Chair and Associate Professor/Professor, Occupational Therapy

The chair position has an appointment length of 5 years, with the possibility of renewal. The concurrent Associate/Full professor position is a continuing appointment with no end date.

Location - This role is in-person at North Campus Edmonton.

Working for the University of Alberta:

The University of Alberta, its buildings, labs, and research stations are primarily located on the traditional territory of Cree, Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene, and Ojibway/Saulteaux/Anishinaabe nations; lands that are now known as part of Treaties 6, 7, and 8 and homeland of the Métis. The University of Alberta respects the sovereignty, lands, histories, languages, knowledge systems, and cultures of First Nations, Métis and Inuit nations.
The University of Alberta (U of A) is one of Canada’s top teaching and research universities, with an international reputation for excellence across the humanities, sciences, creative arts, business, engineering, education, and health sciences. Ranked 4th best university in Canada and 96th in the world (2027 QS Ranking), the U of A is home to over 46,000 students (including 8,400 graduate students) from 156 countries, more than 11,000 faculty and staff and a growing community of 340,000 alumni worldwide. Edmonton, Alberta’s capital city, is a vibrant, growing city with a population of over 1.4 million and one of the fastest growth rates in Canada. Edmonton is youthful and diverse, offering newcomers a welcoming community and a strong sense of belonging. Situated along the North Saskatchewan River, Edmonton’s river valley is the largest urban parkland in North America, 22 times the size of New York’s Central Park. The city is home to over 50 festivals, five art districts, 20 recreation centers, and 8 post-secondary institutions.

Position Summary

The Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta invites applications for the position of Chair, Department of Occupational Therapy (OT). The successful candidate will be hired as a full-time tenured Associate Professor or Professor in the department commensurate with experience. The U of A is committed to fostering equitable, diverse, and inclusive work and learning spaces and encourages interest from candidates who can contribute to the further diversification of ideas in the Department of Occupational Therapy.
The University of Alberta’s Department of Occupational Therapy is one of three departments in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Health Sciences. The department offers a 26 month entry-level, course-based Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MScOT) program designed to develop leaders in occupational therapy through excellence in research, education and citizenship. Using a distributed educational model, the department offers the MScOT program simultaneously on three campuses in Alberta: Edmonton (80 students), Calgary (28 students) and Camrose (16 students) - facilitating and fostering innovation, responsiveness, and accountability in education to 124 students annually. Students meet the 1,000 hour clinical practicum requirement to complete the program through fieldwork opportunities in a variety of settings.

The successful Chair will lead a dynamic department recognized for excellence in research, teaching, scholarship, service, and professional leadership, with strong clinical partnerships in education and research. The Chair works closely with the Associate Chair to further the professional program and support students. The department currently consists of 19 full- time faculty members, (10 in research-intensive, tenure-track positions; 9 in academic teaching-intensive positions), and is supported by staff at the department and Faculty level. Faculty members have diverse research programs in areas such as prevention and management of chronic conditions, mental health and neuroscience, military and veterans’ health, childhood disability, health equity and literacy, assistive technology, and sexuality and disability. Faculty members also supervise and mentor MSc and PhD students from the thesis-based programs in Rehabilitation Science, offered through the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. The department has formal affiliations with numerous clinical sites throughout the province. Faculty members also have close connections with research and clinical institutes such as the Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute and other Faculties within the College of Health Sciences.

The successful candidate will have a record of academic leadership, with the ability to align their goals and vision to strengthen the department’s outstanding educational programs, research endeavors, and community partnerships guided by departmental, faculty and institutional strategic plans. In addition, the successful candidate must be able to engage and inspire faculty, staff, and students, communicate and make decisions in a transparent, inclusive and collaborative manner, and be highly knowledgeable about the discipline of occupational therapy.

The successful candidate must have a PhD in a relevant discipline and a strong scholarly record in teaching, research and service. They must be eligible for licensure by the professional college, the Alberta College of Occupational Therapists (ACOT), within 1 year of the position start date.

Application Instructions

Candidates are requested to prepare a letter of interest, a CV, and a Statement on Indigenous Initiatives and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity (1-2 pages in length).

The Committee will begin considering candidates on November 15, 2026, with the new Chair to take office in the summer of 2027. This position will remain open until filled. This position will be located at the University of Alberta, Corbett Hall, 8205-114 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G4.

The successful candidate will be offered a tenured appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor, including a comprehensive benefits package.

The terms and conditions of this appointment are governed by Schedule A of the collective agreement between the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta and the Association of Academic Staff of the University of Alberta.