Quality Program Specialist (ECECD #28371)

Posting Details

VISION: All New Mexico families and young children are thriving

MISSION: Optimize the health, development, education, and well-being of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers through a family-driven, equitable, community-based system of high-quality prenatal and early childhood programs and services.

The Early Childhood Education and Care Department was established on July 1, 2020. The Department's aim is to create a more cohesive, equitable, and effective early childhood system in New Mexico. That means coordinating a continuum of programs from prenatal to five and ensuring that families in every corner of the state can access the services they need.

This posting will be used for ongoing recruitment and may close at any time. Applicant lists may be screened more than once.

Why does the job exist?

This position supports the Policy, Research, and Quality Initiatives (PRQI) Division by leading critical continuous quality improvement efforts, strengthening external partnerships, and advancing major workforce and quality improvement initiatives across the early childhood system. The role exists to provide essential capacity as PRQI takes on new and emerging priorities, including expanding apprenticeship opportunities, integrating CLASS pilot data into the redesigned QRIS, supporting major procurement transitions, and developing tools such as competency-based assessments aligned with the Wage Scale and Career Lattice. This position ensures continuity of operations, effective project management, and sustained progress on departmentwide strategic initiatives.

How does it get done?

Key responsibilities include developing, implementing, monitoring, and integrating scopes of work; managing external partnerships, contracts, and procurement activities; and supporting workforce development initiatives such as professional development, scholarships, mentorship, and pay parity strategies. The position is responsible for coordinating complex projects, conducting data analysis, preparing reports, and communicating findings and recommendations to senior and executive leadership. Current priorities include overseeing apprenticeship expansion efforts, coordinating with the University of Virginia to apply data from the CLASS pilot into QRIS redesign, managing increased contract activity associated with the SEED procurement transition, developing an RFP for a competency based assessment aligned with the Wage Scale and Career Lattice, and overseeing the evaluation contract related to these frameworks. The role requires ongoing coordination, stakeholder engagement, monitoring, and implementation oversight to ensure successful, timely, and sustainable execution of PRQI initiatives.

Who are the customers?

Child care providers, community agency partners, early childhood coalitions, and ECECD.

Ideal Candidate

Child care providers, community agency partners, early childhood coalitions, and ECECD.

Minimum Qualification

Bachelor's degree in Education, Public Administration, or Business Administration and four (4) years of experience as a teacher and/or program administrator. Any combination of education from an accredited college or university in a related field and/or direct experience in this occupation totaling eight (8) years may substitute for the required education and experience.

Employment Requirements

Must possess and maintain a valid Driver's License. Pre-employment background investigation is required and is conditional pending results.

Working Conditions

Work is performed in an office setting with exposure to Visual/Video Display Terminal (VDT) and extensive personal computer and phone usage. Some sitting, standing, bending and reaching may be required. Some occasional travel is required for meetings and conferences.

Supplemental Information

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Agency Contact Information: ECECD Human Resources, (505) 660-9589 or Email

For information on Statutory Requirements for this position, click the Classification Description link on the job advertisement.

Bargaining Unit Position

This position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement and all terms/conditions of that agreement apply and must be adhered to.