Chief Physical Therapist Job Description Template

Chief Physical Therapist

[Intro Paragraph] The first three or four sentences of your chief physical therapist job description should highlight your medical facility and showcase your physical therapy program. Use it to familiarize candidates with the position and give an overview of what you expect from them. This can include company culture, patient care philosophy, program goals, or preferred soft skills. Be sure to mention any facility awards or industry accolades—give candidates a reason to pick your program over others.

Today’s jobseekers also choose employers whose mission, vision, and goals align with their own. Communicate your business’s values and culture, incorporating any information about community involvement, volunteer opportunities, and local social impact.

Chief Physical Therapist Job Responsibilities

In this section of the chief physical therapist job description, share key responsibilities and daily tasks for the role, as well as long-term expectations. It’s also helpful a good place to explain how candidates will be measured on the job.

Here are some sample responsibilities to include and customize to your open position:

• Manage and direct a staff of physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, and physical therapy aides who work with patients who have a physical or mental disease or injury.
• Set priorities, delegate tasks, and solve problems within the department.
• Build the departmental budget and manage it throughout the year.
• Create and evaluate the effectiveness of departmental programs.
• Maintain excellent standards of physical therapy.
• Direct and maintain records and reports that comply with all applicable laws, including HIPAA, safety requirements, etc.
• Establish policies and practices to coordinate physical therapy with other disciplines, including occupational therapy, speech pathology, audiology, and other health services.
• Oversee subordinate supervisors on issues such as hiring, promotions, and departmental moves, and conduct performance evaluations.
• Make the final decisions to resolve problems within the department, including employee utilization, grievances, and disciplinary actions.
• Direct research applicable to therapy services.
• Develop training and educational programs for onboarding new staff members.

[Work Hours & Benefits] Finding someone to fit a chief physical therapist role is a challenge, and they’re often in high demand. Use this section to showcase your competitive compensation and benefits package, along with any other perks your facility offers. Lay out the expected hours in a typical week and whether overtime is ever required. This is also a good place to note if you offer relocation compensation.

Chief Physical Therapist Qualifications and Skills: Information in this section of the chief physical therapist job description should explain all of the job qualifications that will make a candidate a success in the position. In a demanding and nuanced field such as physical therapy, it’s not uncommon to include soft skills in job requirements. The more qualifications you add, the more you’ll narrow down your applicant pool and the better applications you’ll receive. The list may include requirements like:

• Ability to direct a team of physical therapists while managing the demands of providing patient care.
• Compassionate, excellent at physical therapy duties and working with patients.
• Organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to delegate administrative and care-related tasks as required.
• Skilled at financial planning, budgeting, and staff management.
• Able to lift 50lbs with some bending and squatting to assist patients.

Education & Experience Requirements

• Degree from a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) accredited college or university.
• A combination of multiple years’ experience as a physical therapist, with some years in a supervisory role, and education.
• Licensed by the state physical therapy board for which they’re applying.
• Bachelor’s degree in physical therapy (preferred), biology, business, or other related fields.
• Master’s degrees and a Physical Therapy Specialties Certificate is a plus.

[Call to Action] When a potential candidate reaches the end of your job description, they’re ready to take the next step. Make sure to provide clear and actionable steps to move them through the process and into your applicant pool.