Chief Physician Assistant

Physician AssistantFull-Time

Listed compensation

$168k-$177k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • Title: Chief Physician Assistant
  • Location: Upper East Side; Brooklyn; Lower East Side; Midtown; Queens; West Side
  • Org Unit: Clinical Operations

Work Days

  • Weekly Hours: 35.00
  • Exemption Status: Exempt
  • Salary Range: $167,900.00 - $176,800.00

*As required under NYC Human Rights Law Int 1208-2018 - Salary range for this role when Hired for NYC Offices Position Summary

The Chief Physician Assistant (PA) is responsible for leading the clinical Advanced Practice Provider (APP) team and serves as a clinical, educational, and administrative resource across the department.

This role ensures alignment of APP practice with institutional standards, regulatory requirements, and patient care goals.

With a minimum of six years of clinical experience, the Chief PA functions as an expert-level practitioner, demonstrating advanced clinical knowledge and the ability to manage complex patient care scenarios.

The Chief PA collaborates with multidisciplinary healthcare teams to enhance performance, foster team motivation, and promote a culture of excellence and accountability.

This leadership role also includes oversight of APP performance, mentorship, onboarding, continuing education initiatives, and ensuring compliance with policies, procedures, and professional standards of care. Job Responsibilities

Encourages performance through clear expectations, motivation, feedback and accountability.

Establishes both short- and long-term development and operational goals. Monitors outcomes and adjusts plans as needed, effectively achieving departmental and institutional objectives.

Recognizes the connection between individual goals, departmental goals, and the overall organizational mission.

Recruits and facilitates the orientation of new APP staff in collaboration with the medical team. Provides ongoing support and mentorship to APP staff. Completes annual performance evaluations for APP staff.

Implements and supports patient-care models that ensure that staff is working at their highest licensure. Maintains a team-oriented approach and cultivates a positive workplace environment.

Responsible for managing APP practice, performance, and productivity, focusing on improving operational effectiveness and optimizing revenue.

Stay current on hospital bylaws, rules, regulations, DoP forms, and staff privileges, and give recommendations on DoP requests that comply with state requirements and the Scope of Practice at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Leads clinical decision-making in high-pressure situations to facilitate resolution of challenging patient care scenarios.

Applies advanced clinical science knowledge to deliver safe, effective, and evidence-based patient care.

Communicates effectively with patients, families, and healthcare team members to ensure clear exchange of information and collaborative care planning.

Provides patient-centered care that reflects compassion, respect, and responsiveness to individual needs and preferences.

Collaborates constructively with healthcare professionals to optimize patient safety, care quality, and interdisciplinary teamwork.

Upholds ethical, culturally sensitive, and legally compliant medical practices in all aspects of patient care and professional conduct.

Responsible for direct patient care and coordination within specialty areas.

Evaluates new and/or established patients by obtaining comprehensive and focused health histories and performs both limited and complete physical examinations as appropriate.

Orders labs, imaging, diagnostic testing, and consultations. Reviews and interprets results to develop patient care plan. Prescribes medications and therapeutic interventions as appropriate, following accepted standard of care and practice guidelines.

Enters the above in patients’ medical records in accordance with documentation best practice standards.

Counsels and educates patients and caregivers on acute and chronic disease management, prevention, and health promotion, adapting guidance to age, education, psychosocial needs, and cultural background to ensure safe, complete, culturally competent care.

Confers with specialists, attending physicians, residents, APPs, nursing staff, and/or other health care providers to promote continuity of care and optimize patient outcomes.

  • Assists in the preparation, implementation, and evaluation of research protocols when applicable.
  • When applicable, performs diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and interventional as determined by the delineation of privileges.
  • Educates and councils patients as per specialty practice standards.
  • Performs related duties & responsibilities as determined by patient or practice needs and as required by delineation of privileges, in accordance with legal scope of practice and departmental protocols.
  • Obtain informed consent, as indicated.

Education

  • Graduate from ARC-PA accredited program
  • Master's Degree

Experience

A minimum of 6 years’ experience in specialty or similar specialty as a Physician Assistant. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Demonstrates strong leadership skills including facilitation managements, conflict resolutions, critical thinking and analytical skills.

Demonstrates the ability to lead a team through emotional intelligence, adaptability, and motivational leadership, supporting employee engagement, relationship building, and a shared commitment to patient-centered care.

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
  • Ability to manage difficult and stressful situations with professional composure.
  • Ability to adjust management styles to meet the needs of individuals.
  • Ability to manage training requirements and resources.
  • Team oriented individual able to work collaboratively to achieve team goals.
  • Ability to lead by example and create a culture that embraces diversity and inclusion.
  • Licenses and Certifications
  • Current New York State Physician Assistant License & Registration
  • Certification from the National Commission of Physician Assistants, Inc (NCCPA)
  • BLS Certification (issued by the American Heart Association)
  • Current ACLS or PALS (if applicable)

Working Conditions/Physical Demands

Cornell welcomes students, faculty, and staff with diverse backgrounds from across the globe to pursue world-class education and career opportunities, to further the founding principle of “any person, any study.”

No person shall be denied employment on the basis of any legally protected status or subjected to prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Cornell University embraces diversity in its workforce and seeks job candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We hire based on merit, and encourage people from historically underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.

Consistent with federal law, Cornell engages in affirmative action in employment for qualified protected veterans as defined in the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRRA).

We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.

Key Responsibilities

The Chief Physician Assistant leads the clinical Advanced Practice Provider team, overseeing performance, mentorship, and operational goals. They also provide direct patient care, including physical examinations, diagnostic ordering, and medication management within specialty areas.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's degree and have graduated from an ARC-PA accredited program. A minimum of six years of clinical experience as a Physician Assistant is required, along with current New York State licensure and NCCPA certification.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
5+ years of experience

Key Skills

Clinical leadershipTeam managementPerformance evaluationPatient care coordinationRegulatory complianceConflict resolutionInterpersonal skillsEvidence-based practiceMedical documentation

Clinical Operations — Physician Assistant Career Context

Of the 50 active Physician Assistant listings this role was benchmarked against, 4% are remote, 68% have no call, 68% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for New York is 107.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$172k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $160k in an average-cost state. 64.6% of New York clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Physician Assistant by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$168k–$177kPhysician Assistant median $150k (middle half $120k–$170k)12 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$160k in purchasing powerNew York index 107.9 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Physician Assistant listings in New York610 active4,650 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 4% remote · 68% no call · 68% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Physician Assistant Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

50 jobs · 41 employers
19
<$170k
14
$170k-190k
11
$190k-210k
3
$210k-230k
3
$230k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

41 jobs
401k / retirement match
90% this job
CME allowance
63% this job
Sign-on bonus
37%
Loan repayment
24%
Relocation assistance
12%

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Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 1.5
Below most Physician Assistant roles listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 4,569 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Weill Cornell Medical College logo

About Weill Cornell Medical College

Hospitals and Health Care
New York, NY
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
Retirement Plan
Paid Time Off

Living in New York

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$875k≈ 5.2× annual pay
Typical market rent
$4,089/mo≈ 29% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
40 min
State income tax
Up to 10.9%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.