Director of Speech Therapy (Pediatric Experience Required)

Job Summary

Blythedale Children’s Hospital is seeking a visionary, clinically elite, and collaborative leader to serve as the Director of Speech Pathology and Audiology. The ideal candidate will provide strategic leadership, administrative oversight, and clinical mentorship to a robust department of more than 25 highly trained Speech-Language Pathologists, Audiologists, and support staff.

About the Role

The Director will provide strategic leadership, administrative oversight, and clinical mentorship to a robust department of more than 25 highly trained Speech-Language Pathologists, Audiologists, and support staff. This role bridges advanced clinical oversight with organizational management, ensuring the delivery of cutting-edge, evidence-based evaluation and therapy services across inpatient units, the Day Hospital program, long-term care and outpatient services.

Responsibilities

• Maintain overall accountability for the standards of clinical care delivered by Speech Pathology and Audiology.
• Drive the implementation of evidence-based practices for diagnosing and treating a broad spectrum of pediatric disorders (congenital, acquired, neurological and developmental).
• Oversee specialized care protocols including infant feeding/swallowing coordination, Passy Muir speaking Valve (PMV) and protocols for tracheostomy/ventilator-dependent patients, traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation, and early language development.
• Ensure stringent compliance with all regulatory body standards (e.g. Joint Commission, NYSDOH) and professional guidelines (ASHA).
• Maintain a limited, highly specialized clinical caseload (e.g. complex feeding evaluations or specialized consultations).
• Lead, mentor, and evaluate a high performing team of SLPs, Lead Clinicians and Audiologist.
• Support and collaborate with the Assistant Director of Speech Pathology/Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) to continuously advance the hospital’s renowned Assistive Technology Program.
• Foster a robust learning environment; manage the department’s graduate student clinician rotation program and champion ongoing continuing education initiatives to maintain the site’s status as a regional clinical education hub.
• Actively collaborate with Chief Medical Officer, Directors of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Pediatric Physiatrists, Pulmonologists, Nursing Leadership, and case management to ensure seamless, holistic patient care.
• Champion family education and empowerment models, ensuring caregivers are actively integrated into therapy design to optimize carryover and skill generalization at home and school environments.
• Manage the department’s annual operational and capital budgets, ensuring efficient resource allocation for state-of-the-art diagnostic, technology and therapy tools.
• Optimize departmental workflows, productivity metrics, and documentation standards across inpatient, outpatient, and Day-Hospital settings.
• Partner with the outpatient registration and insurance authorization teams to facilitate accurate billing, compliance and utilization reviews.

Requirements

• 10+ years of clinical experience in pediatric speech language pathology, ideally within a pediatric hospital or rehabilitation facility.
• 5+ years of progressive leadership, supervisory or administrative experience managing a multifaceted rehabilitation team.
• Deep clinical expertise in pediatric dysphagia (infant/pediatric feeding and swallowing) and medically complex populations (e.g. vent/trach dependent, neuromuscular conditions, TBI).
• Strong working knowledge of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and high-tech assistive technology models.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication and conflict-resolution skills.
• Proven ability to build consensus across interdisciplinary medical and therapy teams.
• Proficiency with electronic medical records (EMR) systems (experience in Meditech preferred) and standard healthcare management software.
• Masters in Speech Language Pathology or communication disorders from an accredited institution in the US.
• Active New York State Speech Language Pathology license.

Qualifications

• Standing, walking, stooping.
• Ability to transfer children and equipment.
• Ability to meet flexible scheduling demands and patient care needs.

Skills

• Strategic Leadership
• Administrative Oversight
• Clinical Mentorship
• Evidence-Based Practices
• Specialized Care Protocols
• Compliance with Regulatory Standards
• Team Leadership
• Collaboration Across Interdisciplinary Teams
• Family Education and Empowerment
• Operational and Fiscal Administration
• Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Systems

Benefits

• Competitive Salary
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Comprehensive Health Benefits
• Retail Plans with Employer Matching
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Safe Work Environment
• Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives