Occupational Therapist - Lead Pediatric Occupational Therapist

Vanderbilt University Medical Center · Nashville

Discover Vanderbilt Health: With eight hospitals and over 180 clinics, we are the region’s largest comprehensive academic health system. Vanderbilt Health has a long tradition of providing world-class care to the people of the Mid-South, living out our mission of moving medicine forward through preeminent programs in patient care, education and research. Here you’ll find a spirit of collaboration and a supportive community where your expertise is valued, your knowledge expanded and your uniqueness celebrated. We are committed to fostering an environment where talented, compassionate people are united in bringing the most advanced care to our neighbors throughout the region.

Organization:

Physical Therapy Out

Job Summary:

JOB SUMMARY
Leads a team of assigned staff members and actively participates in overall management of the department, development of clinical practice standards, and provision of patient-focused delivery of care and services with accountabilities for implementation and outcomes for people leadership, quality, service, compliance, finance, throughput and scheduling. Ensure the department's optimal performance during each assigned shift and within their team of direct reports by engaging in effective problem solving with lab staff and where appropriate, and other departments, assuring performance standards for patient care are met, and developing/leading the assigned team. Provides feedback and coaching to staff members, recognizing them for their contributions while fostering a high performance culture.

Occupational Therapist - Lead Pediatric Occupational Therapist

Location: Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks | Nashville, TN

Setting: Pediatric Outpatient Rehabilitation

Schedule: Monday-Friday, No Weekends or Holidays

Are You the Pediatric Occupational Therapist Colleagues Turn To for Guidance?

Some Occupational Therapists are exceptional clinicians.
Others are natural teachers, mentors, and coaches.
This role is for the Pediatric Occupational Therapist who is both.

Vanderbilt Health is seeking an experienced Occupational Therapist - Lead Pediatric Occupational Therapist to serve as the Clinical Team Leader for our Pediatric Outpatient Rehabilitation team.

This opportunity is ideal for an experienced pediatric OT who enjoys mentoring newer clinicians, sharing knowledge, building confidence, and helping therapists reach their full potential. If you're passionate about developing others while remaining actively engaged in patient care, this role offers the best of both worlds.

Team: 3 OT Clinical Coordinators, 13 Full-Time OTs, 2 PRN OTs, 2 Rehab Techs

Role Allocation: 60% Clinical Care | 40% Leadership & Team Development

About the Team

The Pediatric Outpatient Rehabilitation team provides family-centered care for children with developmental, neurological, orthopedic, genetic, and complex medical conditions.

Our Occupational Therapists collaborate closely with physicians, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, psychologists, social workers, educators, and families to help children improve function, participation, independence, and quality of life.

What You'll Do

As the Clinical Team Leader and Lead Pediatric Occupational Therapist, you'll serve as a clinical expert, mentor, educator, and team leader while maintaining a meaningful patient caseload.

Key Responsibilities

Provide direct pediatric outpatient occupational therapy services
Mentor and support Occupational Therapists across varying levels of experience
Foster a culture of learning, collaboration, and clinical excellence
Support onboarding, orientation, and competency development
Coach and develop team members through ongoing feedback and guidance
Collaborate with leadership on staffing, operations, and program goals
Support quality improvement and service advancement initiatives
Promote exceptional patient experiences and clinical outcomes
Serve as a trusted resource for therapists, patients, and families

What We're Looking For

Licensed Occupational Therapist (or eligible for Tennessee licensure)
Significant pediatric occupational therapy experience
Demonstrated success as a Mentor, Clinical Instructor, Clinical Coordinator, Lead Therapist, or formal leader
Passion for teaching, coaching, and developing clinicians
Strong communication and relationship-building skills
Ability to support and engage therapists at different stages of their careers
Commitment to family-centered care and interdisciplinary collaboration
Strong clinical judgment and problem-solving abilities

What Sets This Role Apart

Continue treating patients while taking on meaningful leadership responsibilities
Expand your impact through the clinicians you support, mentor, and develop
Help shape the growth, confidence, and success of a talented pediatric rehabilitation team
Influence team culture while maintaining strong connections with children and families

Why Vanderbilt Health?

Where Pediatric Rehabilitation Leaders Thrive

At Vanderbilt Health, our therapists are part of a nationally recognized pediatric healthcare system committed to innovation, collaboration, and clinical excellence.

As the Clinical Team Leader for Pediatric Occupational Therapy, you'll help shape clinical excellence, strengthen team culture, and support the professional growth of a talented group of pediatric therapists while continuing to make a direct impact on children and families.

