Program Specialist

Position Summary 

The Program Specialist plays a vital role in supporting and coordinating the organization’s mentoring program, facilitating matches between Bigs and Littles, and providing support to ensure positive outcomes. The Mescalero Program Specialist position contributes to the organization’s mission of empowering young people through mentorship by managing program operations, recruiting volunteers, conducting training sessions, and evaluating program effectiveness. This position is responsible for growing the program within Mescalero. 

Key Responsibilities 

Match Enrollment 

• Bigs: Conduct mentor enrollments: orientations, interviews, home visits if needed, background checks and references. Identify and eliminate barriers to completion of enrollment process. Review interviews and assessments and make recommendations for matching, aligning mentor and mentee needs, and agency program options.  
• Littles: Conduct client enrollments including parent and child interviews, child safety education and enrollment processes. Assess and refer families for alternative or additional services as appropriate.  
• Child Safety: Ensure a high-level of proficiency and skill in applying child safety and risk management knowledge, policies, and procedures throughout all aspects of job function. Identify child safety issues for volunteers, children, and their families.  
• Matching: Provide comprehensive assessments and match support recommendations for volunteer and child participation in the program based upon assessments of each individual volunteer. Maintain accurate and timely records for each match according to standards and utilize technology to report, synthesize and analyze data. 
• Reassessments: Conduct volunteer and client reassessments as specified by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America standards.  

Match Support 

• Match support: Conduct match support contacts with methodology and frequency required by service delivery standards. Assesses match health, including child safety, match relationship development, positive youth development and volunteer satisfaction. Identify and address issues in a timely manner.  
• Training: assess needs and provide training for matches to enhance a positive youth development experience for youth, and successful and satisfying experience for the volunteer. Develop strategic interventions to identify and strengthen match relationships that require extra support to continue to grow. Ensure high-level expertise in applying child safety and risk management knowledge, policies, and procedures throughout all aspects of job function.  
• Match activities: Develop, promote, and implement individual and group match activities to support ongoing volunteer involvement with the child agency affiliation through individualized recognition, annual events, and reengagement strategies.  
• Data collection: Implement Youth Outcome Survey, Child Outcome Survey, Youth Outcome Development Plan on time, to assess developmental assets and inform goal setting. Apply Strength of Relationship survey to assess volunteer and youth. To ensure quality services and measurable outcomes, maintain accurate and timely records for each match according to standards. Accurately document all interactions between agency, clients, and volunteers and keep data base updated and current. Document match engagement hours for billing purposes, using tools for organization, accuracy, consistency, tracking weekly and actively encouraging match meet-ups if matches are lagging; meet agency assigned individual goals in billable hours. 
• Customer/Client Satisfaction: Raise Client and/or program issues and concerns proactively and utilize ideas and strategies to retain successful matches, programs, and volunteers. Utilize Customer Satisfaction survey. Utilize agency’s best practice strategies and checkpoints to processes to plan, do, check, act and ensure positive client and/or program outcomes.  
• Match Retention: Identify issues needing intervention and implement BBBS best practices to resolve for positive match relationship results. If resolution is not possible, work towards positive match closure, including assessment for re-match.  
• Match Closures: Conduct exit interview with all parties at match closure. Assess reasons for match closure and re-match potential. When a match terminates prematurely or unexpectedly, refer exit interview to supervisor for third party assessment. Identify and promote reengagement of volunteers as Bigs, board members, and donors in other volunteer capacities.   

Program Development 

• Program Specialist will work collaboratively with Otero Site Manager and the Program Director to advance Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programs throughout Mescalero.  
• Stakeholders - Serve as leader developing/maintaining relationship with stakeholders throughout Mescalero including school administration and teachers, tribe members, donors, mentors, and more.  
• Teams – Attend Big Brothers Big Sisters team meetings including areas that have good relationships with pueblos and tribes across the state. Learn best practices in working with tribal communities to better serve Mescalero.  

Collaboration and Teamwork Outside Department 

• Serve on committees dedicated to merging the talent and values of team members to ensure optimum customer satisfaction and mission outcomes.  
• Engagement with Big Brothers Big Sisters sister agency peers and community partners related to youth service.   
• Collaboration for innovation and solutions-based strategies. 
• Deliverables: committee participation, takes a lead role in at least one internal or external committee, action completed, peer group participation 

Other duties as assigned  

Qualifications 

Minimum Requirements 

Education:
Professional program agency staff must have a high school diploma/GED and meet one of the following criteria: 

• A documented bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a field deemed appropriate by the agency, or be within six months of degree completion 
• A documented associate degree or two years of higher education from an accredited institution in a relevant field, plus two years of related work experience (e.g., social work, counseling, child development) 
• Four years of relevant work experience in related fields as defined by the agency 

Additional Requirements: 

• Strong communication and confidentiality skills 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and standard office equipment 
• Valid NM driver’s license, insurance, and access to personal vehicle 
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience with both youth and adult populations 
• Supervisory or leadership experience 
• Familiarity with New Mexico’s cultural and economic landscape 
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) 

Equal Employment Opportunity 

BBBS of New Mexico provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, or non-disqualifying physical or mental handicap or disability. 

Americans with Disability Specifications 

Physical Demands 

• Primarily office-based; long periods of sitting at a desk and using a computer 
• Outreach and presentations may require extended standing or sitting 
• Extensive travel throughout New Mexico, including driving on unpaved roads and in varied weather conditions 
• Ability to climb stairs and carry materials in buildings without elevators 
• Must be able to communicate clearly in person and by phone 
• Ability to hold a pen, type, and grasp documents 
• Must be able to lift 20 pounds unassisted, 40 pounds with assistance 

Work Environment 

• Normal office environment 

Equipment Used 

• Standard office equipment (computer/laptop, phone with voicemail, copier, scanner) 

Job Responsibilities Notes 

The above statements reflect the general duties, responsibilities, and competencies necessary to perform the essential functions of the job. They should not be considered a detailed description of all work requirements. Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Mexico may revise job duties with or without prior notice based on organizational needs.