Executive Director of Chiropractic
OAKVILLE, ON
Department/Unit: Ontario Site
Reports To: Vice President Academic Affairs
Appointment Type: Continuing
Schedule: Full-Time
Salary Range: CAN $ 140,000 –150,000
D'Youville University invites applications for the position of Executive Director of the Doctor of Chiropractic Program at its Ontario site in Oakville. This is a founding senior academic leadership role: the inaugural Executive Director will lead the program through its establishment and inaugural years, building on the planning and development already underway to bring its Doctor of Chiropractic program to launch. The Executive Director provides strategic vision, academic quality, and operational management for the program, leading it through accreditation and ensuring that it meets or exceeds the standards of the Council for Chiropractic Education Canada (CCEC) and the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE), and that it prepares graduates to meet the entry-to-practice competencies for chiropractors in Canada and to sit for the licensure examinations of the Canadian Chiropractic Examining Board (CCEB). The program is offered by D'Youville University in accordance with the Post-secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000.
The Executive Director of Chiropractic serves as the chief academic and operating officer of the DCP-Ontario and reports to the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) of D'Youville University. The Executive Director provides strategic vision and operational leadership for the quality of courses, programs, activities, faculty, staff, and resources of the program.
Position Summary
As the founding Executive Director, this individual is responsible for overseeing and managing all aspects of the Doctor of Chiropractic Program through its establishment and inaugural years. The Executive Director plans, budgets, and evaluates all activities that originate from the Doctor of Chiropractic Program; leads the program's accreditation processes; and collaborates with a range of stakeholders - including faculty, staff, preceptors, regulatory authorities, students, and administrative leadership - to ensure a successful, compliant, and sustainable program. The Executive Director is expected to lead with a demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, to anti-racism and anti-oppression, and to advancing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and Indigenous health and cultural safety throughout the program.
Reporting Relationships and Governance
The Executive Director reports to the Vice President of Academic Affairs of D'Youville University and maintains an open line of communication with the VPAA, meeting with them regularly and upon request.
The Executive Director represents the Doctor of Chiropractic Program during monthly meetings of the institution-level Dean's Council, which affords opportunities for the VPAA and the other deans and directors to discuss matters impacting the institution.
Responsibilities
Program Establishment
- Lead the program through to the launch of its Doctor of Chiropractic program, building on the curriculum, governance, and planning work already underway and bringing it to completion.
- Complete the recruitment and onboarding of the program's founding faculty and staff, and expand its clinical, hospital, and community practice partnerships and preceptor network across Ontario.
- Lead the program's CCEC accreditation process and PEQAB consent process through review and site visit and prepare the program and its inaugural student cohort for a successful launch.
Academic and Program Leadership
- Provide strategic vision and operational leadership for the quality of courses, programs, activities, faculty, staff, and resources of the program.
- Develop goals and objectives for the long-term growth and sustainability of the program.
- Establish, maintain, and monitor the program's strategic plan, ensuring broad-based input from faculty, students, regulatory authorities, and other stakeholders, and alignment with the University's strategic plan.
- Lead program evaluation and continuous quality improvement processes, ensuring systematic review of curriculum, teaching, outcomes, resources, admissions, and student services.
- Supervise the delivery of academic, clinical, and co-curricular activities across the program.
- Implement the standards established by the faculty for student academic progression.
- Admit qualified students to the program in accordance with established admissions standards.
Accreditation and Regulatory Compliance
- Lead the program's accreditation processes and ensure the DCP-Ontario meets or exceeds the standards of the Council for Chiropractic Education Canada (CCEC) and the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE).
- Ensure the program prepares graduates to meet the Federation of Canadian Chiropractic's Entry-to-Practice Competency Profile and to sit for the licensure examinations of the Canadian Chiropractic Examining Board (CCEB).
- Ensure compliance with D'Youville University policies and all applicable external regulations, including the College of Chiropractors of Ontario (CCO) Standards of Practice and PEQAB requirements.
- Engage actively with regulatory, certification, and licensing authorities on certification and licensure processes, practice standards, and health human resource planning.
