Job Description

The Executive Director of Nursing provides visionary, strategic, and operational leadership for the undergraduate and graduate nursing programs at Keuka College. This position is responsible for ensuring academic excellence, regulatory compliance, accreditation integrity, faculty engagement, student success, and the advancement of innovative nursing education. The Executive Director serves as the academic and administrative leader for Keuka College’s NYSED-approved and CCNE-accredited nursing programs, which are offered in on-campus, off-site, and online modalities, and include didactic, laboratory, clinical, and simulation courses.

The Executive Director of Nursing is a twelve-month administrator with faculty rank position that will have a six- to eight-credit teaching responsibility per academic year, and reports to the Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs. This position serves as the Nursing Division chair and works collaboratively with college leadership, healthcare organizations, faculty, students, and community stakeholders to strengthen nursing education and workforce partnerships throughout the region.

The Executive Director promotes a culture of excellence, inclusivity, scholarship, ethical practice, and student-centered learning consistent with the mission and values of Keuka College. The role supports the continued growth and sustainability of undergraduate, RN-to-BS, and graduate nursing programs, including advanced practice and leadership pathways. The ideal candidate is one who will fulfill the position’s responsibilities through leadership that ensures the engagement of Nursing Division faculty and which aligns with both Keuka College’s Values and AACN’s Domains, particularly the sub-competencies reflected in the Domains of Professionalism and Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development.

Key Responsibilities

Academic Leadership and Program Administration

• Serves as Chief Nurse Administrator for the Nursing Division and provides strategic leadership, vision, and administrative oversight for all undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.
• Effectively liaisons between the College administration, NYSED Office of the Professions, CCNE, and the Nursing Division faculty.
• Ensures program quality and compliance with all accreditation standards, compliance with accreditation standards, state and federal regulations, and institutional policies and procedures.
• Leads long-range strategic planning, program evaluation, curriculum innovation, and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
• Collaborates with faculty to ensure curriculum rigor, integrity, evidence-based practice integration, and alignment with current healthcare trends and workforce needs.
• Oversees program assessment activities, student learning outcomes, licensure outcomes, retention, and graduation benchmarks.
• Fulfills all division chair responsibilities, including:

Faculty Leadership and Development

• Recruits, mentors, supervises, and evaluates nursing faculty and staff to ensure teaching excellence and academic quality.
• Promotes faculty scholarship, professional development, certification, clinical practice engagement, and service activities.
• Ensures sufficient faculty resources, qualifications, and workload distribution to support program outcomes and accreditation standards.
• Fosters a collaborative and inclusive academic environment that supports innovation, shared governance, and interdisciplinary partnerships.

Student Success and Engagement

• Develops and implements policies that support student achievement, retention, progression, and professional development.
• Promotes a student-centered learning culture emphasizing academic excellence, professionalism, ethical leadership, and compassionate care.
• Supports initiatives related to community, belonging, and holistic student support services.
• Collaborates with administration, faculty, and student support offices to address academic concerns, progression challenges, and clinical readiness.

Community and Healthcare Partnerships

• Builds and sustains collaborative relationships with healthcare organizations, clinical agencies, community partners, and regional leaders to support student clinical placements, workforce development, and community engagement.
• Represents the Nursing Division in professional, academic, and healthcare organizations at the local, regional, and national levels.
• Facilitates advisory board and stakeholder meetings to obtain community input and strengthen program responsiveness to healthcare needs.
• Develops partnerships that expand experiential learning opportunities, simulation initiatives, graduate education, and interprofessional collaboration.

Operational and Fiscal Management

• Oversees nursing program budgets, resource allocation, facilities planning, and operational effectiveness.
• Ensures adequate fiscal, technological, simulation, clinical, and learning resources to support educational excellence.
• Participates in institutional governance and strategic initiatives as a member of the Academic Affairs leadership team.
• Utilizes data-informed decision-making to guide program growth, assessment, and resource management.

