Job Details

Portland Community College (PCC) is seeking a collaborative transformational leader who will effectively navigate a large multi-campus environment during a time of organizational change. This leader will be expected to incorporate higher education and community college best practices into the practices of the administrative area. The Dental Program Director will lead a team of dedicated faculty, and staff in  both our credit DA and DH programs, as well as the non-credit Dental Health programs and PCC’s  Dental Clinic. The successful candidate will have direct experience and strong knowledge of best practices in Career Technical Education, specifically in dental professions areas, and implementing initiatives to address equity and opportunity gaps in community colleges.

This position, under the direction of the Dean of Academic & Career Pathways for Healthcare & Emergency Professions (organizational chart); will be responsible for supporting, developing, implementing, and evaluating programming aligned with labor market and industry needs. This position will also be responsible for partnering with faculty, staff, academic affairs and student affairs colleagues to align programming with equitable student retention and success metrics.

This position will lead by example and work creatively and collaboratively with others to nurture & promote community, belonging and a culture where prejudice, discrimination, and racism are disrupted. For more information, please visit our YESS (Yes to Equitable Student Success) information page.

The position provides an exciting opportunity for a strategic, collaborative, and visionary leader. The official responsibilities are to provide broad administrative direction and leadership in the development, assessment, and maintenance of quality education programs. An extremely important part of this role at Portland Community College is to bring to the administration, faculty, and staff of this program an equity-driven and student-centered passion for teaching and learning. Meaningful collaboration with key internal and external stakeholders is one of many leadership responsibilities in this role.

Portland Community College serves nearly 60,000 full and part-time students across a large and diverse service area, with four campuses and multiple education centers. We are committed to a culture which values belonging, justice, diversity, equity and inclusion. A demonstrated commitment to culturally responsive and inclusive services designed to improve equitable educational outcomes for college students is required for this position.

In order to actualize our commitment to opportunity and equitable student success, we seek transformational leaders who exemplify the PCC Leadership Competencies:

Advances Racial and Social Justice
Identifies systemic racism and social oppression and actively works toward their elimination; implements culturally responsive practices and processes to achieve equitable student outcomes.

Drives Vision and Purpose
Articulates and executes a vision for student-centered (flexible, multimodal, inclusive) delivery of instruction and services.

Drives Engagement
Builds ownership in transformational change and establishes conditions for authentic exploration and engagement cross-departmentally to arrive at collaborative solutions that lead to student success.

Accelerates Agility and Innovation
Analyzes systems, policies and practices and commits to continuous program improvement through the strategic use of culturally responsive data.

Builds Partnerships
Partners to solve problems, adapts communication and approaches, supports healthy conflict, and develops strong relationships across all disciplines and functional areas to advance institutional goals.

This position serves programs that currently span across PCC locations. The primary office location will be at the Vanport Building, with an expectation that the Program Director spends time at each location where their associated programs operate. In addition, there will be some occasions where business will be required at other PCC or off-site locations. There will be some opportunities for remote/hybrid work, as approved by the position supervisor and executive leaders.

See the classification description for additional information: https://www.pcc.edu/hr/employment/management-jobs/prog-dir/

These qualifications, skills and abilities are critical for success in this position.
Throughout the screening process, you will be evaluated based on the demonstration of these qualifications.

We are interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. We welcome applicants who bring a diversity of identity, culture, experience, perspective, and thought. If you meet the minimum qualifications, we encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every one of the success criteria qualifications described below. You are also encouraged to address how your professional and lived experience, scholarship, teaching, mentorship and/or service will contribute to the College.

• Demonstrates awareness of one’s own cultural background and how it influences perceptions, values, and practices and engages in and understanding of the PCC’s Leadership Competencies:
  •  Advances Racial and Social Justice: Identifies systemic racism and social oppression and actively works toward their elimination; implements culturally responsive practices and processes to achieve equitable student outcomes.
  •  Drives Vision and Purpose: Articulates and executes a vision for student-centered (flexible, multimodal, inclusive) delivery of instruction and services.
  •  Drives Engagement: Builds ownership in transformational change and establishes conditions for authentic exploration and engagement cross-departmentally to arrive at collaborative solutions that lead to student success.
  •  Accelerates Agility and Innovation: Analyzes systems, policies and practices and commits to continuous program improvement through the strategic use of culturally responsive data.
  •  Builds Partnerships: Partners to solve problems, adapts communication and approaches, supports healthy conflict, and develops strong relationships across all disciplines and functional areas to advance institutional goals.

•  Exhibits instructional expertise and familiarity with external accrediting processes, as well as taking a leadership role in all aspects of the work , including implementing best practices for diversity, equity, and inclusion. The ability to manage multiple projects, budgets, facilities, major equipment, hiring, onboarding and training, contracts and competing priorities while promoting a culturally responsive educational and work environment

• Ability and willingness to work with multiple industry partners, stakeholders, and transfer institutions to creatively and collaboratively seek continuous improvement in reaching program outcomes and student success

• Experience or ability to manage and supervise Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene CTE Programs, while creating and nurturing a sense of community well-being and belonging

• Leadership experience, as well as a background working in the Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene fields (experience in both preferred), including current and future issues/trends, licensure and/or certification processes and governing requirements

• Successful application of collaborative leadership drawing on interpersonal communication skills, and ability to represent the college in diverse internal and external stakeholder engagement activities. Demonstrates skills in advocacy and problem solving, fostering and supporting a culture of innovation, evaluation of current and future issues/trends, and being a liaison with senior leadership.

Minimum Qualifications

To be considered, your application must demonstrate these minimum qualifications. (Experience is calculated based on the start and end dates you provide multiplied by the number of hours per week worked).

• Master’s degree in Dental Hygiene or related field
• Six years of progressively responsible management experience in an academic department, business, industry or post-secondary institution
• Certified Dental Assistant 
• Currently Licensed Dental Hygienist from a CODA program

PCC offers a comprehensive benefit package designed to provide employees and their families, including domestic partners, with access to a broad range of benefit options. Includes Health, Dental, and Vision options, Group Life, Long-term Disability, Long-term Care, and Auto and Home Insurance programs.

View a complete list of PCC benefits.