Director of Clinical Training and Tenure-Track Faculty Position in Clinical Psychology (PsyD Program)

PLNU is a Christian liberal arts university in the evangelical, Wesleyan tradition, offering quality undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. We provide higher education in a vibrant Christian environment where minds are engaged and challenged, character is modeled and formed, and service is an expression of faith. PLNU is an institution that is committed to reflecting the rich diversity of God’s kingdom. We therefore  encourage applications from culturally and academically diverse faculty of the highest caliber, skilled and/or demonstrating great potential in the practice of teaching and scholarship. 

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The College of Health Sciences at Point Loma Nazarene University is seeking applicants for a full-time, three semester, tenure-track faculty position in clinical psychology, with administrative assignment as the founding Director of Clinical Training for the Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology.

Job Status:

Full time

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Job Description:

The PsyD is a five-year, post-baccalaureate, practitioner-scholar program delivered on campus/in person in San Diego. Four years of coursework and supervised practicum are followed by a full-time doctoral internship year. The program is designed to the APA Standards of Accreditation, and WSCUC approval is required prior to launch. The first cohort enters in Fall 2027. Practicum begins in the second year of the program, which places the first doctoral students in the field in Fall 2028.

PLNU holds an established network of clinical training relationships across San Diego County, including community mental health centers, crisis programs, hospitals, recovery programs, college counseling centers, hospice, youth and family agencies, and integrated care providers. The Director of Clinical Training will determine which of these sites can support doctoral-level training, execute doctoral training agreements, and recruit additional sites where doctoral requirements are not met. Placements begin in Fall 2028, which gives the person hired a full year to build the system before students enter it.

The program is located within the College of Health Sciences alongside Physician Assistant Studies, Occupational Therapy, Kinesiology, and the Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling. Required coursework in the psychological foundations of health and illness and in interprofessional collaboration supports training for integrated care settings.

The program uses a single-cohort model with sustained faculty mentorship. Research training is organized in Scholarship Cohorts: small groups of four to six students work with one faculty mentor from the start of the second year through the dissertation defense in the fourth year. Core faculty, including the Director of Clinical Training, mentor a Scholarship Cohort and maintain an active program of scholarship.

The standard faculty load is 27 units per year across three semesters (including summer), which includes release time for clinical training leadership, research mentorship of a small group of students, and teaching several doctoral level courses per year. Teaching assignments are drawn from practicum seminar, ethics and law, psychological assessment, evidence-based intervention, supervision and consultation, professional development, and other courses consistent with the candidate’s expertise and program needs.

Review of applications will begin in October 2026, although applications may continue to be reviewed until the position is filled. Virtual interviews will be held in November-December. Final candidates will be invited to campus in early 2027. The anticipated start date is August 16, 2027. Initial rank, compensation level, and eligibility for tenure track will be determined by degrees earned, licensure, and related experience.

Responsibilities:

Clinical training administration

• Develop practicum training infrastructure, clinical partnerships, practicum evaluation system, and clinical training handbook.
• Assess PLNU’s existing clinical training relationships for doctoral suitability, and recruit, vet, and approve additional sites capable of supporting doctoral-level training.
• Administer internship preparation, including APPIC application support, readiness portfolio review, and tracking of match outcomes.
• Maintain the clinical training records required for APA self-study and site visit, including placement tables, supervisor credentials, hours data, direct observation documentation, and competency outcome data.

Teaching, research, and mentorship

• Teach doctoral-level clinical psychology courses.
• Mentor a Scholarship Cohort of four to six doctoral students, including research design, IRB preparation, data collection, analysis, and writing.
• Maintain an active program of scholarship. Applied and clinically relevant research is appropriate and valued, particularly research that involves doctoral students as collaborators.
• Advise and mentor students academically, professionally, personally, and spiritually.

Program and university service

• Participate as core faculty in admissions, curriculum development, program assessment, and student competency review.
• Participate in departmental activities and governance.
• Serve on faculty committees and perform other normal faculty duties.
• Engage with the off-campus community, including involvement in a local Christian church.

