This position is incentive eligible.

Salary Estimate: $88212.80 - $132329.60 / year
Learn more about the benefits offered for this job.

The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range of candidates hired. Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include your specific skills, how many years of experience you have and comparison to other employees already in this role. The typical candidate is hired below midpoint of the range.

Starting pay range adjusted appropriate to the market. Starting range= $101,433.25 - $126,816.77

About the Opportunity

As Program Director, you will serve as the academic leader for Galen's Aurora nursing program, providing strategic direction that advances student success, faculty excellence, regulatory compliance, and continuous program improvement. You will partner with the Dean and campus leadership to create an exceptional educational environment where faculty thrive, students succeed, and graduates are prepared to meet the evolving needs of healthcare.

This is a highly visible leadership role for an experienced nurse educator who is passionate about building high-performing teams, developing future faculty leaders, and driving measurable academic outcomes. You will influence every aspect of the program, from curriculum innovation and accreditation readiness to faculty engagement, student achievement, and community partnerships.

What You'll Lead

Shape the Future of Nursing Education

Provide strategic leadership for the nursing program, ensuring academic excellence while aligning program goals with Galen's mission, institutional priorities, and the healthcare needs of the communities we serve.

Inspire and Develop Faculty

Recruit, mentor, coach, and develop exceptional nursing faculty who deliver engaging, evidence-based instruction. Foster a collaborative culture focused on innovation, scholarship, professional growth, and continuous improvement while creating an environment where faculty can do their best work.

Champion Student Success

Create an educational experience where students are challenged, supported, and prepared for professional practice. Lead initiatives that improve student achievement, retention, graduation, NCLEX success, and graduate readiness while ensuring equitable access to academic resources and student support services.

Drive Academic Quality

Lead ongoing assessment of curriculum, learning outcomes, and program effectiveness using data to identify opportunities, measure success, and implement meaningful improvements. Ensure the curriculum remains rigorous, current, and responsive to the evolving healthcare landscape.

Ensure Accreditation and Regulatory Excellence

Serve as the academic leader responsible for maintaining compliance with state board requirements, institutional policies, and accreditation standards. Guide continuous quality improvement initiatives while preparing reports, overseeing program evaluation, and leading accreditation activities with confidence and integrity.

Build Strong Partnerships

Collaborate with campus leadership, healthcare organizations, advisory boards, and community partners to strengthen clinical relationships, enhance educational opportunities, and support workforce development throughout Colorado.

Lead Operational Excellence

Partner with the Dean to steward faculty resources, support budget planning, optimize program operations, and contribute to strategic initiatives that strengthen campus performance and long-term growth.

What Makes You Successful

The ideal candidate is an experienced academic leader who combines operational excellence with servant leadership.

You are someone who:

• Builds trust through transparency, collaboration, and accountability.
• Develops faculty into high-performing educators and future leaders.
• Uses data to improve student outcomes and academic quality.
• Leads confidently through accreditation reviews and regulatory requirements.
• Thinks strategically while remaining highly engaged with students and faculty.
• Balances operational execution with long-term vision.
• Thrives in an environment of continuous improvement and innovation.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in Nursing from an accredited institution required.
• Doctoral degree in Nursing or related field preferred.
• Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse license or eligibility for Colorado licensure.
• Progressive leadership experience in accredited nursing education.
• Demonstrated success leading faculty, curriculum, accreditation, assessment, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Knowledge of state board regulations and nursing accreditation standards.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, and organizational leadership skills. For Colorado programs, a graduate degree in nursing is required, with a doctorate preferred, and the Program Director must meet applicable Colorado RN licensure requirements.

Benefits

At Galen College of Nursing, we want to ensure your needs are met. We offer a comprehensive package of medical, dental, and vision plans, tuition discounts, along with unique benefits, including:

• Comprehensive medical coverage that covers many common services at no cost or for a low copay. Plans include prescription drug and behavioral health coverage as well as free telemedicine services and free AirMed medical transportation.
• Additional options for dental and vision benefits, life and disability coverage, flexible spending accounts, supplemental health protection plans (accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity), auto and home insurance, identity theft protection, legal counseling, long-term care coverage, moving assistance, pet insurance, and more.
• Free counseling services and resources for emotional, physical, and financial well-being
• 401(k) Plan with a 100% match on 3% to 9% of pay (based on years of service)
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan with 10% off HCA Healthcare stock
• Family support through fertility and family building benefits with Progyny and adoption assistance.
• Referral services for children, elders, and pet care, home and auto repair, event planning, and more.
• Consumer discounts through Abenity.
• Retirement readiness, rollover assistance services, and preferred banking partnerships.
• Education assistance (tuition, student loan, certification support, dependent scholarships).
• Colleague recognition program.
• Time Away from Work Program (paid time off, paid family leave, long- and short-term disability coverage and leaves of absence).
• Employee Health Assistance Fund that offers free employee-only coverage to full-time and part-time colleagues based on income.

Learn more about Employee Benefits.

Note: Eligibility for benefits may vary by location.

Galen College of Nursing is recognized as a 2023 National League of Nursing (NLN) Center of Excellence (COE).

Galen's Compassionate Care Model Values

• Inclusivity: I foster an environment that provides opportunity for every individual to reach their full potential.
• Character: I act with integrity and compassion in all I do.
• Accountability: I own my role and accept responsibility for my actions.
• Respect: I value every person as an individual with unique contributions worthy of consideration.
• Excellence: I commit myself to the highest level of quality in everything I do.

Learn more about our vision and mission.

Program Director

Galen College of Nursing