The Accelerating Resilience Innovations in Drylands (ARID) Institute is actively hiring a Program Manager to manage and support the Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Collaborative Program (MRGESCP). The MRGESCP is a multi-party collaborative comprised of federal, state, local government agencies; Pueblos; municipal water utilities; an irrigation district; and environmental non-governmental organizations. UNM-ARID provides programmatic, administrative, and scientific support to the MRGESCP in order to fulfill its role of being a collaborative space for the signatory partners to collaborate and coordinate scientific and management activities related to the listed species of the Middle Rio Grande (MRG) and their habitat, the riparian bosque ecosystem.

The MRGESCP Program Manager will lead the rest of the UNM-ARID Program Support Team (PST) to implement MRGESCP activities and initiatives as recommended by the MRGESCP governing body, the Executive Committee (EC).

Duties and Responsibilities

1.    Provides administrative and programmatic support to the MRGESCP.

2.    Assigns tasks to UNM-ARID PST members and student employees.

3.    Identifies and anticipates future UNM-ARID PST needs, and works with the Student Liaison to find appropriate student employees, and with the UNM-ARID Senior Program Manager and Faculty Sponsor to find additional support as required.

4.    Supervises student employees, volunteers and/or interns.

5.    Serves as the main UNM-ARID PST point of contact for the MRGESCP EC.

6.    Communicates updates on MRGESCP activities to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation contracting officer (CO) and contracting officer representative (COR).

7.    Assists the UNM-ARID Sr Program Manager with tracking the contract budget and deliverables, and ensuring work is done on time and within budget.

8.    With assistance from the other UNM-ARID PST members and in coordination with the EC Co-chairs, sets the MRGESCP annual work plan.

9.    Ensures that MRGESCP activities are aligned with the EC-approved Long-Term Plan for Science & Adaptive Management.

10.  Ensures compliance with the MRGESCP administrative Biennial Schedule.

11.  Works with the UNM-ARID PST Science Coordinator to set agendas for MRGESCP Committee meetings and ad hoc groups and ensure meeting outcomes align with the annual work plan.

12.  Coordinates activities of PST staff, students, consultants, faculty, and/or volunteers engaged in implementation and administration of MRGESCP activities.

13.  Represents the MRGESCP and UNM-ARID at public outreach events and external meetings.

14.  Writes, edits, and coordinates development of MRGESCP documents and deliverables.

15.  May perform specialized activities of a programmatic nature in direct support of the accomplishment of MRGESCP objectives and processes.

16.  Demonstrated outstanding interpersonal and community relations skills and the ability to communicate and work effectively within a diverse community.

17.  Skill in examining and re-organizing operations and procedures, formulating policy, and developing and implementing new strategies and procedures.

18.   Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

See the Position Description for additional information.

High school diploma or GED; at least 6 years of experience 2 of which are management level 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.

·         Demonstrated ability to work with a large variety of stakeholders with different technical/scientific backgrounds.

·         Demonstrated ability to remain neutral and unbiased when leading groups.

·         Exemplary organizational and planning skills, with the ability to track multiple timelines and deliverables.

·         Ability to interact with students, faculty and/or staff in a team environment.

·         Knowledge of project management principles, practices, techniques, and tools.

·         Advanced analytical, evaluative, and objective critical thinking skills and the ability to effectively summarize and present information.

·         Flexible, innovative, and collaborative problem-solving skills.

·         Program planning and implementation skills.

·         Skill in organizing resources and establishing priorities.

·         Ability to develop, plan, and implement short- and long-range goals.

·         Familiarity with riparian and riverine ecosystems.

·         Excellent written, oral, and electronic communication skills.

·         Ability to work independently, accept accountability and meet deadlines.

·         Strategic Planning and Project Management Skills.

·         Ability to lead and train assigned staff.

·         Bachelor’s degree in public policy, conflict resolution, biology, ecology, or another related field.

·         Multi-party mediation and negotiation experience, including consensus-based decision-making.

·         Science communication experience.

·         Experience managing federal contracts.

·         Experience working with Tribal governments, particularly in New Mexico.

·         Experience leading groups through strategic planning processes.

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.

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 https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3280.html. Refer to https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3200.html for a definition of Regular Staff.