Program Specialist

Requisition ID req36535

Working Title Program Specialist- COPH

Position Grade 12

Position Summary

The College of Population Health (COPH) at the University of New Mexico’s Health Sciences Center, serves New Mexico’s communities, government and non-profit agencies, businesses and health–related organizations. The COPH and UNM Health Sciences Center have deep connections to our diverse Native, Latino/Hispanic and African American communities, with missions to improve the health and health equity of low income, marginalized and underrepresented populations. The COPH houses three education programs: the Bachelor of Science in Population Health (BSPH), the Master of Public Health (MPH), and the PhD in Health Equity Sciences.

The COPH invites applications for a Program Specialist. In this position, the employee will provide project support for the research team under the New Mexico Department of Health funded project, School Nurse Academic Partnership (SNAP).

The SNAP program specialist will be under the supervision of the SNAP Project Director (PD/PI) and will plan and coordinate the execution of the SNAP project deliverables. This project includes development and implementation of virtual and in-person school health training program (including School Nurse 101, School Nursing Career Development, and School Nurse Leadership program), special projects (including school health digital storytelling campaign), and other initiatives designed to achieve the overall mission, goals, and objectives of the project. The program specialist will:

oversee and administer all facets of the day-to-day operations of the SNAP project and related activities;
responsible for the appropriate use of programmatic funds within the parameters of the contract/grant;
represent the project to both internal and external constituencies;
provide support in the development and management of training program curriculum and virtual training platform, including the management of virtual training videos;
ensure the quality and prompt availability of training course content and materials (hard copy and virtual) to participants;
develop and manage systems to provide continuing education units for professional development for licensed professionals, including reports to the university and external partners;
responsible for management and maintenance of the record system of the project including internal/external correspondence, and reporting to partners and funders;
collaborate with accounting and purchasing departments to complete purchases for the research team (including participant incentives, travel purchases, supplies, and other expenditures);
designated p-card holder to manage and reconcile P-card transactions while adhering to the funding agency, university, and college policies, protocols, and processes;
set up and process reimbursement, honoraria, and stipends for non-employees;
coordinate travel for employees and non-employees;
coordinate project-related events, including maintaining budgets, event space set-up, working with multiple vendors (i.e. catering);
advise on operating goals and objectives for the program and identify opportunities to enhance program operations in order to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness within the project;
oversee and/or coordinate the collection, compilation, and analysis of program activity data; develops, writes, edits, and presents comprehensive statistical and narrative program reports and evaluations;
may supervise and/or lead staff and/or student employees, as assigned.
perform other duties as assigned.

The person in this role must feel comfortable working both with a research team and working independently; have strong organization and planning skills; able to make independent decisions; comfortable using Zoom, Google suite (Docs, Sheets, Classroom) and Microsoft suite (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint), be willing to learn new technology and online platforms/programs as needed; have strong verbal/written communication; able to make administrative/procedural decisions and judgments with strong problem-solving skills; be detail-oriented; adapt well to change; and have interest in community-engaged research and health equity.

See the Position Description for additional information.

Conditions of Employment

Employees who provide services or work in patient care or clinical areas are required to be in compliance with the University's influenza vaccination requirement.

If located at the UNM Children's Campus, successful candidate must pass a comprehensive post-offer, pre-employment criminal and New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) fingerprint background check, and a continued successful status will be verified by periodic future background checks.

Minimum Qualifications

High school diploma or GED; at least 6 years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified. Completed degree(s) from an accredited institution that are above the minimum education requirement may be substituted for experience on a year for year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications:

Program planning development and implementation;
Project management experience;
Experience managing virtual training platforms;
Experience working with New Mexico communities, state agencies, school staff, youth, tribal partners, and rural community members;
Experience managing P-card purchasing, including participant incentives/merchant cards, travel purchases for employees and non-employees, supplies, and other research expenditures;
Coordinating events (planning space, site set-up, catering, working with multiple vendors).

Additional Requirements

Campus Health Sciences Center (HSC) - Albuquerque, NM

Department COPH Deans Office (304A)

Employment Type Staff

Staff Type Regular - Full-Time

Term End Date

Status Exempt

Pay Monthly: $3,844.53 - $5,399.33

Benefits Eligible This is a benefits eligible position. The University of New Mexico provides a comprehensive package of benefits including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance. In addition, UNM offers educational benefits through the tuition remission and dependent education programs. See the Benefits home page for a more information.

ERB Statement As a condition of employment, eligible employees working greater than .25 FTE as determined by the New Mexico Education Retirement Act must make mandatory retirement contributions. For more information, review the Benefits Eligibility at a Glance grid.

Background Check Required Yes

For Best Consideration Date 5/18/2026

Eligible for Remote Work Yes

Eligible for Remote Work Statement This position is eligible for a remote work agreement (RWA), to include Hybrid, 3 days in office and 2 days remote.

Application Instructions

Only applications submitted through the official UNMJobs site will be accepted. If you are viewing this job advertisement on a 3rd party site, please visit UNMJobs to submit an application. A complete application will consist of current resume, cover letter and references. Please describe in your cover letter how you meet the preferred qualifications for the position. The references must be professional references, preferably supervisors. Finalists should be prepared to provide official educational transcripts if selected for hire.

Positions posted with a Staff Type of Regular or Term are eligible for the Veteran Preference Program. See the Veteran Preference Program webpage for additional details.

The University of New Mexico is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

The University of New Mexico requires all regular staff positions successfully pass a pre-employment background check. This may include, but is not limited to, a criminal history background check, New Mexico Department of Health fingerprint screening, New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department fingerprint screening, verification of education credentials, and/or verification of prior employment. For more information about background checks, visit this link. Refer to this link for a definition of Regular Staff.