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. or Psy.D. in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, or a closely related health service psychology field, from an APA-accredited program, by the start date.
• Current licensure as a psychologist in California, or current licensure in another jurisdiction with California licensure obtained within twelve months of the start date.
• Experience in clinical training administration, such as practicum coordination, training site development, internship preparation, or training clinic direction.
• Evidence of scholarly activity and the capacity to supervise doctoral-level research to completion.
• Evidence of the ability to establish and maintain relationships with clinical training sites, supervisors, and community partners.
• Evidence of excellence in graduate teaching.
• Evidence of support for diverse peoples and perspectives, and of attunement to cultural humility in teaching, supervision, scholarship, and service.
• Personal: Evidence of Christian commitment and active church involvement. In addition, faculty agree to live in agreement with PLNU’s Community Life Covenant.
• The job offer is contingent on the successful completion of a background check. PLNU will consider qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with state and local "Fair Chance" laws.
• Commitment to the Mission of Point Loma Nazarene University and liberal arts education.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior service as a Director of Clinical Training or practicum coordinator.
• Experience in a doctoral program completing APA initial accreditation, including self-study preparation, site visit preparation, or competency assessment system design.
• Experience providing clinical supervision to graduate-level trainees.
• Experience preparing doctoral students for internship application and the APPIC match.
• Existing relationships with clinical training sites in San Diego County or Southern California.
• A research agenda that can involve doctoral students as collaborators, including applied research on clinical training, supervision, assessment, or service delivery.
• Teaching expertise in psychological assessment, evidence-based intervention, ethics and law, supervision and consultation, or clinical health psychology.
• Experience with student remediation, professional competence review, and gatekeeping in professional psychology training.

Benefits:

We are pleased to offer attractive benefits and resources. This includes benefits such as health, dental, tuition benefits for employees and dependents, and competitive retirement matching. There also may be opportunities for university assistance with the cost of housing in Southern California. In addition, we have many opportunities to engage with our community including faculty chapel, weekly faculty lunches and a robust wellness program.

Salary:

PLNU pays its faculty using a pay scale based on experience and academic rank. Faculty salaries using this scale for a 3-semester appointment range from $87,216 to $153,052. The actual salary will be based on the experience, rank, and appointment term of the candidate selected to fill this position.

Selection Process:

Applicants will be expected to submit an application and corresponding documents. All applicants will be reviewed and evaluated. From this pool of applicants, a limited number will be selected and moved forward in the process. The interview process may include:

• Stage 1: An in-depth Zoom interview with members of the search committee
• Stage 2: An on-campus interview, which may include:
  • A campus tour
  • Dialogue with faculty and students in the College of Health Sciences
  • A doctoral-level teaching demonstration
  • A presentation on clinical training leadership, addressing site development, supervision, and competency evaluation
  • A clinical case or supervision consultation presentation
  • A presentation of your past, current, and future scholarly research
  • An interview with the Dean of the College of Health Sciences
  • An interview with the Provost
  • An interview with the President of the University

Special Instructions:

Please contact the search committee chair (bcolema1@pointloma.edu) for questions or clarification. When beginning your application, be prepared to answer these questions and upload the following documents, ideally in a single PDF:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter that addresses the job description and qualifications, including your clinical training leadership experience and the courses you could teach
• Statement of Personal Faith (note: one page)
• Philosophy of Teaching in Christian Higher Education (note: 1-3 pages)
• Statement of Clinical Training Leadership addressing practicum or internship training, supervision, site development, competency evaluation, and APA accreditation requirements (note: 1-3 pages)
• Research statement describing your scholarly agenda and your approach to mentoring doctoral research (note: 1-2 pages)
• Evidence of licensure status as a psychologist, including state or states of licensure and license number
• Unofficial Transcripts for highest degree completed
• Contact information for 3 references, at least one who can speak to your clinical training leadership (note: references will only be requested for candidates who advance to the final stage of the search process)
• Optional: up to 3 teaching evaluations 

If you have questions about items for the application, please contact the Search Committee chair at bcolema1@pointloma.edu or the Office of Human Resources at humanresources@pointloma.edu.

 

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At PLNU, we believe in pursuing calling together. Deep and meaningful relationships between students, faculty, and staff is vital in nurturing our shared community and expressing God’s love. We are looking for enthusiastic candidates to join us in empowering our students to reach their greatest personal, spiritual and professional potential. 

Point Loma Nazarene University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures.