Program Director, Physician Assistant Program

University of California; Sacramento (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at the University of California, Davis seeks an experienced and collaborative leader to serve as the next Program Director for the Master of Health Services – Physician Assistant Studies Program (PA program). Reporting to the Associate Dean, this role provides leadership and strategic direction to ensure accreditation, student success, and excellence in PA education.

The PA program emphasizes interprofessional education, health equity, and partnerships

Qualifications

• Meet ARC-PA requirements for PA directors nationally.
• Professional competence in primary care, PA education and leadership preferred.
• Experience with ARC-PA accreditation process.
• Demonstrated proficiency in teaching students and creative teaching in an academic institution.
• Experience leading curriculum improvements and CQI based on evidence.
• Excellent communication with students, staff, faculty, medical director, patients and colleagues.
• Experience establishing clinical partnerships and developing unique partnerships.
• Adherence to university policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to grow and sustain the PA Program’s impact.
• Lead accreditation processes and develop internal systems to ensure ongoing compliance and excellence.
• Advance clinical and didactic education to develop exemplary healthcare professionals.
• Recruit, support, and inspire the dedicated Program faculty.
• Diversify funding mechanisms and expand resources.
• Steward impactful collaboration and community engagement, both internally and externally.

Skills

Leadership

Curriculum development

ARC-PA accreditation

Interprofessional collaboration

Communication

Strategic planning

Education

PA-C certification

CA PA licensure eligibility

Job description

The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at the University of California, Davis seeks an experienced and collaborative leader, educator, and scholar to serve as the next Program Director for the Master of Health Services – Physician Assistant Studies Program (PA program). Reporting to the Associate Dean for Academics at the School of Nursing, the Program Director will provide leadership and strategic direction to the PA program, ensuring the program fulfills its mission, achieves optimal student outcomes, maintains full ARC-PA accreditation, and advances the School’s commitment to preparing exemplary healthcare professionals who serve diverse communities, including rural and underserved populations. This role is an opportunity for a leader committed to excellence in physician assistant education and service to engage and inspire a dedicated community of faculty, staff, and students as the PA program enters its next chapter.

UC Davis Health, situated on a contemporary 140-acre campus in Sacramento, California, serves as home to a number of institutions, including the School of Nursing, School of Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, a fully accredited Children's Hospital, and an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. As the region’s only academic health center, UC Davis Health is focused on discovering and sharing knowledge and providing the highest quality of care. UC Davis is one of the nation’s premier public research universities, with academic and research excellence across a broad array of disciplines, a vibrant health-science enterprise, an outstanding campus community, and a focus on sustainability.

The PA program is built on the principles of interprofessional education, leadership, and health equity. Ranked 35th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, the program has enjoyed high demand – including more than 2800 applicants for 65 seats in the Fall 2025 cohort – and a high caliber of enrolled students. The school’s dedicated faculty come from across the health sciences and health professions, supporting an interprofessional learning model. The program is also distinguished by its commitment to advancing health in California’s underserved communities, with clinical placement sites and partnerships throughout the state. Students graduate with strong foundations in evidence-based practice, prevention, and patient education, alongside the skills and competencies necessary to serve diverse constituencies within a rapidly evolving healthcare ecosystem.

As part of a world-class academic healthcare system, the PA program has access to unlimited opportunities for collaboration across the health sciences, which the new Program Director will be expected to tap into and nurture. The Program Director will champion excellence in curriculum and clinical education, strengthen partnerships across the School of Nursing, UC Davis Health, and the broader community, and position the program as a national leader in preparing physician assistants. This is a pivotal moment to build on the program’s strong foundation, expand its reach and impact, and further UC Davis Health’s mission to advance population health and promote equity for all communities.

To advance the mission of the Physician Assistant Program, the Program Director will successfully address the following opportunities and challenges:

• Provide strategic leadership to grow and sustain the PA Program’s impact.
• Lead accreditation processes and develop internal systems to ensure ongoing compliance and excellence.
• Advance clinical and didactic education to develop exemplary healthcare professionals.
• Recruit, support, and inspire the dedicated Program faculty.
• Diversify funding mechanisms and expand resources.
• Steward impactful collaboration and community engagement, both internally and externally.

All candidates must be a certified physician assistant (PA-C) and possess or be eligible for physician assistant licensure in the state of California. Applicants must be eligible to serve as a Physician Assistant Program Director per the ARC-PA national guidelines.

Candidates must meet the following qualifications to be appointed as program director:

1. Meet the requirements of ARC-PA for PA directors nationally.
2. Professional competence in primary care, physician assistant education and leadership preferred.
3. Experience with ARC-PA accreditation process.
4. Demonstrated proficiency in the teaching of students and creative teaching experience in an academic institution.
5. Experience in leading curriculum improvements and change as well as continuous quality improvement based on available evidence.
6. Excellent communication skills to effectively work with students, staff, faculty, medical director, patients and other professional colleagues as an effective interdisciplinary team member.
7. Experience in establishing and maintaining clinical partnerships and exercising creativity in problem solving and developing unique clinical partnerships.
8. Ability to adhere to university policies and procedures.