Executive Director of Nursing Programs

Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City; Kansas City (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Metropolitan Community College seeks a Director of Nursing Programs to provide strategic, academic, and operational leadership for the Nursing programs, including Professional Nursing, Practical Nursing, and the LPN-to- ADN Bridge. This role leads faculty support, accreditation readiness, and partnerships with clinical partners and community stakeholders.

The successful candidate will balance academic standards, regulatory compliance, and workforce needs while driving student success and program

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a related field.
• Current active Missouri nursing license or eligibility.
• Minimum of three years of academic/program management experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for nursing faculty and staff and support a healthy work environment.
• Guide the strategy, operations, and continuous improvement of nursing programs.
• Lead planning, coordination, assessment, and evaluation of program services and standards.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, accreditation, and regulatory requirements.
• Serve as a liaison for MCC with internal teams, external partners, and community stakeholders.
• Build and sustain partnerships with clinical partners and workforce resources.
• Review complex information and data to inform recommendations and decisions.
• Support program development, needs assessment, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Manage budgets and grants in alignment with district policies and procedures.

Skills

Leadership

Nursing education

Regulatory compliance

Budget management

Partnership development

Faculty development

Education

Master’s degree in related field

Doctorate in Nursing (preferred)

Job description

About MCC

Metropolitan Community College is the oldest public institution of higher learning in Kansas City, Missouri, founded in 1915 as the Kansas City Polytechnic Institute. The Junior College of Kansas City, as it was known starting in 1919, was one of the first schools in the country to award an associate degree. Today, MCC offers 125 associate degree and certificate programs.

Metropolitan Community College comprises five campuses on the Missouri side of the Greater Kansas City area 47 major buildings and about 550 acres in all: MCC-Blue River, located in Independence, Missouri; MCC-Longview located in Lee's Summit, Missouri, MCC-Maple Woods located in the Northland of Kansas City, Missouri; MCC-Online and MCC-Penn Valley, located in Midtown Kansas City, Missouri.

MCC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In addition, several programs have specific accreditations as well.

***MCC does not provide employer-paid sponsorships.

Job Summary

At Metropolitan Community College, nursing education is more than a program. It is a direct investment in the health, strength, and future of the Kansas City region. Every graduate who walks across the stage represents a future nurse, a future caregiver, and a future leader in our community. Behind that success is a team of faculty, staff, clinical partners, and academic leaders who are deeply committed to preparing students for one of the most essential professions in the workforce. MCC is seeking a Director of Nursing Programs to provide strategic, academic, and operational leadership for our nursing programs, including Professional Nursing, Practical Nursing, and the LPN-to-ADN Bridge Program. This is an opportunity for a nursing education leader who is ready to shape programs, support faculty, strengthen partnerships, and help prepare the next generation of nurses for meaningful careers in health care.

Essential Functions

The Director of Nursing Programs serves as a key academic leader within the Health Science Institute and provides leadership for the day-to-day operations, long-term planning, faculty support, accreditation readiness, and continued advancement of MCC’s nursing programs. This role is ideal for someone who understands the importance of academic quality, student success, regulatory compliance, and strong clinical and community partnerships.

In this position, you will:

• Provide leadership and supervision for nursing faculty and staff, including work assignments, performance feedback, training, hiring recommendations, and support for a healthy and effective work environment.
• Guide the strategy, operations, and continuous improvement of assigned nursing programs.
• Lead planning, coordination, administration, assessment, and evaluation of program services, systems, standards, and academic processes.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, local, accreditation, and regulatory requirements.
• Serve as a primary liaison for the nursing programs, representing MCC with internal teams, external partners, community agencies, educational institutions, clinical partners, and public stakeholders.
• Build and sustain collaborative partnerships that support student learning, workforce needs, and community impact.
• Review and analyze complex information, reports, schedules, data, surveys, and program materials to inform recommendations and decision-making.
• Support academic program development, needs assessment, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Manage budgets and grants in alignment with district policies, regulations, and procedures.
• Coordinate resources to maximize program effectiveness, operational efficiency, and student success.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for a thoughtful, collaborative, and student-centered nursing leader who can balance academic standards, faculty support, compliance, innovation, and community partnership. The successful candidate will bring strong leadership judgment, experience in academic or technical program management, and a clear commitment to preparing students for success in nursing and health care.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a related field to the assigned area.
• Current active license to practice professional nursing in Missouri with no disciplinary actions in any state jurisdiction, or eligibility to be licensed in Missouri if not part of the Nurse Licensure Compact.
• Minimum of three years of academic, career, or technical management experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctorate degree in Nursing.
• Experience or demonstrated skill in academic management, including assessment, faculty development, and nursing accreditation.
• Experience with ACEN accreditation.
• Experience or demonstrated skill in budget and/or grant management.
• Experience working with community, clinical, workforce, and educational partners to develop mutually beneficial programs or projects.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Academic leadership, program development, planning, and administration.
• Nursing education, instructional methods, and academic development practices.
• Faculty development, assessment, and continuous improvement.
• Applicable federal, state, local, accreditation, and regulatory standards.
• Policy and procedure development.
• Budget, grant, and resource management.
• Public relations, outreach, and partnership development.
• Community agencies, clinical partners, and workforce resources.

Skills and Competencies

• Leading teams and supervising faculty and staff.
• Prioritizing and assigning work.
• Making program decisions based on academic, operational, and financial considerations.
• Adapting to changing environments and evolving workforce needs.
• Interpreting and applying laws, rules, regulations, and standards.
• Analyzing problems, identifying solutions, and making sound recommendations.
• Managing multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Providing excellent service to students, faculty, staff, partners, and the public.
• Monitoring and evaluating academic programs.
• Collaborating effectively with internal departments and external agencies.
• Communicating clearly with colleagues, supervisors, students, partners, and community stakeholders.

Physical Requirements

Positions in this class typically require grasping, hearing, keyboarding, reaching, repetitive motion, standing, talking, visual acuity, and walking. The work is sedentary and requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly.

Supplemental Information

EEO Statement: Metropolitan Community College is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer that prohibits discrimination or harassment of any person on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, birth ancestry, national origin, or disability. EOE/ M/ F/ Vets/ Disabled

Accommodations: MCC is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, MCC will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations in all aspects of employment, including the application process. To request an accommodation and/or a copy of the Americans with Disabilities Act applicant procedures, please contact the Office of Human Resources.