Director, Assistant Chief Academic Officer

Director, Assistant Chief Academic Officer

Hackensack Meridian Health

JFK University Medical Center

Edison, New Jersey

Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) seeks a dynamic and experienced educational administrator to serve as the Assistant Chief Academic Officer (ACAO) at JFK University Medical Center. This is a premier opportunity to provide strategic oversight for all Undergraduate (UME) and Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs, ensuring the highest standards of academic excellence and regulatory compliance.

As the ACAO, you will be a key leader in implementing the HMH academic strategic plan. Reporting to the HMH Chief Academic Officer/Designated Institutional Official (DIO) and the regional Chief Medical Officer (CMO), you will champion an optimal learning environment, foster innovation in our training programs, and serve as a vital liaison between academic leadership, hospital administration, and our prestigious partner institutions.

The ACAO position requires a part-time commitment, reporting dually to the hospital/regional CMO(s) and the HMH CAO. The remaining FTE will be dedicated to clinical responsibilities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership & Program Oversight

• Drive the implementation of the HMH academic strategic plan at the regional level.
• Provide leadership and mentorship to residency and fellowship Program Directors, assisting with program development, trainee support, and innovation.
• Organize and lead special program reviews to identify areas for improvement and ensure educational quality.
• Facilitate a collaborative environment among program directors, coordinators, residents, and fellows.

Regulatory Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Ensure all ACGME-accredited and non-accredited programs maintain full compliance with ACGME and New Jersey Medical Board requirements.
• Oversee the annual ACGME data submission, resident/faculty surveys, and Program Evaluation Committee (PEC) reports.
• Lead preparation for ACGME site visits, including self-studies and Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) visits.
• Develop, review, and implement institutional GME policies and procedures.
• Maintain and track all institutional Affiliation Agreements and Program Letters of Agreement.

Institutional Collaboration & Partnership

• Partner with regional CMOs and hospital leadership on resident/fellow performance, professionalism, and quality/safety initiatives.
• Serve as the primary academic liaison with the Medical Staff Office for credentialing and policy alignment.
• Engage with internal departments and external clinical and educational partners to strengthen academic affiliations.

Financial & Administrative Management

• Provide budgetary oversight for regional GME operations, including position funding allocations and faculty stipend payments.
• Advise programs on educational grants and alternative funding opportunities.
• Mentor and support academic affairs administrative staff and program coordinators.

REQUIREMENTS: 

• MD, DO, or Bachelor’s degree and/or minimum of ten year’s experience working in healthcare, education, corporate office or related environment.
• At least three years as a leader in graduate medical education (i.e., successfully holding a position as a GME program director or Associate Director or Director of Medical Education.)
• Experience in growing and developing system wide GME initiatives.
• A well-developed skill set related to leadership, management, communication, collegiality, teamwork, change agency and cultural sensitivity is necessary.
• An exemplary record in the following areas: understanding educational theory and learning principles, especially as they relate to GME and health professions education; knowledge of the health care industry and health care systems; experience with accreditation and regulatory requirements; understanding of human resources and legal issues related to residents and clinical fellows; business skill and acumen; a track record demonstrating innovation in educational programming, faculty development, and improvement science; and experience with fostering healthy and safe clinical learning environments.

COMPENSATION:

Starting Base Salary: $450,000

HMH is committed to pay equity and transparency for our team members. The posted rate of pay in this job posting is a reasonable good faith estimate of the minimum base pay for this role at the time of posting in accordance with the New Jersey Pay Transparency Act and does not reflect the full value of our market-competitive total rewards package. 

The starting base salary is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guarantee of a specific offer. The base compensation determined at the time of the offer may be different than the posted base salary based on a number of non-discriminatory factors, including but not limited to:

Specialization: Area of specialization and sub-specialization.

Labor Market Data: Compensation is benchmarked against market data to ensure competitiveness.

Experience: Years of relevant experience in the areas of specialization and sub-specialization.

Leadership: Relevant experience as a department chair or chief, practice group leader, or other leadership roles.

Education and Certifications: Degrees attained, residencies, fellowships, board certifications, research, and publications.

Productivity: Levels of productivity, quality and patient satisfaction.

Skills: Demonstrated proficiency in relevant skills and competencies.

Geographic Location: Cost of living and market rates for the specific location.

Internal Equity: Compensation is determined in a manner consistent with compensation ranges for similar roles within the specialty and/or sub-specialty.

Budget and Grant Funding: Departmental budgets and any grant funding associated with the job position may impact the pay that can be offered. 

In addition to our compensation for full-time and part-time (20+ hours/week) positions, HMH offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, tuition reimbursement, and retirement benefits. The final compensation and benefits package will be discussed during the interview process. 

Founded in 1967, JFK Medical Center is a non-profit, 498-bed community hospital, serving residents of Middlesex, Union and Somerset counties in Central New Jersey. With more than 900 affiliated physicians, JFK offers a complete array of advanced services, including general and specialized surgery, cardiac care, maternity and pediatric care, and emergency medicine.

AT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH, WE'RE READY TO HELP YOU ADVANCE YOUR CAREER!

Our collaborative team of physicians and advanced practice professionals help make us a distinguished leader, committed to the health and well-being of the communities we serve.

WE KEEP GETTING BETTER: 

Hackensack Meridian Health is the leading not-for-profit health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. We aim to serve as a national model for changing and simplifying health care delivery through partnerships with innovative companies and focusing on quality and safety.

OUR MISSION: 

We will transform health care and be recognized as the leader of positive change.

OUR VISION: 

Because innovation is in our DNA, compelling us to create a world where the highest quality care is human-centered, accessible and affordable; we’re always ready to deliver the outcomes that matter most, and excellence is the standard.

OUR NETWORK: 

Hackensack Meridian Health was created in 2016 as a merger of Hackensack University Medical Center and its affiliated hospitals, with Meridian Health System, and is now a large integrated not-for-profit health care organization spanning the eastern shore of New Jersey. HMH comprises 18 hospitals, including two academic medical centers, two children’s hospitals and ten community hospitals, physician practices, more than 120 ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, hospice services, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, and urgent care and after-hours centers.

DEFINING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE:

At the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, our mission is to develop our students, residents, fellows, faculty, and health care environment to deliver the highest quality care for all. Our approach is unique as we utilize the best components of different evidence-based teaching methods, and structure our foundational curriculum explicitly to give students what they need to thrive in the modern, technically demanding, clinical setting.

RANKED #1 IN NEW JERSEY:

Hackensack Meridian Health has two hospitals ranked on New Jersey’s Top 10 Best Hospitals list according to U.S. News & World Report. Hackensack University Medical Center is the #1 adult and children’s hospitals in New Jersey, with premier cancer care at John Theurer Cancer Center, a nationally ranked Orthopedics program, the state’s best programs in Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery, Geriatrics, Pulmonology and Lung Surgery, and the only nationally ranked programs in the state for Neurology & Neurosurgery, and Urology. Jersey Shore University Medical Center is ranked #6 and has received national recognition for its Orthopedics, and Pulmonary & Lung Surgery programs. And JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute has once again been ranked among the nation’s best rehabilitation hospitals.

ARE YOU READY TO CONTRIBUTE TO A GROUNDBREAKING HEALTH CARE NETWORK?