Executive Director, Health Professions Education

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $152,000 - $160,000

Position Summary

The Executive Director, Health Professions Education is part of the Office of the Vice Dean for Education at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and leads the Division of Health Professions Education. Under the supervision of the Vice Dean for Education, the Executive Director will establish and lead the Division of Health Professions Education (HPE).  This division will provide shared administrative and operational infrastructure to support VP&S masters-level and related professional programs, strengthening the quality, sustainability, and coordinated growth for the school’s programs while preserving the distinct academic identity of each program.  The portfolio includes existing master’s degree programs, biomedical research, education, and certificate programs, as well as emerging and future programs aligned with institutional priorities. Key responsibilities include leading strategic planning for the HPE division, fostering and driving innovation, and collaborating with cross functional teams to ensure alignment with organizational objectives.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership:

• Establish and lead the Division of Health Professions Education 
• Stands up and operationalizes the division including mission, scope of services, staffing model, governance and multi-year road map. 
• Defines the shared services operating model and service philosophy, ensuring equitable support across programs of varying size, scope and complexity cope and complexity.
• Leads alignment with program directors and faculty leadership to set shared priorities and decision-making.
• In partnership with program directors and VP&S leadership, lead annual/biannual program planning, including program review cycles, continuous improvement planning, and risk management.
• Working with program directors, establishes performance measurement frameworks and monitors program outcomes (enrollment, retention, student experience, outcomes, financial health) using insights to inform strategy and innovation.
• Leads the development and expansion of academic programs, including feasibility analysis, business case development, and identification of new offerings aligned with institutional priorities.
• Cultivates strategic partnerships with industry and health system partners to enhance program growth and long-term sustainability.
• Strengthens VP&S’s positioning as a leader in health professions, education and workforce development.

Operations:

• Lead the design and phased implementation of administrative structures and shared service models to reduce faculty burden and support the student experience.
• Partner with program leadership to strengthen consistency in key aspects of the student experience where centralized functions intersect (e.g. onboarding, communications, coordination of services) while maintaining program-level ownership.
• Establish clear workflows, service level expectations, and well-defined reporting lines for program operations and create supporting documentation including standard operating procedures (SOPs) and related materials
• Oversees development of operational dashboards and reporting tools to monitor service delivery and inform continuous improvement. Partner with senior education leadership to identify opportunities for shared infrastructure across programs (e.g. financial planning, admissions and evaluation systems, space allocation).
• Formalize service agreements to clarify scope, accountability, and cost allocation across shared services.

Finance and Budgeting:

• Partners with CUIMC Finance, to develop and maintain financial models for each program to assess program sustainability, inform decision making and portfolio level planning. Establishes transparent cost allocation frameworks, program analyses, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Partners with program leadership to align tuition models, enrollment strategy, cohort sizing, and resource allocation with institutional capacity.
• Conducts enrollment forecasting and scenario planning (cohort sizing, market shifts, expansion/contraction options) in close partnership with program directors.
• Recommends budget reallocations and resource optimization strategies.

People:

• Partners with Human Resources to support execution of people strategies, including performance management, employee engagement, workforce and succession planning, and staff development.
• Provides oversight of staff performance and development, including coaching, training, feedback, and support for onboarding efforts.
• Establishes and promotes a culture of continuous improvement, accountability and professional development to ensure highest levels of staff satisfaction and performance.
• Collaborates with leadership to define and align roles, responsibilities, and expectations, supporting clarity, team effectiveness, and evolving operational needs.
• Serves as a key liaison across stakeholders, fostering strong relationships and ensuring clear communication and alignment across the medical education mission and the organization.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• 10 years related experience.
• Bachelor's degree required or equivalent in education and experience. Master's preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or terminal degree preferred.
• Experience within an academic medical center or research-intensive institution.
• Familiarity with accreditation and compliance environments relevant to graduate and health professions programs.

Other Requirements

• Bachelor's or equivalent plus 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in academic health sciences or higher education administration.
• Demonstrated experience in academic program development and implementation
• Strong financial fluency, including budget modeling and enrollment forecasting.
• Experience designing or leading administrative integration or shared services across programs
• Ability to navigate complex academic environments with diplomacy, judgment, and collaborative leadership.
• Student-centered approach and mindset.
• Strong interpersonal skills; ability to interact effectively at all levels of academic leadership
  • Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal
  • Excellent active listening skills
  • Ability to clearly articulate messages to a variety of audiences
  • Ability to establish and maintain strong relationships
  • Ability to influence others and move toward a common vision or goal
• Ability to successfully prioritize multiple responsibilities and projects
• Excellent problem solving and investigative skills
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail
• Excellent organization and time management skills
• Proficiency in MS Office applications (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Project and Visio)
• Available as needed to attend early morning or evening meetings.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.