advancing accreditation status, or leading curriculum redesign initiatives within a DPT or allied health context.

Clinical Partnerships

Established Site Networks

Existing relationships with regional healthcare systems, outpatient clinics, hospital networks, and community organizations that can expand student clinical placement capacity.

Leadership Style

Visionary and Student-Centered

A collaborative, outcomes-driven leadership approach that motivates faculty, supports student success, and builds lasting institutional culture within a health professions program.

Institutional Context

Why This Role Matters

Physical therapy programs play a vital role in preparing practitioners who restore movement, improve patient quality of life, and strengthen the communities they serve. The Department Chair is the person most responsible for ensuring that academic rigor, clinical readiness, and compassionate care intersect within every aspect of the program.

This position directly shapes how students transition from the classroom to the clinic, and how the program positions itself among peer institutions for accreditation standing, graduate outcomes, and employer recognition. A strong Department Chair attracts better faculty, builds better clinical partnerships, and ultimately produces better practitioners.

As healthcare delivery continues to evolve, demand for evidence-based physical therapists across acute care, outpatient, home health, and specialty settings continues to grow. The institution that graduates well-prepared, critical-thinking PT practitioners is the one with strong academic leadership at the department level.

Physical therapy programs don’t succeed by accident. They succeed when the person in this chair sets a clear vision, builds a strong faculty, and refuses to let accreditation standards be a ceiling rather than a floor.

About This Search

Retained Search by Excelon Associates

Excelon Associates is a retained executive search firm headquartered in Asheville, NC, with additional offices in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, FL. Our healthcare education practice places department chairs, program directors, and faculty leaders at accredited institutions across the United States.

We collaborate with leading institutions to identify distinguished academic and clinical leaders who can strengthen program infrastructure, build high-impact clinical partnerships, and ensure alignment with CAPTE and institutional standards. We connect institutions with professionals experienced in academic leadership, clinical education, and student mentorship across the allied health spectrum.

If your institution is seeking to hire or expand leadership within Physical Therapy or other allied health programs, reach out to start a confidential conversation.