Graduate Nursing Program Director

Position Overview

The Department of Nursing, in the School of Nursing & Health Sciences at Merrimack College, seeks to hire a dynamic nurse leader as the Graduate Nursing Program Director for our inaugural Master’s Degree in Nursing. In collaboration with the Dean and Associate Dean, the Graduate Nursing Program Director will provide leadership for the development, operation and evaluation of a new Masters in Nursing in Population Health with a concentration in Nursing Education. This is a 12-month open rank faculty and program director position.

The Department of Nursing is housed in the state-of-the-art Nursing Center at Merrimack College. This space includes 6 simulation labs, 2 classrooms; 2 debrief rooms, 15 faculty offices and 2 large student collaborative spaces. Merrimack College is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We seek candidates with a demonstrated ability to work with colleagues and students across a broad range of social and personal identities and perspectives. We particularly encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups.

Qualifications:

• An earned doctoral degree in Nursing with specialization in community, public health, population health or nursing education.

• A valid and unencumbered MA RN license

• Experience in nursing academia with 3 years minimum teaching at the graduate level.
  
  

Additional Requirements:

• Experience in leadership

• Experience with online pedagogy preferred.

• Exceptional organizational ability with great attention to detail

• Experience with computerized software systems, including but not limited to Google suite and Microsoft Office

• Proven ability to meet deadlines.

• Communicate effectively with students, faculty, staff, and external affiliates both orally and in writing.

• Evidence of a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially as relevant to administrative responsibilities.

• Work effectively as part of a team.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Participates as a member of the Dean’s leadership team in advancing the mission of the school and the college.

• Provides leadership for the Master’s in Nursing program (MSN) by creating an environment that is supportive of students, faculty, and staff in meeting the mission of the department and outcomes of the MSN program.

• Develops policies and procedures for effectively managing all components of the graduate nursing program in accordance with the College and accreditation policies and procedures including program admission, retention, and completion to ensure fair and equitable treatment of prospective and enrolled students.

• Serves on Department, School and College committees and chairs the graduate nursing program meetings.

• Reports to and confers with the Associate Dean of Nursing/Chair on regular intervals regarding the management of the graduate program including policy and procedure issues related to students and faculty and recommendations for ongoing improvement of the Program.

• Advises the Dean, Associate Dean and Assistant Dean of Finance on the expenses related to the graduate program.

• Manages the course schedule for the graduate program in collaboration with the department Chair.

• Collaborates with the Associate Dean and Chair to develop faculty workload.

• Collaborates with the faculty to secure practicum placement sites for students.

• Represents the College, School and Department at external meetings as directed by the

• Dean/Associate Dean for the purposes of developing collaborative relationships with community partners, donors, and other stakeholders.

• Serves as role model of professional nursing leadership for graduate nursing students.

• Participates in orientation of students to the graduate nursing program.

• Maintains student progress records.

• Monitors academic and practicum progress of students in the graduate program.

• Assists in the coordination of appropriate practicum placements.

• Assists in the development of graduate curricula and online courses.

• Teaches graduate courses in an online format.

• Serves as academic advisor to the graduate students.

• Development of recruitment strategies for local, regional, and national students

• Collaborates with the Admissions team in the recruitment of qualified students for the graduate program.

• Participates in recruitment efforts as deemed appropriate by the Associate Dean or Dean.

• Provides leadership to create, implement and ensure a systematic evaluation plan of the graduate nursing program is maintained.

• Reviews program evaluation data with faculty and staff, department, and school leadership regarding the outcomes of the graduate nursing program.

• Recommends improvements to the graduate program based on evaluation data.

Application Materials Should Include:

• Cover letter stating motivation and interest in the position, citing experience relevant to the qualifications and including experience with, and commitment to, our Catholic Augustinian mission, our values, and our desire to be a more diverse, equitable and inclusive institution of higher learning

• Resume or Curriculum Vitae

• Statement of teaching philosophy

• Names and contact information for three (3) professional references
  
  

This position is subject to the successful completion of a criminal background check.

Vaccinations and Work Location

This is an on-campus position as employees are essential in order to provide a fully on-campus, residential college experience for our students and the community.

The COVID-19 vaccine and booster for which an individual may be eligible are highly recommended for students, faculty and staff. Merrimack College does not require proof of COVID vaccination for enrollment, employment or to be a guest on our campus.

Statement on Our Mission

Merrimack College is a Catholic Augustinian institution of higher education committed to building a culturally and racially diverse community. Our mission is to enlighten minds, engage hearts and empower lives and is inspired by our Catholic faith and the Augustinian tradition of seeking truth through inquiry and dialogue.

Merrimack College seeks candidates who understand, respect and can contribute to Merrimack’s Catholic and Augustinian mission and values and advance our work in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion. We strongly encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups. All candidates should describe in their application previous experience related to equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as how they will engage in fostering a culture that supports our Catholic and Augustinian mission and our values of diversity, equity and inclusion.

About Merrimack College

The only Catholic, Augustinian institution of higher education in New England, Merrimack College is a private, independent, coeducational institution with more than 4,000 undergraduate and 1,400 graduate students from 32 states and 37 countries. The College features more than 100 career-focused undergraduate, professional and graduate programs, all taught by exceptional faculty who are passionate about their subject and student success. The College has five schools: arts and sciences, engineering and computational sciences, nursing and health sciences, the Winston school of education and social policy and the Girard school of business. The College’s suburban 240-acre campus is approximately 25 miles north of Boston in the towns of North Andover and Andover, Massachusetts. Merrimack is a Master’s Colleges and Universities/Larger Programs (M1) institution in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Merrimack is one of the fastest growing educational institutions in the country and has steadily climbed up in the U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of Best Colleges, ranking 33rd in the Regional Universities North category in 2024. Merrimack is a NCAA Division I athletic institution.

Merrimack College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.