Title: Director of Nursing & Health Programs

Position Type: Professional Tech Full time

College: Otero College

Division: Academic Affairs

Department: OC Nursing & Allied Health

Campus: Otero College

Location: La Junta

Salary Range: $85,000- $90,000

Who We Are:

At Otero College, we are more than a college, we are a community dedicated to students’ personal and professional growth through high-quality education and workforce training. With more than 30 academic and workforce programs, a student-centered culture, and a commitment to supporting employee growth, Otero College provides an opportunity to make a meaningful impact every day.
Our faculty and staff are passionate about student success and work to create a welcoming, inclusive environment where students feel a sense of belonging. Through meaningful connections and personalized support, Otero employees help students build confidence, stay engaged, and achieve success both in and out of the classroom.
Otero College offers the opportunity to contribute to student success while enjoying the benefits of living and working in a rural community. Join the Rattler family and help shape the future of our students.

Job Summary:

The Director of Nursing and Health Programs provides leadership, administration, and oversight for Otero College's nursing and health education programs. This position ensures compliance with accreditation standards, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices while supporting high quality instruction and student success.

The Director collaborates with faculty, healthcare partners, and institutional leadership to oversee curriculum, accreditation, program outcomes, clinical partnerships, faculty development, and continuous program improvement. The position also supports student recruitment and retention, workforce development initiatives, and the college's mission of providing accessible, high quality education that meets the healthcare needs of rural communities.

Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Develop program philosophy, goals, and learning outcomes in collaboration with faculty, ensuring alignment with the mission of Otero College, faculty values, approved AA, AS, AAS, and certificate programs, current industry standards, and the Career and Technical Education (CTE) vision.
2. Provide leadership and administrative oversight for nursing and health education programs in accordance with institutional policies, regulatory requirements, and best practices in nursing education.
3. Ensure compliance with state board of nursing regulations, accreditation standards, and institutional policies, maintaining all required documentation and reports.
4. Lead accreditation and continuous quality improvement efforts, including preparation of self-studies, reports, site visits, and ongoing program evaluation.
5. Monitor and evaluate program outcomes, including NCLEX pass rates, program completion, retention, and graduate employment, and implement improvements as needed.
6. Collaborate with faculty to develop, implement, and evaluate curriculum to ensure alignment with current nursing practice standards and workforce needs.
7. Supervise, mentor, and evaluate nursing faculty and staff, and participate in the recruitment, hiring, orientation, and professional development of faculty.
8. Coordinate faculty assignments, course scheduling, and clinical placements to ensure effective program delivery.
9. Establish and maintain partnerships with healthcare organizations to secure and expand clinical learning opportunities through formal agreements with hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, and community health organizations.
10. Collaborate with healthcare partners and regional stakeholders to align program offerings with workforce needs, particularly in rural communities.
11. Facilitate partnerships with four-year colleges and universities to support transfer pathways and continued educational advancement for graduates.
12. Promote student recruitment, retention, and success, with a focus on students from rural and underserved communities.
13. Manage program resources and participate in budget planning in collaboration with institutional leadership.
14. Represent the nursing program within the college, healthcare community, and professional organizations, and participate in institutional governance.
15. Participate in the planning, teaching, and evaluation of theory, laboratory, and clinical instruction, not to exceed 40% of the workload.
16. Support the college’s mission of providing accessible, high-quality education and workforce preparation for rural communities.
17. Perform other duties as assigned.

Competencies/KSAs:

Provides effective leadership, planning, and oversight of nursing and health programs.
Ensures compliance with nursing education standards, accreditation requirements, and state regulations.
Supports curriculum development, program evaluation, and continuous quality improvement.
Recruits, mentors, evaluates, and supports faculty and staff.
Provides program assessment, outcomes measurement, and continuous quality improvement processes.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Nursing from a Nursing Education Program with a national nursing accreditation
• An active Unencumbered license to practice as a registered nurse in Colorado.
• Holds or is willing to obtain a CTE Credential
• Documented knowledge and skills related to teaching adults, teaching methodology, curriculum development, and curriculum evaluation.
• Two years of full-time, or equivalent, clinical experience as a practicing registered nurse.
• Two years of full-time, or equivalent, experience in teaching in an approved Nursing Education Program. Such experience must be at or above the level of the Nursing Education Program that the individual will be directing.
• Holds or is willing to obtain a CTE Credential

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience with nursing program accreditation processes and compliance with regulatory and accrediting bodies (e.g., state boards of nursing and national accrediting agencies).
• Experience working within or collaborating with community college nursing programs.
• Knowledge of articulation agreements and transfer pathways with four-year institutions and universities.
• Proven ability to develop, monitor, and improve nursing program outcomes, including NCLEX pass rates, completion rates, and employment outcomes in accordance with regulatory and accrediting expectations.
• Experience establishing and maintaining high-quality clinical partnerships with healthcare organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships with clinical agencies to secure and sustain student clinical placements.
• Familiarity with program evaluation, continuous quality improvement, and outcomes reporting required by accrediting and regulatory agencies.
• Experience supporting curriculum alignment and academic progression pathways for nursing students.
• Experience in staffing, evaluation, and fiscal operations

Selection Process:

Position will remain open until filled with a priority date of June 30, 2026.

Application Instructions: 

The search will be conducted through a competitive, merit-based evaluation of all qualified applicants. Final candidates will be invited to travel to the College, at their own expense, to interview.
For consideration, an applicant file must contain:
1. Cover letter that addresses the minimum and preferred qualifications
2. Resume
3. Copies of transcripts (A.A., B.A., and M.A.) (Official transcripts requested upon hire) - As part of our commitment to a fair hiring process, we invite you to redact any information from your transcripts that may be confidential/protected under law, including your age, date of birth, or dates of attendance/graduation.
4. Names, addresses, and phone numbers of 3 professional references

Additional Information/Benefits:

At Otero, we value and uphold a commitment to a workplace that focuses on employees. In addition to rewarding and meaningful work, we offer a comprehensive selection of benefits to support our employees, including:

• Flexible retirement benefits including Colorado PERA’s Defined Benefit Plan or Defined Contribution Plan. Otero contributes 21.61% of your salary on your behalf. Supplemental retirement plans including 401(k) and 457 plans are also available.
• Comprehensive health benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, and flexible savings benefits.
• Employee assistance services such as counseling, professional coaching, financial planning, and more, are available to you and members of your household at no cost through the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program (C-SEAP).
• Generous paid time off benefits including up to 15 hours of annual leave and 10 hours sick leave per month, 10 paid holidays per year, and up to 18 hours for academic and volunteer activities.
• Tuition assistance for employees and their eligible dependents at any community college within the Colorado Community College System or CCCOnline.
• State employees are eligible to participate in BenefitHub which offers discounts for retailers and services and other benefits resources.
• Employees may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Additional information about this program can be found on the Colorado Division of Human Resources website.