- Maintain program currency with respect to contemporary chiropractic practice, evidence-informed care, and Ontario accreditation standards.
Administrative and Fiscal Management
- Manage the program’s budget and plan, allocate, and evaluate the program's financial and physical resources.
- Plan, budget, and evaluate all activities that originate from the Doctor of Chiropractic Program.
- Recruit, appoint, supervise, and evaluate competent and qualified faculty and administrative staff.
- Representation and Collaboration
- Represent the interests of the program's students, faculty, and staff within the University, the profession, and the broader community.
- Work with students, faculty, and staff to solve problems, plan initiatives, and foster a collegial academic environment.
- Participate in developing and implementing the policies and strategic goals of the University.
- Cultivate relationships with clinical, hospital, and community practice partners to support work-integrated learning, internships, and preceptorships across Ontario.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenous Engagement
- Provide leadership in fostering an environment committed to anti-racism, anti-oppression, equity, diversity, and inclusion for students, faculty, and staff.
- Champion Indigenous engagement, cultural safety, and the integration of Indigenous health content in the program, consistent with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action.
- Support recruitment and admissions processes that attract a diverse applicant pool and enhance representation of Indigenous and other equity-deserving groups, in collaboration with Indigenous-led and co-led initiatives.
Essential Qualifications
- A Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree; an additional graduate or terminal degree (e.g., PhD, MSc, EdD) is an asset.
- A record of practical experience in clinical chiropractic practice, with a strong understanding of contemporary practice environments in Ontario.
- Demonstrated knowledge of Ontario and Canadian chiropractic accreditation standards, including CCEC/CCE standards and the Federation of Canadian Chiropractic's entry-to-practice competencies.
- A record of progressive academic leadership and administrative experience in chiropractic or health professions education.
Assets
- Experience leading a program through CCEC/CCE accreditation or an equivalent health-professions accreditation process.
- An established record of scholarship and external funding in a chiropractic or health-sciences discipline.
How To Apply
Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and the names of three professional references. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled.
About D'Youville University
D'Youville University is a private university founded in 1908 and based in Buffalo, New York. From its origins as a small college focused on education and service, it has grown into a doctoral and professional university offering more than fifty programs across the health sciences, business, and liberal arts, with a particular strength in the health professions - chiropractic, pharmacy, nursing, physical and occupational therapy, osteopathic medicine, and more. Today D'Youville serves roughly three thousand students and is known for hands-on, interprofessional health education and a longstanding commitment to its surrounding community.
A Heritage That Crosses Borders
D’Youville University takes its name from Saint Marguerite D'Youville, who in 1737 founded the Sisters of Charity - the Grey Nuns - in Montreal. Over the following century, the order grew into one of Canada's most significant providers of health care and social services, devoting itself to the care of the most vulnerable. It was this Canadian order that came to Buffalo and founded the college that is today D'Youville University in 1908, naming it in honour of their patron saint.
Adjacent to the International Peace Bridge, D'Youville has been a destination for Canadian students for generations, with many thousands choosing to cross the border to study at its Buffalo campus. The Ontario site in Oakville is a natural extension of that history - bringing D'Youville's health-professions education home to the Canadian students it has served for over a century.
Physical Demands and Working Conditions
This is a site-based academic leadership role performed at the Oakville educational site. The position involves extended periods of seated work and computer use, frequent meetings and presentations, and regular communication by phone, video, and in person. Some travel within Ontario and to the Buffalo campus, as well as occasional evening or weekend commitments, may be required. Accommodations will be provided in accordance with the AODA and the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Diversity Statement
Rooted in the service mission of its founders, D'Youville University believes that a community of varied backgrounds and perspectives makes for stronger teaching, scholarship, and patient care. We warmly invite applications from candidates of all backgrounds, and especially from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized people, women, persons with disabilities, and people of every sexual orientation and gender identity. A candidate's track record of fostering equity and inclusion - and their capacity to help build a welcoming Doctor of Chiropractic Program - will be considered a meaningful strength.
Accessibility Statement
Consistent with our obligations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code, we work to ensure that every stage of hiring - from application through interview and final selection - is barrier-free, and we will arrange suitable accommodations for any candidate who needs them.
