Program Director - Master of Occupational Therapy

Discover the opportunity to join Baker College, honored as one of the 2024, 2025 & 2026 Best and Brightest Workplaces in West Michigan, Metro Detroit & Nationally!

About the role

We are seeking an exceptional Program Director for our Master of Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program to provide strategic, academic, and operational leadership for a thriving and innovative graduate program. As the institution's designated ACOTE-compliant Program Director, you will serve as the driving force behind program excellence, ensuring curricular integrity, accreditation success, and outstanding student outcomes.

This highly influential role offers the opportunity to lead long-range strategic initiatives, foster academic innovation, and guide the continued growth of a program that prepares future occupational therapy professionals to meet the evolving needs of healthcare and the communities they serve. Balancing leadership with scholarly and program service, the Program Director maintains overall accountability for program administration, resource management, ACOTE accreditation compliance and liaison, and continuous quality improvement.

The successful candidate will collaborate with faculty, students, institutional leadership, and community partners to advance a culture of excellence, innovation, and student-centered learning.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic, academic, and operational leadership for the MSOT program.
• Ensure curricular integrity and accreditation success (ACOTE compliance).
• Oversee program administration, resource management, and continuous quality improvement.
• Lead long-range strategic initiatives and foster academic innovation.
• Collaborate with faculty, students, institutional leadership, and community partners.
• Maintain accountability for program excellence and student outcomes.

Requirements

• Earned doctoral degree (Ph.D., OTD, Ed.D., or equivalent) from a USDE-recognized, institutionally accredited institution.
• Minimum of eight years of documented experience in occupational therapy, including direct clinical practice experience as an occupational therapist.
• Documented experience in program planning, implementation, personnel management, evaluation, and budget/resource management.
• At least four years of faculty experience teaching at the post-baccalaureate level, with a demonstrated record of scholarship consistent with institutional and ACOTE expectations.

Skills

• Deep understanding of the complementary roles of Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants (including supervision, delegation, and collaborative delivery).
• Expertise in higher education assessment, curriculum development, and learning management systems.
• Strong mastery of ACOTE accreditation standards.
• Exceptional communication, leadership, team-building, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Commitment to student-centered, inclusive education, and the ability to use data to drive academic and administrative decisions.

About Baker College

Founded in 1911, Baker College is committed to embracing technology, sparking innovation, and fostering a supportive learning environment where students can get the real-world knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to pursue the life and career they want. Each of our six campus locations is special, with a unique culture, collection of academic programs, and landscape.

Baker College is an independent, private, non-profit institution that grants associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campuses across Michigan and online. Our student-first philosophy is the cornerstone of our institution—it is our compass, guiding us and keeping us on course, ensuring that our students and their academic and professional success remain our ultimate priority.