Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) - Clinical Director

Job description

Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Clinical Director – Academic Fieldwork Coordinator

Location: Houston, TX | Campus: On-Site

Type: Full-Time

Compensation: $78,030 – $97,535 per year

Position Summary

Pima Medical Institute is seeking an experienced Occupational Therapy professional to serve as Clinical Director and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator for our OTA program at our Houston campus. In this role, you will lead and coordinate the clinical (fieldwork) education and instruction of OTA students—managing clinical site relationships, ensuring effective fieldwork experiences, and supporting students from initial orientation through program completion.

Key Responsibilities

• Clinical Site Management: Secure new clinical sites and formal contractual agreements; track and verify all program clinical affiliation contracts to ensure they remain current, accurate, and adequate.

• Student Onboarding & Scheduling: Conduct thorough student orientations at each clinical education site and coordinate the scheduling of students within clinical departments.

• Site Visitations: Visit clinical sites regularly to review, observe, and evaluate student clinical performance and progress; collaborate with site instructors to ensure effective clinical education.

• Compliance Tracking: Monitor and evaluate student clinical records, milestone logs, and competency evaluations.

• Curriculum Coordination: Ensure academic and fieldwork instructors collaborate closely to establish clinical objectives; clearly communicate overarching curriculum objectives to clinical instructors.

• Program Design: Coordinate and regularly revise the clinical education plan for the OTA program, recommending curriculum adjustments to the Program Director.

• Student Retention Management: Review student success rates and implement proactive plans to reduce withdrawals, aiming to maintain a consistent 80% student success rate for all classes taught.

• Academic Evaluation: Evaluate student performance regarding course objectives, make necessary provisions to meet individual learning needs, and maintain student grades according to established policies.

• Records & Grading: Prepare and process final grades at the end of each semester to accurately update student records and transcripts.

• Instructional Support: Perform the day-to-day duties of an OTA classroom or lab instructor as needed, and assist the Program Director with student applicant admissions.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree from an institution accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE).

• Program Background: Graduate of an accredited Occupational Therapy (OT) or Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education or CHEA.

• Licensure: Current, unencumbered Occupational Therapist (OT) or Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) license or credential as required by Texas state regulations.

• Clinical Experience: Minimum of three (3) years of clinical practice experience in the field of occupational therapy.

• Instructional Competency: Documented expertise in assigned areas of teaching responsibility alongside a strong knowledge of content delivery methods.

• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and standard computer applications.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience working as a clinical instructor and/or clinical coordinator.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

• Adequate release time will be granted to specifically address the administrative fieldwork coordination needs of the program.

• Operates in an office, classroom, and clinical la