Benefits of Joining Vanderbilt Health

Benefits Day One
Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package
Leadership development and continuing education opportunities
Nationally recognized pediatric and rehabilitation programs
Collaborative interdisciplinary environment
Opportunities for long-term professional growth and advancement

Ready to Lead, Teach, and Inspire?

If you're an experienced Pediatric Occupational Therapist who enjoys mentoring others, developing clinical talent, and helping teams thrive, we invite you to bring your expertise and leadership to Vanderbilt Health.

Apply today and help shape the future of pediatric rehabilitation through exceptional patient care, mentorship, and clinical leadership.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervises day to day performance of staff through ongoing assessment and coaching to achieve goals.
Completes formal evaluation of direct reports.
Supports leadership team in development of staff members by providing substantive feedback.
Demonstrates clinical/technical knowledge needed to coach staff on day-to-day activities.
Implements rehab specific policies and practice guidelines in accordance with VUMC policy and regulatory standards using standardized tools and instruments.
The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

Quality Management (Novice): Has provided continuous analysis and evaluation of assignment work processes, constantly striving for improvement in the way tasks and activities are accomplished by questioning their value to the process and contributing creative solutions. Has participated in the process of establishing, communicating and monitoring standards for quality and excellence. Demonstrates the ability to actually work on and improve a current business process, product or service.
Business Results (Fundamental Awareness): Implements appropriate measures for attaining business results and tracks progress in meeting goals and objectives. Demonstrates the ability to deliver products and services on time, within budget, and in accordance with organizational standards and goals. Continuously demonstrates a strong focus on quality. Responds effectively to customer or client needs. Recognizes incipient problems and communicates them to management.
People Management (Novice): Conducts performance reviews. Effectively delegates tasks to others. Coaches subordinates on technical and interpersonal topics, as well as professional development. Demonstrates team building techniques and provides leadership through personal example of good work habits, open communication and effective people relationships. Involves subordinates in decisions which affect them. Demonstrates self-reliance and resourcefulness as an example to others.
Operations Planning (Novice): Demonstrates ability to realistically anticipate resource needs, identify discrete tasks, set priorities, define dependencies, schedule activities, meet deadlines, and organize work within areas of direct responsibility. Appropriately matches equipment and capital resources to task demands. Achieves results within budget. Competently handles multiple assignments simultaneously. Reshapes project during life-cycle evolution, if needed. Demonstrates ability to break down work into manageable and measurable units. Accepts changes to assignments with minimal disruption and loss of productivity. Able to absorb changes to major assignments while maintaining a high level of performance. Uses available time efficiently. Follows up to assure problems and issues are resolved.
Compliance (Novice): Can explain and apply basic statutory instructions in normal situations on the job. Understands the principles upon which the rules and regulations are based. Appropriately escalates problems relating to rules and regulations in timely and effective manner.
Leadership (Novice): Sets the example in challenging and difficult situations. Can demonstrate different leadership styles, such as supportive and authoritative, as individuals and situations require it. Communicates team and unit goals clearly and effectively. Is receptive to ideas and suggestions from team members. Shows leadership and initiative in situations where supervision is not present or required.

Allied health is among the fastest growing occupations in healthcare today. This area can be defined as credentialed professionals who perform supportive, diagnostic, and therapeutic health care services to promote health and prevent disease in a variety of settings.

These areas are crucial to Vanderbilt Health’s reputation for excellence in these areas that has made us a major center for patient referrals from throughout the Mid-South.

Each year, people throughout Tennessee and the southeast choose Vanderbilt Health for their health care because of our leadership in medical science and our dedication to treating patients with dignity and compassion.

Core Accountabilities:

* Organizational Impact: Plans and sets day-to-day objectives for the team that have a direct effect on the results of the department or area that the job is in. * Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Resolves technical and operational problems within provided guideline. * Breadth of Knowledge: Applies advanced subject matter knowledge within a specific technical area and basic management knowledge to support the team. * Team Interaction: Leads/supervises a unit within a department or a small department. Typically without budget or hire/fire authority. Role is typically a 'working' supervisor.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues: - Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas. - Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships. - Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences.Delivering Excellent Services: - Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them. - Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions. - Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness.Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly. - Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure. - Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area. - Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation: - Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches. - Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges. - Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications:

Work Experience:

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level :

5 years

Education:

Bachelor's

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. EOE/Vets/Disabled.

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