Accreditation and Regulatory Compliance

• Leads accreditation preparation, reporting, site visits, and ongoing compliance activities for nursing programs.
• Maintains accountability for regulatory reporting, policy development, and documentation required by state boards of nursing and accrediting agencies.
• Ensures transparency, accessibility, and consistency of nursing program policies and procedures.

Secondary Responsibilities

• In conjunction with the President, serves as the College’s professional expert primary lead on community-facing health initiatives (e.g., developing clinical sites and new graduate employment placement pipelines, rural health service provision).
• Supports institutional strategic priorities and participates in College-wide initiatives.
• Performs additional duties as assigned by College leadership.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

Education

• Master's degree in Nursing required.
• Doctoral degree in Nursing, Education, Healthcare Administration, or related field preferred.

Experience

• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive leadership experience in higher education nursing administration preferred.
• Demonstrated excellence in nursing education, curriculum development, clinical practice, and academic leadership.
• Demonstrated higher education academic leadership successes which employed data-informed, analytical problem-solving with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience in providing high quality nursing education, preferably in both undergraduate and graduate programs as well as in on-campus, hybrid, and online modalities.
• Leadership experience with successful accreditation processes, regulatory compliance, strategic planning, and budget management.
• Experience with curriculum revision, program development, and assessment in alignment with accreditation standards.
• Proven success in developing healthcare partnerships and collaborative community relationships.
• Strong record of scholarship, professional engagement, and leadership in nursing or healthcare organizations.
• Demonstrated effective administrative skills, including strong organizational, prioritization and discernment, interpersonal, teambuilding, budgeting, and communication skills.
• Expertise with Microsoft 365 suite and the capability to learn student information systems, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and curriculum management systems to successfully manage administrative operations and student success efforts within the Nursing Division.
• Educational credentials, experience, service, and scholarship aligned with Keuka College’s mission, vision, and values that would make the applicant eligible for faculty rank of Associate Professor or higher.

Licensure and Certifications

• Current unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) license required; eligibility for New York State licensure required.
• National certification in nursing education or clinical specialty area (such as CNE or CNEcl) preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong leadership, organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to lead change, foster collaboration, and promote innovation in nursing education.
• Knowledge of accreditation standards, nursing education regulations, and best practices in higher education.
• Commitment to student success, faculty development, and inclusive excellence.
• Demonstrated ethical leadership, strategic thinking, and conflict resolution abilities.

Physical/Mental Demands and Work Environment

• This position requires critical thinking, decision-making, strategic planning, evaluation, and communication in academic, clinical, and administrative environments.
• Work is primarily performed in office, classroom, simulation, and clinical settings. Occasional lifting of materials up to 10 pounds may be required. Frequent use of computers, classroom technology, and office equipment is expected.
• Clinical and simulation activities may require standing, bending, lifting, or other physical movement associated with healthcare education environments.
• Travel for clinical partnerships, professional meetings, accreditation activities, and community engagement may be required.

Employee Benefits Overview

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental and Vision Coverage
• Financial assistance for educational expenses, enabling professional growth and development.
• Protection for you and your loved ones with employer-sponsored life insurance coverage.
• Generous paid time off includes holidays and sick leave to ensure work-life balance.
• Retirement benefits eligible on the 1st day of employment and matching contributions after 6 months of employment
• Access to confidential counseling and support services for mental health and personal matters through the Employee Assistance Program

Work with Purpose at Keuka College Founded in 1890, Keuka College is a private, liberal arts-based institution located on the shores of Keuka Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes region. Our close-knit lakeside campus fosters collaboration, innovation, and personal growth. Why Keuka College?

• Mission-Driven: Empowering students to lead, serve, and succeed.
• Experiential Learning: A hands-on, immersive educational environment.
• Strong Community: A caring, respectful culture rooted in integrity and leadership.
• Student-Centered: Dedicated to the success of every student.
• Professional Growth & Balance: Support for your development and well-being.

About the Community: Keuka Park offers scenic lakeside living, outdoor recreation, and access to nearby Penn Yan’s small-town charm—all in the heart of the Finger Lakes. Join us and be part of something truly “small on purpose.”