Associate Dean of College Affairs

About the role

This is a Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine (HCOM) Administration-level position within Western University of Health Sciences, offered in conjunction with a faculty appointment. Together, the administrative role of Associate Dean of College Affairs and the faculty role comprise a full-time position (1.0 FTE). The salary range listed represents the total compensation for the combined Administrative and Faculty responsibilities.

Under the general direction of the Site Dean, the Associate Dean of College Affairs serves as a senior academic and administrative leader within HCOM. The position provides strategic oversight, operational leadership, and collaborative guidance across academic, clinical, and administrative domains. The Associate Dean supports the Site Dean in advancing the college’s mission, vision, and values while ensuring excellence in education, research, faculty and staff development, and community engagement. The role leads academic innovation, accreditation readiness, personnel processes, and interdepartmental collaboration. The Associate Dean fosters a supportive learning environment, ensures high‑quality program delivery, and represents the college in internal and external settings.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge:

• Demonstrated knowledge of higher education administration and academic leadership.
• Accreditation standards and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Faculty lifecycle processes, governance structures, and academic assessment.

Skills:

• Strong strategic leadership and planning skills.
• Program oversight and data‑informed decision‑making.
• Effective collaboration and communication with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success in faculty and staff management.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and consensus‑building skills.

Abilities:

• Ability to lead faculty and staff development across recruitment, mentoring, evaluation, and retention.
• Ability to manage complex organizational dynamics and drive continuous improvement.
• Ability to ensure regulatory compliance and accreditation readiness.
• Capacity to foster an inclusive, high‑performing culture aligned with institutional mission and humanistic values.
• Ability to demonstrate a commitment to working in an organization that values and promotes humanism.

Education

• DO or MD degree required.
• Residency training and board certification in medical or surgical specialty.

Experience

• Significant leadership experience in higher education or a similarly complex organization (5+ years preferred).
• Experience managing large teams.
• Proven ability to manage complex projects.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to motivate and collaborate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced academic credentials preferred.
• Experience with accreditation.
• Demonstrated success in faculty development and mentoring.
• Experience leading organizational change.
• Experience building high‑performance teams.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in medical education and/or clinical practice preferred.

Pay

• Expected Pay Scale Minimum: $248,000.00 Annually
• Expected Pay Scale Maximum: $263,000.00 Annually