Assessment & Accreditation Analyst

Western New Mexico University; Silver City (NM); On-site; USD 58,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Western New Mexico University seeks a Program Operations Director for Assessment and Accreditation in the College of Education. You will lead accreditation maintenance, oversee COE assessment systems like Watermark, and align reporting with CAEP, CACREP, CAATE, and NAEYC.

Responsibilities include coordinating continuous improvement, data analytics, surveys, and state/federal reporting, ensuring licensure/certification outcomes and program viability across the unit.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of higher education assessment and accreditation practices.
• Experience with accreditation readiness and evidence management.
• Ability to translate complex requirements into compliant processes.
• Familiarity with COE data systems and reporting workflows.
• Ability to manage multiple reporting cycles and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Lead unit-wide accreditation maintenance and readiness activities.
• Oversee design and functioning of the COE assessment system to align with requirements.
• Consult with programs on accreditation processes for CAEP, CACREP, CAATE, NAEYC.
• Manage continuous improvement cycles and reporting of assessment results.
• Coordinate surveys and assessment instruments, including employer and exit surveys.
• Oversee state and federal reporting and benchmarking submissions.
• Ensure compliance with NMPED requirements and educator preparation rules.
• Lead calibration of licensure faculty using state rubrics.
• Provide data analytics support and cross-team collaboration for reporting.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Higher education assessment

Accreditation standards

Assessment technologies

Regulatory requirements interpretation

Data analytics & reporting

Project management

Communication

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Master’s degree or higher in Education / related field

Doctoral degree preferred

Job description

The Program Operations Director for Assessment and Accreditation is a strategic leadership role that ensures the College of Education and its programs remain compliant, effective, and sustainably accredited—especially through unit-wide accreditation maintenance and aligned assessment systems (including Watermark). The Director coordinates accreditation readiness, assessment and continuous improvement processes, state and federal reporting, and cross-program support for external accreditors such as CAEP , CACREP , CAATE , and NAEYC . By overseeing key data functions, analytics, reporting, and technology/data-team operations in collaboration with college and university stakeholders, the position strengthens program viability, licensure/certification performance, and recruitment-supported outcomes.

Duties

• Lead unit-wide accreditation maintenance by coordinating evidence collection, process documentation, submission timelines, and unit readiness activities.
• Oversee the design, configuration, and continuous functionality of the COE assessment system (e.g., Watermark, Student, Learning, and Licensure) to ensure alignment with accreditor requirements.
• Serve as a primary resource and consultant to academic programs for accreditation requirements and processes with CAEP , CACREP , CAATE , and NAEYC , ensuring consistent interpretation and implementation.
• Manage and oversee the College’s continuous improvement assessment cycle, including HLC SLOs; the College Assessment Review Committee; and the collection and reporting of assessment results through COE -approved workflows.
• Coordinate development, administration, and reporting of key surveys and assessment instruments, including employer surveys for completers, educator candidate exit surveys, and university supervisor surveys.
• Oversee completion of state and federal reporting requirements and benchmarking submissions, including the AACTE PED Data Survey, Title II reporting, and related performance reporting.
• Manage compliance and reporting for NMPED requirements, including InTASC-aligned expectations, program approval components, educator preparation scorecard requirements, evaluation planning, and the educator preparation administrative code.
• Oversee annual calibration and re-certification of licensure faculty using the state-wide teacher observation rubric to ensure validity, consistency, and defensible assessment results.
• Lead internal college and institutional reporting supported by data analytics, including enrollment and SCHs, faculty workload, degrees awarded, certification test pass rates, and COE admission rates.
• Provide stewardship for COE data and technology infrastructure by coordinating the COE Data Team, supporting data integrity/traceability, and ensuring that assessment and reporting systems function reliably across the unit.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education/Background

REQUIRED : Master’s degree or higher in Education, Educational Leadership, Curriculum & Instruction, Assessment/Evaluation, Educational Research, or a closely related field and a minimum of five (5) years of experience in higher education and/or education accreditation/assessment.

PREFERRED : Doctoral degree in a related field.

Job Knowledge

• Requires comprehensive knowledge of higher education assessment, accreditation, institutional effectiveness, and continuous improvement practices, including applicable state and federal educator preparation requirements.
• Knowledge of accreditation standards and processes, including evidence management, outcome assessment, standards alignment, and accreditation readiness.
• Knowledge of assessment technologies and data systems used to support assessment, accreditation, reporting, and continuous improvement activities.
• Ability to interpret accreditation and regulatory requirements and translate them into effective assessment, reporting, and compliance processes.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills, including the ability to interpret performance indicators, identify trends, maintain data integrity, and prepare accurate and timely reports.
• Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to coordinate multiple assessment and accreditation activities, committees, systems, reporting cycles, and deadlines.
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly and effectively to a variety of audiences.
• Ability to build and maintain collaborative working relationships with faculty, administrators, staff, accrediting organizations, regulatory agencies, and other internal and external stakeholders.

Working Conditions/ Physical Demands (With or Without Accommodations)

Normal office environment, may travel some within the community when needed. May be required to transport normal office equipment and materials. Ability to comprehend and work with a variety of information from various sources. Able to clearly communicate with a diverse population of individuals. Ability to compose correspondence and reports and remain in a sedentary position for prolonged periods of time. May be required to work additional hours or days depending on circumstances.

Other Requirements

a. Requires a valid driver’s license.

b. Required to complete Defensive Driving Course within 6 months. (If applicable to the role)

Location

Location Silver City-On Campus

Salary Range

Salary Range $67,667

Advertising Summary

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * Do you have a Master’s degree or higher in Education, Educational Leadership, Curriculum & Instruction, Assessment/Evaluation, Educational Research, or a closely related field?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Do you have a minimum of five (5) years of experience in higher education and/or education accreditation/assessment?
  • Yes
  • No