Overview
Dental Hygiene Program Director
$120-125K (DOE)
The Program Director Dental Hygiene is responsible for the overall administration, accreditation, curriculum development, faculty leadership, and student success within the Dental Hygiene program. This role ensures compliance with accreditation and licensing standards, fosters excellence in teaching and clinical education, and collaborates with faculty, students, and external stakeholders to advance the program’s mission.
Responsibilities
Principal Accountabilities & Deliverables
- Oversee the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Dental Hygiene curriculum.
- Maintain and track compliance with Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) standards and state regulations
- Manage program budgets, faculty assignments, and resource allocation
- Develop and maintain partnerships with dental professionals, clinics, and industry stakeholders
- Actively participate in the local professional community to raise awareness of program, enhance student opportunity, and build the professional network
- Oversee student admissions, retention, and academic advising
- Drive student experience to effectively provide students with quality education, clinical experiences, and preparation for licensure exams
- Address student concerns, grievances, and academic progress issues
- Provide support and supervision to meet programmatic and institutional completion, licensure and placement outcomes
- Maintain program accreditation and prepare for site visits and self-study reports
- Monitor and maintain compliance with CODA, state licensing boards, advisory committees and institutional policies
- Implement assessment measures for continuous program improvement
- Manage program alignment with industry advancements and best practices in dental hygiene
- Oversee the operation of on-campus or affiliated clinical sites
- Establish community partnerships for service-learning opportunities
- Promote outreach initiatives to support public oral health education
- Maintain effective relationships with clinical partners, advisory boards, and accreditation bodies
- Participate in the budgeting process and effectively manager resource
- Establish/maintain a high performance team of professional, motivated and engaged staff utilizing effective training, performance management and career-development activities while leading them to achieve established business results and performance metrics
- Recognizes and rewards employee contributions and achievements
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications
Licenses / Certifications
- Unencumbered Dental Hygienist license or Dentist license in the state where instruction occurs (required)
- Active dental hygiene or dental license issued by DBC w/ no disciplinary actions
Education / Experience
- Master's Degree or Dentist w/ Background in EducationDegree must be from a CODA-accredited school (DH or DDS)4 Years of practical work in subject areas taught; AND 2,000 Hours in direct patient care as either Registered DH or working w/ Registered DH
- Direct and specialized knowledge in the area of instruction (required)
- Minimum of three (3) leadership or administrative experience (preferred)
Skills
- Knowledge of CODA accreditation standards and curriculum development
- Proficiency in budget management and faculty supervision
- Expertise in the area of assignment that demonstrates the skills needed to provide instruction
- Design and deliver engaging educational content, adapting teaching methods to diverse learning styles
- Build rapport with students, clinical partners, and colleagues, fostering a positive learning environment
- Flexibility to stay current with industry advancements and incorporate new knowledge into teaching practices
- Competence in evaluating student performance and providing constructive feedback
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills for effective instruction and interaction with students and colleagues
- Commitment to ongoing learning and participation in professional growth opportunities
Standard Abilities
- Able and willing to:
- Communicate, think, learn, and reason
- Use computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to process transactions, store documents, enter data, or perform assigned tasks
- Safely ambulate and/or maneuver when on-site at Company locations
- Demonstrate and utilize active listening, inductive reasoning, information ordering and category flexibility
- Ability to use good judgment, problem-solving and decision-making skills
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and manage sensitive information with discretion
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment where deadlines are essential and multiple projects are worked simultaneously
- Ability to gain, understand and apply information and data as it relates essential functions of the position
- Ability to foster long-term relationships with stakeholders
Work Environment
- Work is performed indoors in a climate-controlled environment when on site at assigned company location. Employees must be able to safely ambulate when on company premises.
- This position is designated as On Campus. Work environments may include exposure to student learning environments with a variety of conditions. Employees must be able to follow all safety precautions including the use of personal-protective equipment. Employees must also be able to adhere to site-specific safety procedures.
- Travel Requirements
