Assistant Dean of Educational Affairs and Student Success (ON SITE)

Ponce Health Sciences University - St. Louis; Tortola; On-site; PEN 403,000 - 605,000; Full time

Job summary

Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) BVI in Tortola seeks an Assistant Dean of Educational Affairs & Student Success to provide strategic oversight of academic programs, learner-centered practices, and licensure readiness.

The role leads multidisciplinary teams, advances accreditation efforts, and uses data-informed approaches to improve student outcomes, USMLE preparation, and curriculum quality.

Qualifications

• Terminal degree (MD, preferred) in medicine, health sciences, education, psychology, or a related field.
• Progressive senior academic leadership experience in health professions education.
• Demonstrated expertise in curriculum development, accreditation, assessment, and student academic affairs.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and visionary academic leadership to support ethical, competent health professionals.
• Lead curriculum development, accreditation compliance, and student success initiatives at the BVI campus.
• Oversee USMLE/Step preparation, data-informed interventions, and licensure readiness strategies.

Skills

Leadership

Curriculum development

Student support

Educational psychology

Board exam prep

Education

MD (preferred)

Education background health sciences

Doctoral degree in education or related

Job description

Who We Are At Ponce Health Sciences University, we’re not just shaping careers—we’re shaping futures. With cutting-edge programs, state-of-the-art facilities, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, we empower students to turn their passion for healthcare into impactful professions. Step into a community where your aspirations meet opportunity, and together, we make healthcare dreams become a reality!

Who We Are At Ponce Health Sciences University, we’re not just shaping careers—we’re shaping futures. With cutting-edge programs, state-of-the-art facilities, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, we empower students to turn their passion for healthcare into impactful professions. Step into a community where your aspirations meet opportunity, and together, we make healthcare dreams become a reality!

OUR CAMPUSES Ponce Health Sciences University has campuses in Ponce and San Juan Puerto Rico, St. Louis, Missouri and Tortola, British Virgin Islands. PHSU BVI is an ACCM accredited university founded in 2025 and is in its second year of training future medical students.

THE POSITION The Assistant Dean of Educational Affairs & Student Success forms part of a larger team that is responsible for educational quality, student learning, academic progression, and licensure examination readiness at PHSU BVI. This role provides strategic oversight of academic programs while championing learner-centered, psychology-informed educational practices that promote academic achievement, resilience, and professional success. Aligned with PHSU’s mission to deliver world-class, culturally competent health sciences education and to address health disparities, the Assistant Dean assists to bring curriculum excellence, accreditation compliance, faculty development, USMLE/Step examination readiness, and comprehensive student academic support. Central to this role is advancing student success initiatives through data-informed strategies, learning specialist models, and evidence-based approaches grounded in educational psychology and adult learning science. The Assistant Dean is additionally responsible for leading and managing multidisciplinary academic and student-support teams, fostering accountability, collaboration, and high performance across instructional, student success, and licensure preparation functions. This position is critical to establishing and sustaining PHSU BVI as a regional and international hub for high-quality medical and health sciences education with strong licensure and residency outcomes.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Mission-Driven Academic & Student-Centered Leadership Contribution

• Assists in providing strategic and visionary academic leadership which supports the preparation of ethical, competent, and resilient health professionals.
• Translate institutional mission, strategic goals, and student success priorities into actionable academic objectives at the BVI campus.
• Promote an inclusive learning environment that emphasizes psychological safety, cultural competence, professionalism, and lifelong learning.

Student Academic Affairs, Learning Support & Success

• Provide leadership for academic policies related to student progression, assessment, remediation, and appeals.
• Develop and oversee structured student success and early-intervention programs, including identification of learners at academic and licensure risk.
• Integrate learning specialist frameworks that support:
• Study strategy development
• Test-taking skills and exam stamina
• Executive functioning and time management
• Cognitive load management and metacognition
• Apply psychology-based, developmentally informed, and trauma-aware approaches to academic support.
• Collaborate with Student Affairs, counseling services, and academic advisors to provide coordinated, holistic student support.

USMLE / Step Examination Preparation & Outcomes

• Provide strategic oversight of institutional USMLE/Step preparation initiatives
• Ensure Step prep is:
• Curricular integrated
• Data-informed
• Aligned with accreditation standards
• Pedagogically sound and student-centered
• Collaborate with faculty and learning specialists to embed board-relevant content, question-based learning, and clinical reasoning skills throughout the curriculum.
• Monitor and analyze Step performance data to inform academic interventions, curriculum refinement, and student support strategies.
• Support students through individualized academic coaching, structured remediation plans, and guided licensure readiness pathways.

Accreditation, Assessment & Continuous Quality Improvement

• Contributes to the advancement of accreditation efforts and ensuring compliance with relevant accrediting bodies (e.g., CAAM‑HP or equivalent).
• Ensure academic programs and student success structures meet international standards for quality, rigor, and outcomes.
• Coordinate accreditation self-studies, site visits, reporting, and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
• Use student performance and licensure outcome data to guide institutional decision-making.

Governance, Collaboration & Community Engagement

• Serve on senior leadership, academic governance, and student success committees.
• Collaborate with PHSU system leadership and external partners to strengthen academic quality and student outcomes.
• Support community engagement initiatives that reinforce social accountability and regional healthcare impact.

Resource Management & Strategic Planning

• Participate in academic and student success planning, budgeting, and resource allocation.
• Ensure responsible stewardship of academic, instructional, and student support resources to sustain excellence and growth.

Minimum Qualifications

• Terminal degree (MD, preferred) in medicine, health sciences, education, psychology, or a related field.
• Progressive senior academic leadership experience in health professions education.
• Demonstrated expertise in curriculum development, accreditation, assessment, and student academic affairs.
• Academic background in Teaching methodologies or similar.
• Strong understanding of USMLE/Step examination frameworks, learning theory, and educational psychology principles.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience overseeing or designing institutional Step/board preparation programs.
• Formal training or experience as a learning specialist, academic coach, or in student success program development.
• Leadership experience within an accredited medical or health sciences institution.
• Experience working in international or Caribbean academic environments.
• Record of educational scholarship related to learning sciences, remediation, or licensure outcomes.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Visionary, mission-aligned academic leadership
• Student-centered and psychology-informed approach
• Strategic student success and licensure planning
• Accreditation and quality assurance expertise
• Proven ability to lead, manage, and develop multidisciplinary teams
• Strong people-management, coaching, and performance-management skills
• Ability to align teams around strategic academic and student success goals
• Commitment to equity, wellness, and learner development
• Strong communication, mentoring, and collaborative leadership skills

WORK ENVIRONMENT This position is based at PHSU BVI, Tortola, with periodic travel for accreditation activities, institutional collaboration, and academic or educational conferences.