Director of Didactic Education

Case; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Case Western Reserve University’s MSA program in Houston seeks a Director of Didactic Education. The role leads didactic courses, coordinates faculty, and drives curriculum development in a two-year program.

Strong emphasis on aligning course goals with clinical application and board readiness. The position requires substantial in-person engagement, regular office hours, and collaboration with program leadership across networks.

Qualifications

• Practicing anesthesiologist assistant with teaching experience.
• Ability to develop didactic curricula and course objectives.
• Strong English written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate didactic courses and teach several classes.
• Develop course goals, objectives, and evaluation methods.
• Guide faculty in didactic program design and assessment.
• Assist with budget planning and resource sharing.
• Maintain records and coordinate with program directors.

Skills

Didactic education

English communication

Curriculum development

Faculty guidance

Education

CAA certification

Teaching experience (3+ years)

Tools

Learning Management Systems

Exam question banks

Spreadsheet tools

Job description

MSA Program - GMS Center for Medical Education (FAC/RA/RS)

Position Type: Open Rank/Track Faculty

Location: Houston, TX

Posted: Thu, Sep 3, 2026

Description

PRIMARY PURPOSE

This position is a full-time academic position within the confines of the Houston based Master of Science in Anesthesia (MSA) program of Case Western Reserve University. The Director of Didactic Education will take an active role in all didactic activities, including course mapping, curriculum development, development of didactic faculty, and teaching in the classroom. This person will ensure that activities comply with university, school, and program policy, procedure, and process.

The Director of Didactic Education is expected to devote two extended administrative days to the program each week and to hold regular in person office hours for students.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

1. Coordinate the teaching responsibilities of MSA program faculty for all didactic courses, including directly teaching several courses. Courses directly taught may include but are not limited to:
   • ANE 460 - Introduction to Anesthesia
   • ANE 488 - Anesthesia Non-technical
   • ANE 440 - Patient Monitoring and Instrumentation 1
   • ANE 441 - Patient Monitoring and Instrumentation 2
   • ANE 485, 486, 487, 584, 585 - Simulation courses
   • Additional courses as deemed necessary by the Program Director
2. Provide organization and guidance to faculty in the development and delivery of didactic courses, ensuring each didactic course provides students with:
   • A schedule of didactic topics with dates, reading assignments, and evaluation mechanisms, distributed at the beginning of each semester.
   • Course goals, objectives, and foci that are correlated between the didactic activities and the clinical application.
   • A list of overall course learning objectives, distributed at the beginning of each semester.
   • A list of learning objectives for each class session, distributed at the beginning of each semester.
   • Quizzes and examinations that are designed and evaluated with an eye toward critically and clinically oriented thinking and board examinations.
   • Effective standardized evaluation instruments to evaluate instructors' teaching effectiveness based on attainment of learning objectives and that feedback is shared with program direction.
3. Provide substantive guidance for the overall didactic program design and curriculum development for the MSA program in Houston, TX, ensuring all course goals, objectives and foci are developed according to university and accreditation standards and are correlated appropriately for clinical application. In close collaboration with the other Directors of Didactic Education across the network, undertake a systematic semester-end review of courses and student evaluations, with feedback shared with Program Director and relevant faculty.
4. Dispense administrative advice and guidance to carry out plans and procedures consistent with established policies. Assist in creating a budget for didactic education, including but not limited to faculty education, equipment procurement and maintenance. Identify opportunities to share internal didactic resources across the network, reducing the need for outsourcing whenever possible.
5. Maintain and coordinate information management systems and records to support the academic and administrative functions of the program as deemed appropriate by the Program Director, including an up-to-date student roster with grades across all courses throughout the 2-year program. Monitor student progress and provide reports as needed for the Program Director, faculty, and internal and external agencies.
6. Interface with outside organizations and individuals, including potential students, on behalf of the MSA Program. Act as a liaison between the MSA Program office and professional communities, as well as other schools, committees, and task forces within the university. Assist in interviewing and selecting candidates for future classes. Assist the program in the development of student marketing and recruiting strategies. Participate in recruitment visits to colleges and universities.

OTHER JOB FUNCTIONS

1. While the primary focus of this position is didactic education, the Co-Director is expected to support clinical and simulation operations as needed, particularly to ensure integration across education domains.
2. Provide guidance to MSA students as relates to academic advising and support services, also including but not limited to mentoring and fellowship.
3. Keep up-to-date on relevant department-wide issues through regular attendance of faculty meetings. Participate in MSA program and other department committee meetings.
4. Participate in local, national, and international organizations for professional development. Become and maintain familiarity with current anesthesiology literature and trends in the practice of clinical anesthesia.
5. Assist Program Director and other faculty members in special projects as required, including but not limited to special events, seminars, workshops, receptions, etc.
6. Act as liaison between the MSA program and the professional community
7. Organize clinical instructors, actively gain and support clinical sites, making site visits, create student clinical assignments, and provide liaison between the program and clinical sites
8. Provide classroom and clinical instruction and student evaluation in a variety of clinical settings.
9. Act as an instructor to student anesthesiologist assistants in the clinical arena
10. Perform other duties as required.

This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

The annual starting base salary range for this position is from $80,000-$90,000 annually. CWRU considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer. University employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare, retirement plans, tuition assistance, and paid time off.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants must be a practicing, certified anesthesiologist assistant (CAA) and should be an experienced educator with strong foundations in the basic sciences relevant to anesthesia, including physiology, pathophysiology, and applied physics .For the Instructor rank, a minimum of 3 years of teaching experience is required. For the Senior Instructor rank, 5 years or more of teaching experience is required, and a graduate degree in education (MEd or PhD) is desirable.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Must have excellent English written and verbal communication skills.
• Must have didactic education knowledge and skills, such as writing lesson plans, teaching simulation courses and following related procedures.
• Ability to work cooperatively with colleagues and supervisory staff at all levels.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Familiarity with collaborative platforms such as Google Drive, Box, and shared document workflows.
• Proficiency in software tools relevant to academic and program administration, including learning management systems, exam question banks, and spreadsheet tools.
• Ability to analyze facts, exercise judgment, and arrive at valid conclusions.
• Excellent management, clinical, education, organizational, multi-tasking, problem-solving and time-management skills.
• Ability to establish priorities, work independently, and proceed with objectives without supervision.
• Ability to meet consistent in person attendance.

CONTACTS

Program Management: Frequent contact with Program Director and other local Directors to organize student didactic education.

Faculty: Regular contact with faculty to explain and ensure course delivery follows University and Program policies and standards.

Students: Frequent contact with students to teach didactic materials.

Department Staff: Regular contact with MSA Program staff to coordinate classroom and student needs.

Potential students: Occasional contact with interested and prospective students at professional events, job fairs and during interview days.

Professional organizations: Occasional contact with ASA, AAAA, TAAA, TSA and other nearby state associations to represent and advocate for the program's interests.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Case Western Reserve University is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants are protected under federal and state laws and university policy from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, protected veteran status, disability, age and genetic information.

Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Case Western Reserve University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Office of Equity by phone at 216.368.3066 or by email at [e-mail] . Determinations as to granting reasonable accommodations for any applicant will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Interfolio manages this academic recruitment search for Case Western Reserve University. Applicants receive a free Interfolio Dossier account to submit credentials and reference letters.