Assistant Vice President for Health Sciences

Radford University, a public university enrolling nearly 7,800 students, invites applications and nominations for the position of Assistant Vice President for Health Sciences. Located along the iconic Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Radford University boasts a beautiful 211-acre main residential campus along the New River in Radford; as well as vibrant learning environments in downtown Roanoke at the Carilion Community Hospital
and the Roanoke Higher Education Center; and the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center located in Abingdon.

Radford University seeks a visionary and collaborative leader to serve as the Assistant Vice President for Health Sciences. This position is integral to advancing the university’s mission of improving the health and well-being of Southwest Virginia through innovative education, workforce development, and community engagement. The Assistant Vice President will focus on growing enrollment in healthcare disciplines, meeting workforce needs in collaboration with regional partners, and addressing rural and regional health disparities through a social determinants approach. The Assistant Vice President will play a key role in secure grant funding to support innovative programs and initiatives, coordinating interprofessional education (IPE) events and activities, and fostering partnerships that align with Radford’s strategic goals in health sciences education and community engagement.

Based at Radford University’s Roanoke location, the Assistant Vice President will support emerging health and life science sector in the Roanoke and New River Valleys, and will bridge Radford University’s health science academic programs in Roanoke, Radford, and across the region. Radford University’s health science center in Roanoke is based in Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital and the Roanoke Higher Education Center, and Radford University is currently planning a new purpose-built Health Science Center in Roanoke’s burgeoning Innovation Corridor, with a ribbon-cutting tentatively planned for 2030. Reporting directly to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Assistant Vice President will be a key member of the Provost’s Senior Staff and Academic Affairs Leadership Team.

This position offers an exciting opportunity to transform healthcare education while making a lasting impact on the region’s health outcomes through innovative leadership grounded in collaboration.

Required Education 

• Master’s degree or higher in Health Care Administration, Public Health, Health Sciences, or a closely related field; terminal degree preferred.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of seven years of progressive leadership experience in healthcare education or administration;
• Demonstrated success in fostering partnerships across healthcare organizations;
• Demonstrated success in procuring and administering grant funding;
• Demonstrated understanding of the health care system;
• Ability to take initiative and work independently and in teams to meet the objectives of academic initiatives;
• Proven ability to lead diverse teams and manage complex projects;
• Commitment to enhancing the well-being of Southwest Virginia and the Commonwealth of Virginia through academic programs and engagement with community partners. 

  Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated success in developing and/or delivering academic health science degree programs;
• Experience addressing social determinants of health through academic or community initiatives;
• Familiarity with rural healthcare challenges and solutions.

Buffkin/Baker, an executive search firm, is assisting the university in the search. Inquiries of interest, nominations, and applications should be submitted electronically, in confidence, to: Mr. Martin M. Baker, Managing Partner

Ms. Chelsie Whitelock, Associate Partner

Buffkin / Baker

radfordavphealth@buffkinbaker.com

Preference will be given to applications received by September 1, 2025