Associate Director - Clinical Operations

The Associate Director of Clinical Operations is responsible for the leadership, coordination, and execution of clinical operations for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Reporting to the Associate Dean, Academic Operations, this position supports the planning, development, and implementation of clinical operations to ensure high-quality, compliant, and scalable clinical and practice experiences for students.

This role also provides oversight of State Board of Nursing operations, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant licensure support services for students and graduates across all jurisdictions. The Associate Director supervises State Board staff and ensures alignment of licensure processes with institutional, regulatory, and student success goals.

This role functions as a working leader, actively contributing to daily clinical operations workflows while supervising and guiding the clinical operations team. The Associate Director balances strategic oversight with direct participation in operational tasks, particularly during peak academic cycles and critical periods, ensuring continuity, efficiency, and service excellence.

We believe work should fit your life, not the other way around. Our hybrid schedule includes two days on site in our Albany office, with the flexibility to work remotely the remaining days. Spend less time commuting and more time focusing on meaningful work or personal priorities. Core hours are 8:30 AM-5:00 PM, including a 1-hour lunch, for a 37.5-hour week.

Success in this role is measured by effective clinical placements, operational efficiency, clinical and accreditation compliance, strong partner relationships, and team performance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities, including but not limited to:

Leadership and Operational Management

• Lead the planning, development, and execution of clinical operations initiatives, ensuring timelines, deliverables, and outcomes are achieved.
• Provide direct supervision, coaching, and performance management for clinical operations team, including hiring, training, assigning work, and evaluating performance.
• Model operational best practices by actively engaging in team workflows and demonstrating effective process execution.
• Ensure equitable workload distribution while maintaining the ability to independently perform team responsibilities.
• Ensure continuity of operations by directly assuming responsibilities during staffing shortages, peak periods, or complex situations.
• Provide direct oversight and supervision of the State Board team, including State Board Coordinators and related roles, ensuring high-quality, compliant licensure support services.
• Establish performance expectations, monitor workload distribution, and ensure timely processing of licensure-related activities and student communications.
• Ensure staff maintain current knowledge of evolving state-by-state licensure requirements and service protocols.

Working Leadership / Direct Operational Support

• Function as a working leader by actively performing clinical operations tasks alongside team members.
• Maintain working proficiency in all Clinical Operations Associate responsibilities, including:
• Maintaining and auditing health record/compliance databases.
• Managing student records and documentation systems.
• Preparing, tracking, and reconciling clinical and practice experience assignments.
• Communicating with students, faculty, and clinical partners regarding requirements, placements, and compliance.
• Provide direct operational support during high-volume periods (e.g., term start, clinical clearance deadlines).
• Serve as both escalation point and operational backup for all team functions.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex operational issues through both leadership and hands-on engagement.

Clinical Placement and Partner Management

• Collaborate with faculty leadership to establish, develop, and maintain clinical placement sites aligned with program goals.
• Oversee affiliation agreements and contracts with clinical partners, including initiation, renewal, and termination.
• Manage coordination and tracking of clinical placements to ensure appropriate student placement and regulatory compliance.
• Identify and resolve issues related to clinical placements and partner relationships.

Compliance, Systems, and Reporting

• Ensure compliance with healthcare partner requirements, regulatory standards, and accreditation expectations.
• Serve as a subject matter expert, liaison, and active system user for clinical systems and health record databases, ensuring data accuracy through direct entry, audit, and reporting activities.
• Develop and maintain processes that ensure students and faculty meet eligibility requirements for clinical participation.
• Prepare, review, and maintain accurate records, reports, and documentation related to clinical operations.

Process Improvement and Collaboration

• Develop and implement standardized processes, procedures, and documentation to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability.
• Collaborate with academic leadership and cross-functional departments to support operational goals and resolve challenges.
• Assist in onboarding and supporting clinical instructors and preceptors as needed.

Other Duties

• Perform other duties as assigned or required.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able and willing to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years' experience in operations or clinical coordination environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing staff, including supervision, performance management, and team development.
• Proven ability to balance strategic leadership with hands-on operational execution.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage complex workflows and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in higher education or distance education environments.
• Familiarity with clinical placement systems and compliance tracking platforms.

The hiring salary range for this position is $64,000 - $67,000. The hiring salary range above represents the University's good faith estimate at the time of posting.