Program Director, Ph.D. in Strategic Leadership and Innovation

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of the Ph.D. In Strategic Leadership and Innovation provides strategic, academic, and operational leadership for the doctoral program, ensuring alignment with institutional mission, accreditation requirements, and standards for doctoral-level rigor. The Program Director oversees curriculum quality, faculty engagement, student progression, and program outcomes, with particular attention to maintaining high-quality online delivery consistent with Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) expectations and doctoral best practices. This role ensures the coherence of the program from admission through dissertation completion, coordinating across Faculty Advisors, Dissertation Chairs, and institutional leadership.

Responsibilities:

• Provide overall leadership for the doctoral program, ensuring alignment with institutional mission and strategic priorities.
• Oversee program design, implementation, and continuous improvement.
• Monitor program coherence across admission, coursework, advising, and dissertation phases.
• Oversee curriculum development, review, and revision to maintain academic rigor and relevance.
• Oversee alignment of course outcomes with program learning outcomes and dissertation
• expectations.
• Maintain quality and consistency in online delivery, including compliance with RSI and distance education standards.
• Recruit, appoint, and evaluate doctoral faculty, including Faculty Advisors and Dissertation Chairs, in accordance with the faculty handbook and in collaboration with deans and other program directors.
• Review faculty qualifications for alignment with institutional requirements and accreditation standards.
• Support faculty development related to teaching, advising, and dissertation supervision.
• Monitor faculty workload, including dissertation supervision capacity, to maintain appropriate student-to-faculty ratios.
• Lead cohort onboarding and orientation and build a community of scholars among Ph.D. students.
• Review student progression across all program stages, including coursework, milestones, and dissertation completion.
• Ensure effective advising structures are in place to support timely completion of coursework and program milestones.
• Address student concerns, appeals, or progression challenges with guidance from the Dean of the College of Innovative and Professional Studies (CIPGS).
• Lead implementation of the dissertation framework, including coordination among Faculty Advisors, Dissertation Chairs, and the Coordinator of Dissertation Development & Research Support.
• Monitor dissertation progress, completion rates, and time-to-degree.
• Support continuous improvement of dissertation policies, processes, and assessment tools.
• Coordinate program assessment, including evaluation of student learning outcomes and program effectiveness, working with the Director of Assessment, as needed.
• Maintain program-level evidence and compliance and provide data and narrative for institutional reports in coordination with the CIPGS Dean and University Accreditation Liaison Officer.
• Oversee scheduling, course staffing, and program budgeting.
• Collaborate with enrollment, marketing, and student support services to ensure effective recruitment and retention strategies.
• Maintain program data related to enrollment, retention, completion, and faculty performance.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the doctoral program, academic administration and university leadership.
• Collaborate with Academic Affairs, institutional research, and support units to ensure program effectiveness.
• Communicate program expectations, updates, and outcomes to faculty and stakeholders.

Qualifications:

• Earned terminal doctorate from a regionally accredited Institution with a documented record of scholarship; Ph.D. preferred.
• Expertise in leadership, innovation, or a field aligned with the doctoral program.
• Demonstrated knowledge of doctoral education, research design, and applied/project-based dissertations.
• Familiarity with accreditation standards (e.g., Higher Learning Commission) and distance education regulations; Experience with RSI standards preferred.
• Understanding of curriculum design, assessment, and program evaluation at the graduate/doctoral level.

• 10+ years experience teaching at the graduate level required; at least some experience teaching or overseeing dissertation work for doctoral students.
• A record of teaching and scholarship at the rank of Associate Professor required; earned rank of Professor preferred.
• Demonstrated expert knowledge of doctoral dissertation supervision, including dissertation processes, standards, and evaluation at the doctoral level.
• Demonstrated academic leadership experience (e.g., program director, department chair, or equivalent).
• Experience in online program delivery, faculty supervision, and student success initiatives.
• Evidence of scholarly activity is required; applied professional leadership experience is preferred.
• Experience serving adult and working-professional learners is preferred.

Successful candidates should be committed to contributing to a climate that supports a diverse student body, serves first-generation college students, multilingual learners, and contributions to equity and social justice through their work.

Benefits:

This is a full-time position, eligible for the usual and customary benefits. Avila University's comprehensive benefit package includes a generous holiday schedule, tuition remission for employee and dependents, vacation and sick leave, retirement benefits and health insurance.

The Community:

Kansas City, a two-state metropolitan area with a population of nearly two million, offers a wide variety of cultural, educational and social life opportunities.