Project Director -SWEEP

The Project Director (PD) provides overall policy, programmatic, and fiscal leadership and 
direction for all aspects of the Title V Social Work Educational Enhancement Project 
(SWEEP)-Raíces grant. SWEEP-Raíces is a $3 million federal grant from the US 
Department of Education that is in its final no cost extension year, set to close out no later 
than 9/30/2026. The PD is responsible for the implementation and management of grant 
programs, activities, and personnel that support increased retention and graduation rates 
of Hispanic/Latino and social work students from lower resourced communities. The PD 
oversees the strategic direction and ensures accomplishment of grant goals/objectives. 
This position reports to the Principal Investigator of the grant (Dean of the Facundo Valdez 
School of Social Work) and will be based at the Albuquerque Center. 

Duties/Responsibilities 

Responsible for policy and programmatic matters in support of the goals and 
objectives of the SWEEP-Raíces grant; 

Responsible for the development, implementation and management of programs, 
activities and support services as identified in the SWEEP-Raíces grant, to 
increase enrollment and the retention of Hispanic/Latino and social work students 
from lower resourced communities; 

Provide oversight of grant budgets and ensure grant funds are spent in a timely 
manner, in accordance with the terms of the grant award, including compliance 
with University and USDEd rules and regulations; consults with unrestricted and 
restricted budget personnel; 

Serve as liaison to the USDEd Program Officer; 

Provide direct oversight and supervise SWEEP-Raíces staff and students; 

Assess the need for and recruit, identify, and hire other relevant grant personnel; 

Collaborate with Dean and BSW/MSW Program Coordinators in identification 
and recruitment of faculty (full-time and per-course) to carry out selected grant 
activities; 

Serve as lead of Project Team (consisting of faculty, staff, graduate assistants, 
work-study), chair PT meetings and review meeting minutes; 

Consult and collaborate with faculty and staff within the Facundo Valdez School 
of Social Work (FVSSW) and throughout the University in support of 
accomplishment of grant goals and objectives; 

Responsible for fundraising and oversight of the endowment fund associated with 
the grant in collaboration with the NMHU Foundation; 

Responsible for (review the preparation and ensure submission of) annual 
reports on all SWEEP-Raíces project activities and associated spending which 
will provide data for reports to USDEd and to External Evaluator; 

Responsible for the implementation and management of student advisement 
programs that contribute to the increased retention of Hispanic/Latino and social 
work students from lower resourced communities; 

Responsible for the implementation and management of tutoring and mentoring 
services that contribute to the increased retention of Hispanic/Latino and social 
work students from lower resourced communities; 

Responsible for the development and implementation of a program of community 
outreach at high schools, community colleges, and other educational institutions, 
to promote the profession of social work to Hispanic/Latino and social work 
students from lower resourced communities; 

Responsible for organization and implementation of periodic career-oriented 
presentations by professional social workers and employers of social workers for 
potential students to promote the profession to Hispanic/Latino and social work 
students from lower resourced communities; 
Serve as lead on the internal Project evaluation process; monitor data for 
continuous evaluation and quality control of Project activities; 

Serve as liaison with internal Project evaluator; 

Responsible for and oversee the development and monitoring of metrics that 
track social work enrollment, retention and graduation data of Hispanic/Latino 
and social work students from lower resourced communities, in alignment with 
grant goals and objectives; 

Take an active role in interpreting the School’s mission and priorities and align 
these with the grant’s goals and objectives; 

Represent the School/University in the community and serve as the 
representative of SWEEP-Raíces grant activities; 

Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 
Ability to build relationships with and interact positively and effectively with students, 

School and University staff and faculty, and community partners (educational institutions 
and employers of social workers) 

Ability to develop, implement, promote and evaluate programs that support academic 
and professional development of social work students 

Strong leadership and coordination skills in the capacity of program development and 
implementation 

Demonstrated commitment to continuous quality assurance 

Works well with others from diverse backgrounds with a focus on resolving conflict, 
maintaining confidentiality, listening to others, remaining open to others’ ideas and 
contributing to building a positive team spirit.; 

Ability to organize and prioritize multiple issues/tasks of varying priorities and strong 
interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to interact using tact and diplomacy. 

Knowledge and/or familiarity of the educational, social and emotional needs of 
Hispanic/Latino and social work students from lower resourced communities; 

Skill and expertise in working with higher education faculty, staff, and students Strong technical and computer skills and thorough knowledge of Microsoft Office and online media tools, to support data integrity and reporting requirements, and to promote 
grant activities; 

Strong skills in the use of technologies and/or strategies to coordinate project 
communication and logistics for multiple stakeholders (NMHU, Project Director, 
SWEEP-Raíces staff, students, faculty, staff, community partners, etc.) 

MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS:

An MSW degree from a CSWE-accredited program with 5 years post-MSW experience; 

At least 1-year experience with program management of a federal grant; 

PREFERRED JOB REQUIREMENTS: 

At least 3 years administrative/leadership experience in non-profit sector and/or human 
services, and/or higher education (preferably in social work); 

At least 2 years working in a faculty/advisory capacity with high school, community 
college or university students, especially Hispanic/Latino and social work students from 
lower resourced communities;; 

Bilingual in Spanish-English; 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: A complete application must include 1) a letter of 
application, 2) resume 3) unofficial copies of advanced degree transcripts, and 4) 
names/address/phone numbers of three professional references. 
References will be contacted in conjunction with on-campus interview and official 
transcripts should be requested upon acceptance of the on-campus interview. 
For more detailed information regarding the position you may contact add name of 
search chair, add title of search chair, at New Mexico Highlands University; e-mail: add 
email of search chair For disabled access or services call (505) 454-3242 or email hr@nmhu.edu.  
NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 
 

Salary : $80,000