Job Description

The Assistant/Associate Dean of Postgraduate Education provides strategic leadership for the Kentucky College of Optometry's lifelong learning mission by overseeing educational opportunities that extend beyond graduation and throughout a graduate's professional career. Serving as the Institutional Residency Director, the Assistant Dean provides leadership for residency and fellowship programs, continuing education, postdoctoral training, alumni professional development, and graduate success initiatives. The Assistant Dean works collaboratively with academic, clinical, and administrative leadership to develop innovative educational pathways that prepare graduates for advanced clinical practice, leadership, academia, and lifelong professional growth. The position fosters strong partnerships with residency affiliates, professional organizations, alumni, and University graduate programs while ensuring compliance with accreditation standards and advancing the College's strategic priorities.

Mission of the Office of Postgraduate Education

The Office of Postgraduate Education advances the Kentucky College of Optometry's commitment to lifelong learning by supporting graduates through advanced clinical training, continuing professional education, leadership development, alumni engagement, and educational innovation. The Office fosters a culture of continuous professional growth while strengthening the College's impact on the profession and the communities its graduates serve.

Residency and Fellowship Programs

• Serve as the Institutional Residency Director for all affiliated residency and fellowship programs.
• Maintain ACOE residency accreditation, including self-studies, annual reports, substantive changes, and continuous quality improvement.

Provide leadership and support to residency coordinators across affiliated training sites.

• Lead recruitment, onboarding, orientation, assessment, and evaluation of residents.
• Develop policies, curricula, assessment processes, and program outcomes.
• Identify and develop new residency and fellowship opportunities.
• Collaborate with Academic Affairs and Clinical Education to ensure alignment with institutional goals.

Lifelong Learning and Continuing Professional Education

• Provide strategic leadership for the College's continuing education program.
• Develop an annual calendar of COPE-approved educational offerings.
• Collaborate with faculty, alumni, professional organizations, and industry partners.
• Ensure compliance with COPE standards.
• Expand hybrid, virtual, and in-person educational offerings.

Postdoctoral Education and Professional Development

• Develop certificate programs, fellowships, leadership academies, faculty development initiatives, and advanced clinical training opportunities.
• Serve as liaison with the University's MBA and Master of Biomedical Sciences programs to create collaborative educational opportunities.
• Develop pathways that prepare future faculty through leadership, research, teaching, business, and administrative training.
• Encourage scholarly activity through mentorship, collaborative research, presentations, and publications.
• Develop external partnerships and pursue funding opportunities supporting postgraduate education.

Alumni Success and Graduate Support

• Develop board preparation, remediation, mentoring, and graduate support initiatives.
• Monitor graduate outcomes and board performance trends.
• Promote alumni engagement through continuing education, networking, and leadership opportunities.
• Collaborate with Academic Affairs to use graduate outcomes to strengthen the curriculum.

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement the strategic vision for postgraduate education.
• Represent the College through participation in regional, national, and international professional organizations.
• Develop partnerships with residency affiliates, healthcare organizations, alumni, and professional societies.
• Participate in accreditation, assessment, and strategic planning initiatives.
• Develop and manage budgets related to postgraduate education and continuing education.
• Serve on College and University committees as assigned.

Reporting Relationships

• Reports to the Dean of the Kentucky College of Optometry.
• Supervises residency coordinators, residents, continuing education personnel (as assigned), and other staff within the Office of Postgraduate Education.
• Maintains an active faculty appointment with teaching, scholarship, and/or clinical responsibilities as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree from an accredited college or school of optometry.
• Completion of an accredited optometric residency.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in academic optometry, Veterans Affairs (VA) optometric practice, military optometric practice, or a combination thereof, including demonstrated educational leadership and administrative responsibilities.
• Experience in postgraduate education, residency training, continuing education, or academic leadership.
• Eligibility for Kentucky licensure.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Commitment to lifelong learning and the mission of KYCO.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience as a residency director or comparable postgraduate education leader.
• Experience supervising faculty, staff, or educational programs.
• Knowledge of ACOE residency accreditation standards.
• Knowledge of COPE accreditation standards.
• Experience with accreditation, assessment, and continuous quality improvement.
• Record of scholarly activity and leadership in professional organizations.

Application review will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Applications received on or before 9/21/2026 will be given priority consideration.

Important Notes: Resume and other application materials will be reviewed to determine if you meet the required qualifications for the position. If it is determined that you meet the required qualifications, your application materials will be used to identify a top group of the most highly qualified candidates. Please specifically address the qualifications, competencies, and desired qualifications in your resume and application materials.

The University of Pikeville is committed to providing a safe and productive learning, living, and working community. To achieve this goal, we conduct background investigations for all final applicants being considered for employment. Background investigations include a criminal history record check and, when appropriate, a financial and/or motor vehicle history.

The University of Pikeville is an equal opportunity employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. The University of Pikeville does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, or disabilities in its programs, activities, hiring, or the admission of students.

For more information about the University of Pikeville, please visit http://www.upike.edu. In addition to the application, interested applicants are requested to attach to their application a letter of interest, current resume, and contact information for three to five professional references.