Lead Physical Therapist

Job Description

Job Description

Position Overview

Aurora Pediatric Therapy and Integrative Health, recipient of the 2025 Branch Moms Community Favorite Award, is seeking a dedicated and compassionate Lead Physical Therapist to join our Pediatric Therapy team in Naperville, IL. In this role, you will provide individualized physical therapy services to infants, children, and adolescents with developmental, neurological, musculoskeletal, and orthopedic conditions.

The Lead Physical Therapist is responsible for evaluation, treatment planning, implementation of care, education, communication, and collaboration with families, caregivers, and interdisciplinary team members to help patients maximize their progress and achieve functional goals. This position has an emphasis in pelvic health and is offered as a full-time, 30-hour position with the option to grow to 40 hours.

Time Allocation

Time allocation is approximately 75-85% billable services, 10% administrative responsibilities, and 5% internal and external marketing.

Key Responsibilities

Patient Care & Treatment

• Perform comprehensive physical therapy evaluations for infants, children, and adolescents.
• Establish evidence-based, individualized treatment plans and collaborate with professional and support staff to achieve positive patient outcomes.
• Address areas including, but not limited to, gross motor skills, balance, coordination, strength, endurance, gait, and mobility.
• Utilize hands-on therapy techniques, including soft tissue and joint mobilization, to reduce pain and promote healing.
• Conduct therapy services within defined standards of care.

Leadership & Supervisory Skills

• Demonstrated ability to supervise, lead, and mentor therapy staff across the PT continuum of care, including student clinicians, PTAs, MPTs, and DPTs.
• Provide clinical guidance, oversee caseloads and service delivery, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, support staff development, and drive quality improvement initiatives in a pediatric setting serving children with developmental disabilities.
• Track dashboard metrics including, but not limited to, waitlists, new patients, current client inquiries versus conversion, and department metrics.
• Develop and maintain systems for patient care quality standards.
• Work in collaboration with the CEO to maintain and grow university relationships to assist with providing students externship opportunities to meet minimum requirements for certification.
• Work in collaboration with the CEO to maintain and grow community and physician referral relationships to support department growth.
• Provide leadership accountability to department metrics, access to care, and sustainability within the community.

Documentation & Compliance

• Document evaluations, treatment goals, progress notes, plans of care, and discharge summaries in accordance with professional and regulatory standards, as well as APTIH best practices.
• Maintain current documentation, prescriptions, and required signatures.

Family & Caregiver Support

• Educate and support caregivers and family members regarding treatment options and home exercise programs/strategies for carrying over therapy techniques at home and in the community.

Collaboration

• Work collaboratively with physicians, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, ABA team members, educators, and other professionals to ensure coordinated care.
• Provide recommendations for adaptive equipment, orthotics, and assistive devices when appropriate.
• Participate in care team meetings as needed.

Community Engagement

• Participate in community events and relationship-building activities that support the Physical Therapy scope of practice and promote APTIH brand awareness.

Professional Development

• Remain current with best practices, continuing education, and licensure requirements.

Additional Duties

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Education & Licensure

• Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) or Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) from an accredited program.
• Successful completion of the National Physical Therapy Examination.
• Current Physical Therapist License in the State of Illinois.

Preferred Experience

• 1-2 years of experience preferred.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to examine behavioral data and make informed decisions regarding client needs.
• Knowledge of behavior management techniques and best practices.
• Experience managing highly confidential and personal data.
• Experience working with highly regulated compliance requirements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to adapt communication styles to meet customer needs.
• Willingness to learn and build meaningful relationships with clients.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Strong customer service skills.
• Demonstrated integrity in work product and interactions with clients and colleagues.
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team.
• Ability to take accountability for actions, successes, and challenges.
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing organizational needs.

Physical Requirements

This position may require the ability to:

• Walk frequently.
• Bend, stoop, and twist.
• Kneel, sit, and stand.
• Squat, crouch, and crawl.
• Reach overhead.
• Push and pull up to 30 pounds frequently.
• Lift and carry up to 50 pounds occasionally.
• Maintain near and far visual acuity.
• Use both hands frequently.

Work Environment

• Moderate noise level consistent with a classroom environment.

Personal & Professional Requirements

This role involves:

• Regular interaction with people.
• Working closely with clients and team members.
• Delegating work when appropriate.
• Holding oneself and others accountable for deadlines and completion of responsibilities.
• Planning and coordinating activities.
• Making sound judgments on a regular basis.
• Managing frequent changes in duties and workload.
• Ongoing communication with both internal team members and clients.

 

Equal Opportunity Employer

Individual rates/salaries that are offered to a candidate are determined after consideration of numerous factors, including internal equity, market data, and the candidate’s qualifications, including but not limited to specialty skills, prior relevant industry experience, and relevant degrees or certifications. The salary range estimate below is inclusive of all departments, and offered salaries may vary within the given range between departments. A reasonable estimate of the base rate range for this level is $ 43.26-48.07 and includes other competitive benefits.

Benefits: Aurora Pediatric offers the following benefits:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Basic Life - Fully sponsored by the company
• Short Term Disability - Fully sponsored by the company
• Long Term Disability - Fully sponsored by the company
• PTO

Aurora Pediatric Therapy and Integrative Health welcomes qualified candidates who are passionate about helping children and families achieve meaningful outcomes through high-quality, evidence-based care.

If you are passionate about creating an exceptional experience for patients and families and thrive in a collaborative, supportive environment, we encourage you to apply at View email address on us.fitly.work.