Program Specialist

Program Specialist

Requisition ID

req29526

Working Title

Program Specialist

Position Grade

Position Summary

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to join a research group that values innovation, excellence, continuous improvement and collaboration?

Do you like being part of a large research organization, being part of leading-edge science, and working with a diverse group of individuals?

If so, an exciting new opportunity for a Program Specialist is available within the UNM College of Pharmacy for qualified applicants to participate in the newly funded New Mexico Integrative Science Program Incorporating Research in Environmental Sciences Center (NM-INSPIRES).

This center, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), aims to support basic and translational research, and community engagement in New Mexico.

The Center will support NIH-funded investigators examining mechanisms of environmentally-induced cancers, immune and infectious diseases, and cardiopulmonary diseases of great public health importance.

Located in the historically rich and culturally diverse Southwest, the UNM College of Pharmacy is part of the Health Sciences campus and works collaboratively with the School of Medicine, College of Nursing, UNM Hospitals, and UNM Cancer Research and Treatment Center in the state's largest health complex.

In addition to a stimulating academic health science environment, the College is located in Albuquerque, in the Sandia Mountain valley.

With more than 310 days of sunshine a year, Albuquerque has year-round recreational opportunities and more than 28,000 acres of open space.

The Program Specialist position is an essential component of this Center and will provide communication and coordination to ensure operational and scientific integration of all NM-INSPIRES center components.

The Program Specialist will provide administrative support for the NM-INSPIRES Center. The Program Specialist must have the ability to coordinate and communicate with multiple organizations in a professional and culturally appropriate manner.

The position will assist the Sr. Program Manager in coordinating all center events and ensure the communication of events / activities is appropriately shared with all participants.

The position will require the ability to multi-task and adapt to a constantly changing environment. The Program Specialist will work with the Center Director and Core Leaders to achieve the aims of the center.

This position will involve assisting the Sr. Program manager in managing and monitoring grants and agreements. Excellent communication skills and the ability to work well with internal and external customers / team members is required.

The Program Specialist will also need to demonstrate skills in grant writing, and / or ability to effectively communicate in writing.

The selected candidate will assist the Director and / or Sr. Program manager in developing the plan to meet the schedule of an NIH Center grant and support the implementation of the award.

The Program Specialist will also play a role in managing and monitoring the progress of the study, overseeing data quality procedures, and data management.

Data collection / analysis procedures will be developed / revised to ensure integrity of study data is maintained.

Duties and Responsibilities Include :

• Coordinating meetings / seminars / conferences / retreats related to the center
• Assisting the Sr. Program Manager with all administrative and operational functions in cooperation with the Center leadership, and day-to-day operational functions.
• Assist in preparing center-produced materials for dissemination to all collaborators, partners and stakeholders.
• Assist the Sr. Program Manager with their primary duties as needed : This includes but is not limited to managing the research program budget and assistance with record keeping, including measures of success and Center member scholarly output, extramural research funding and career development.
• Assist the Director and Sr. Program manager with the annual progress report.
• Attend the annual NIEHS meeting of Center Administrators and incorporate NIEHS programs into the Center agenda.
• Assist in preparation of reports and manuscripts related to the project.

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

• Bachelor's Degree
• Experience working collaboratively with a diverse community, multiple agencies and many individuals to manage, organize and implement planned activities.
• Excellent scientific writing and communication skills.
• Prior experience with multidisciplinary clinical and / or translational research.
• Experience establishing operational procedures and maintaining appropriate program records.
• Familiarity with UNM accounting and administrative systems to provide financial monitoring and reporting of projected / actual costs and encumbrances and to track procurement and award activities.
• Familiarity with and implementation of project management principles to ensure projects meets deliverables as promised to NIH.
• Familiarity with multiple mechanisms of awards, contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, MOUs, sub-awards, purchase orders, and sole source agreements in terms of both development, administration and reporting to federal, state, NGO, and tribal entities.
• Familiarity with development of scopes of work and agreements, including MOUs, for sub-awards. Understanding of negotiations of appropriate terms and conditions would be helpful.
• Familiarity with development of procedures to document chain of custody of data / sample collection to ensure the QA / QC protocols are followed.
• Skills in organizing and scheduling multi-organizational meetings / conferences with many stakeholders.
• Ability to interface with the internal and external individuals regarding the program activities or accomplishments.
• Ability to prepare and present training / informational material.
• Experience with computer applications and software packages for word processing, data management, and presentation preparation.
• Willingness to travel to study sites and consortium meetings as necessary.

Additional Requirements

Campus

Health Sciences Center (HSC) - Albuquerque, NM

Department

COP Pharmaceutical Sciences (553A)

Employment Type

Staff

Staff Type

Term - Full-Time

Term End Date

05 / 31 / 2025

Status

Exempt

Monthly : $3,589.73 to $5,040.53

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

For Best Consideration Date

5 / 31 / 2024

Eligible for Remote Work

Eligible for Remote Work Statement

Possibility for hybrid schedule after successful Probationary Period completion.

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.

To receive full consideration for this position, an applicant must : 1) Complete Online Application.2) Attach / upload Resume.

3) Attach / upload a Cover Letter (this letter should describe you and any unique aspects of your job history that make you an ideal candidate for this position).

4) Attach telephone and email contact information for three references (references will only be contacted in the event you are a finalist for the position).

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 Refer to for a definition of Regular Staff.