Program Director for founding the Doctorate of Occupational Therapy

Who We Are:

Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) is a fully accredited Christian liberal arts university in Shawnee, 30 minutes east of Oklahoma City. Founded in 1910, the campus encompasses just under 300 beautiful acres and offers 80 areas of study. OBU transforms students’ lives by equipping them to pursue academic excellence, integrate faith with all areas of knowledge, engage a diverse world, and live worthy of the high calling of God in Christ. We achieve our mission through a shared commitment to the essentials of the Christian faith, our vision and mission, and active participation in local evangelical churches. OBU believes that all people must be treated with dignity and respect. Relationships are built on honesty, integrity, and trust. Finally, we believe that excellence is achieved through teamwork, leadership, and a strong work ethic. Come join us and work with a purpose, where faith is the heart of education.

Position Summary:

OBU is seeking a motivated and dynamic professional for the position of founding OTD Program Director to establish the program at our university and provide academic and strategic leadership for the new Doctor of Occupational Therapy program. The chosen candidate will serve to support and advocate for the goals and mission of the OTD Program and University. Qualified applicants will possess the ability to lead, manage, and oversee all program functions, including curriculum development, student instruction and progression, faculty performance evaluation and development, program assessment, and accreditation. They will understand how to promote and achieve program, faculty, and student goals and outcomes, demonstrating excellence and growth in academics, scholarship, and service. The chosen OTD Director will develop and maintain collaborative professional relationships with administrative departments, accrediting bodies, and institutional and clinical partnerships. The right individual will exhibit strong interpersonal and leadership skills, organization skills, faculty and staff management skills, and communication and collaboration skills in performance of all duties included in the formal job description. The preference is that this position be worked onsite at the OBU campus, but the position is eligible for consideration of remote/hybrid work arrangements with the chosen Program Director required to be onsite when students are at OBU for specified program tasks.

Qualifications:

§ Earned clinical doctorate in Occupational Therapy (i.e., OTD) or terminal doctorate (i.e., Ph.D., Ed.D., D.Sc.) in a discipline appropriate for teaching responsibilities from a regionally accredited institution.

§ Eligible for senior faculty rank (Associate Professor or higher), with experience consistent with the OBU system for designated faculty rank.

§ A minimum of 8 years of full-time documented experience in the field of Occupational Therapy.

§ At least three years of full-time experience as a core faculty member in a ACOTE accredited entry-level Occupational Therapy education program and administrative experience.

§ Applicable experience in leadership (OTD program leadership experience and/or demonstrated successful leadership experience with the ACOTE accreditation process are preferred).

§ Knowledge of legislative, regulatory, legal, and practice issues affecting clinical education, students, and the profession of Occupational Therapy.

§ Licensed, or eligible for licensure, as an Occupational Therapist in Oklahoma.

§ Active in professional activities at local, state, and/or national levels.

§ Must be an active member of an evangelical** church in one’s community of residence, willing to teach in accordance with the Baptist Faith & Message 2000, and in agreement with the university’s policy on human sexuality (provided by HR upon request).

**Please apply using the link for “Faculty Applications” on the OBU website at https://www.okbu.edu/hr/jobs.html . For the complete job description, please contact HR@okbu.edu. The information in this job posting contains partial information and is not considered all-inclusive of the duties and responsibilities of this job.

**Evangelical is a broad term referring to a segment within Christianity which maintains the authority of the Bible and the belief in salvation by faith in Jesus alone.

OBU Benefits Summary:

OBU understands that our employees are our most valuable assets when it comes to fulfilling our mission. We strive to offer an extensive array of benefits and opportunities for employees to choose from. OBU contributes generously to the monthly premiums for nationwide family-friendly Health and Dental coverages and provides free life insurance with accidental death and dismemberment equal to an employee’s base salary. There is generous paid time off that includes annual granted vacation time, accrued sick leave, six annual holidays, and week-long breaks for Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are employer matching opportunities for retirement investments in two different 403(b)(9) plans administered by GuideStone and the Teachers Insurance Annuity Association/ College Retirement Equity Fund (TIAA-CREF). OBU gives access to optional employee-paid ancillary benefits like vision, hospitalization, critical illness, accident, and additional family life insurance coverages. There are numerous other perks and opportunities like FREE family membership to the OBU Recreation and Wellness Center or RAWC, Global outreach university mission trips, education benefits at OBU and other institutions of higher education, cafeteria discounts, and parking privileges to name a few. For a complete list of current OBU employee benefits and opportunities, please visit our Employees Benefits page on our website.