Dean of the School of Health Sciences

POSITION SUMMARY

Northwest Mississippi Community College (NWCC) is seeking a dynamic, forward-thinking, and results-driven leader to serve as the Dean of the School of Health Sciences.

Reporting directly to the Vice President of Instruction, the Dean of the School of Health Sciences provides strategic leadership, administrative oversight, and financial stewardship for the School of Health Sciences. The Dean oversees a robust suite of healthcare pathways—including Associate Degree Nursing (RN), Emergency Medical Technology/Paramedic, Funeral Services Technology, Health Care Assistant, Physical Therapist Assistant, Practical Nursing (LPN), Respiratory Therapy, and Surgical Technology. The Dean works collaboratively with faculty, program directors, staff, students, college leadership, and community partners to support high-quality educational experiences and positive student outcomes.

The ideal candidate will be a people-centered leader who blends transformational vision with strategic innovation and persistent execution to advance the college's mission.

CORE PILLARS OF LEADERSHIP

1. Vision & Strategic Growth

• Future-Focused Mapping: Design long-term divisional strategic plans that support student learning outcomes, align with regional medical demands, rapid shifts in healthcare/biomedical technology, and state educational directives.
• Workforce Alignment: Establish deep, interactive relationships with regional healthcare organizations, employers, community partners, and other stakeholders to strengthen educational opportunities and support workforce development.
• Institutional Synergy: Represent the College with state boards, external agencies, legislative partners, professional organizations, community advisory committees, and other partners to sustain and promote collaborative partnerships and enhance institutional growth.

2. Innovation & Academic Excellence

• Quality Instruction: Support faculty in providing engaging, evidence-based learning experiences that promote student learning, clinical competence, professional development, and successful program completion.
• Promotion of Safe and Effective Learning Environments: Ensure that instructional, laboratory, simulation, and clinical environments provide students with appropriate opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, and professional behaviors required for practice.
• Innovative Learning: Infuse curricula with intentional use of cutting-edge learning models, including immersive virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR) and advanced simulation education.
• Flexible Pathways: Develop non-traditional, flexible learning models such as stackable credentials, hybrid course designs, and accelerated transitions for working adults and diverse learners.
• Programmatic Adaptation: Use assessment data, student feedback, faculty expertise, workforce information, and program outcomes to identify opportunities for improvement and strengthen educational quality.

3. Operational Execution & Stewardship

• People-Centered Leadership: Oversee day-to-day administrative operations, including the recruitment, mentoring, evaluation, and workload management of faculty, directors, and department chairs and adherence to SHS and college policies when navigating SHS student issues.
• Faculty Development: Foster a supportive, respectful, and collaborative environment in which faculty and staff are encouraged to grow professionally and contribute to the success of the School of Health Sciences.
• Fiscal & Facilities Governance: Manage complex divisional budgets, optimize resource allocations using institutional dashboards, and oversee the procurement of specialized lab equipment and technology.
• Compliance Safeguards: Support programs in maintaining compliance with institutional, state, professional, and programmatic accreditation standards while promoting a culture of continuous quality improvement.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Academic & Personnel Management

• Supervision: Provide administrative supervision to all SHS program directors, full-time faculty, adjunct instructors, and staff.
• Chair Development: Mentor program directors to strengthen leadership capacity and build a sustainable internal succession pipeline within the SHS.
• Curriculum Rigor: Oversee curriculum development, program reviews, and assessments to ensure high-quality instruction and academic relevance.
• Operational Standards: Ensure division-wide consistency in class scheduling, faculty workloads, hiring practices, and adherence to SHS and college policies and safety protocols.

Partnerships & Resource Development

• Clinical Agreements: Coordinate, expand, and secure critical clinical affiliation agreements and community contracts for supervised student practice.
• External Funding: Spearhead grant-writing, fundraising, and external funding initiatives in collaboration with Institutional Advancement.
• Workforce Collaboration: Partner with College leadership to align academic programming with labor market data and industry-recognized credentials.

Enrollment Management & Student Success

• Strategic Growth: Provide data-informed oversight for divisional enrollment planning, recruitment strategies, and long-term program viability.
• Retention Initiatives: Drive tactical, student-centered advisory and mentorship initiatives to optimize retention and completion rates.
• Licensure and Certification Outcomes: Maintain top-tier board pass rates and transfer success metrics across all health science disciplines.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, & REQUIREMENTS

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree in a Health Science discipline, Healthcare Administration, or Higher Education Leadership from an accredited institution.
• Leadership Experience: Minimum of five (5) years of progressive administrative, management, or senior leadership experience within higher education or a complex clinical/scientific setting.
• Teaching Experience: Minimum of five (5) years of full-time postsecondary teaching experience within a relevant discipline.
• Licensure: Must hold or be eligible for professional licensure in the state of employment (if applicable to the candidate’s clinical background).

Preferred Qualifications

• Terminal Degree: An earned Doctorate (Ph.D., Ed.D., DNP, etc.) in a discipline housed within or closely related to the college.
• Track Record of Innovation: Demonstrated experience spearheading new program development, integrating high-tech simulation models, and/or modernizing legacy educational processes.
• Proven Execution: Verifiable evidence of measurably improving student retention, securing external grant funding, and/or scaling workforce partnership metrics.

Core Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• System Knowledge: Deep understanding of community college systems, as well as healthcare training standards and pedagogy.
• Fiscal Stewardship: Proven ability to manage complex departmental budgets, leverage data dashboards, and align resource allocation with institutional priorities.
• Communication: Exceptional interpersonal, writing, and presentation skills, with a demonstrated ability to foster consensus across culturally and socially diverse populations.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENT:

To apply, please submit and attach the following:

• Application at www.northwestms.edu
• Resume
• Three (3) Professional References:  Name, Organization, Email Address and Telephone Number
• Application Deadline:  Open Until Filled