About the Role

Excelon Associates has been retained to recruit an Associate Dean of Physical Therapy on behalf of our client. This individual will provide academic leadership and administrative oversight for all Physical Therapy programs across multiple campuses and delivery formats. The Associate Dean will guide program directors and faculty by coordinating program outcome assessments, accreditation activities, faculty evaluation and development, and curricular improvement.

The role requires a dynamic leader who can unify programmatic standards across locations while supporting innovation, growth, and academic excellence for students and faculty alike. Working closely with senior academic leadership, the Associate Dean will help shape strategic planning for PT programs with a focus on continuous quality improvement and alignment with institutional goals.

This leader will also serve as a spokesperson for advancing PT education, ensuring that programs remain innovative and competitive within the field. Responsibilities include oversight of faculty development, recruitment of program directors, workload equity, and implementation of retention and growth plans. The Associate Dean will also play an integral role in admissions standards, resource allocation, budget development, and accreditation compliance.

Key Responsibilities

Academic and Program Leadership

• Provide academic leadership and administrative oversight for all PT programs across multiple campuses and delivery formats.
• Guide program directors and faculty in coordinating program outcome assessments, accreditation activities, and curricular improvement.
• Unify programmatic standards across campus locations while supporting innovation and academic excellence.
• Serve as a spokesperson for advancing PT education and ensuring programs remain innovative and competitive.

Strategic Planning and Quality Improvement

• Work closely with senior academic leadership to shape strategic planning for PT programs.
• Drive continuous quality improvement aligned with institutional goals and accreditation standards.
• Lead program reviews, outcome analysis, and curricular revisions to ensure programs are contemporary and compliant.
• Ensure alignment with the needs of students, faculty, and the physical therapy profession.

Faculty Development and Operations

• Oversee faculty development initiatives and support consistent faculty performance evaluations across campuses.
• Lead recruitment of program directors and implement workload equity and retention plans.
• Oversee inter-campus faculty meetings and retreats and support the onboarding of new program directors.
• Coordinate policy development and resource procurement with executive leadership.

Accreditation and Compliance

• Ensure accreditation standards and applicable federal and state regulations are met across all PT programs.
• Lead accreditation reporting, self-study preparation, and site visit coordination.
• Maintain compliance with program-specific regulatory requirements and institutional policies.

Admissions and Resource Management

• Play an integral role in setting and monitoring admissions standards across PT programs.
• Contribute to resource allocation and budget development in collaboration with institutional leadership.
• Support enrollment growth strategies aligned with institutional expansion goals.

Required Qualifications

A Significant Leadership Opportunity in PT Education

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced academic leader to make a significant impact on the future of Physical Therapy education. The Associate Dean will foster an environment that values excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service while preparing students to succeed in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape.

The position offers the ability to lead at scale across multiple campuses, influence accreditation strategy, shape faculty culture, and drive the kind of programmatic innovation that defines what a DPT program looks like for the next generation of practitioners. For an academic leader ready to step into an enterprise-level PT education role, this is a rare and substantive opportunity.

Search Conducted by Excelon Associates

Excelon Associates is a retained executive search firm headquartered in Asheville, NC, with offices in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, FL. Our healthcare education practice places program directors, department chairs, deans, and academic leaders across allied health disciplines including physical therapy, nursing, physician assistant studies, dental hygiene, and respiratory therapy at accredited institutions nationwide. We have been conducting searches in allied health education since 2007.

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