Turn this role into an interview — a resume and cover letter built around what this employer wants.
New Mexico Department of Health is seeking a Southern Coordinator for the Office of Community Health Workers to coordinate state CHW certification in Southern New Mexico, support recruitment, and deliver trainings across communities.
The role will develop partnerships with CHW organizations and rural providers, promote workforce development, and facilitate coordination with Medicaid and certification stakeholders throughout the state.
It is mission critical to the Governor¿s Priorities to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes by providing access to care and services in support of health equity for New Mexicans.
$24.88 - $37.32 Hourly
$51,755 - $77,633 Annually
This position is a Pay Band C6
It is mission critical to the Governor¿s Priorities to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes by providing access to care and services in support of health equity for New Mexicans.
The Office of Community Health Workers (OCHW) within the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) exists to support the Community Health Workers/Representatives (CHW/R) profession and workforce development by leading strategic partnerships and capacity‑building initiatives with organizations employing, training, and mentoring or advocating for Community Health Workers (CHWs) statewide.
This Posting will be used for ongoing recruitment and may close at any time. Applicant lists may be screened more than once.
The position exists through annual legislative appropriations to meet the state mandated statutes: Senate Bill (SB) 58 enacting the Community Health Workers (CHW) Act and NMSA 1978 State‑Tribal Collaboration Act.
The Office of Community Health Workers seeks to become a statewide convener for and is charged with workforce development through integration of Community Health Workers/Representatives into New Mexico's health and social service care teams and networks. This charge is key in providing a competent workforce by developing strategic partnerships across New Mexico with organizations employing, training, mentoring, and advocating for Community Health Workers/Representatives to support sustainability and workforce development initiatives for indigenous, rural and underserved, and northern communities within New Mexico.
This position will coordinate, direct, and deliver training, community outreach, and networking opportunities; develop social service and health care networks to support state health equity initiatives; and technical assistance to support state Community Health Worker/Representatives re/certification to individuals, communities, and organizations/providers in northern New Mexico and indigenous communities statewide.
Key Position Responsibilities:
Individuals and statewide, rural, frontier, and indigenous communities and regions, Community Health Workers/Representatives, Community Health Workers Affiliate organizations/providers, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Indian Health Service Units, Hospitals/Clinics, Public Health Offices, Community Based Organizations, Public School Systems, Higher Learning Institutions, Managed Care Organizations, and other health care and social service providers and networks.
The ideal candidate for the CHW Southern Coordinator requires a unique blend of cultural humility, structural knowledge, and operational expertise tailored to the unique landscape of Southern New Mexico.
Southern New Mexico presents a distinct, diverse context: a dynamic blend of historic Hispano and colonias communities, agricultural and border regions, and expanding rural towns. Community Health Workers (CHWs) serve as the primary bridge between these underserved areas and complex healthcare systems. The Southern Coordinator will provide the essential training, technical assistance, and workforce support needed for these CHWs to succeed.
The ideal candidate will possess the following key characteristics:
Given the demographic fabric of Southern New Mexico, fluency in English and Spanish (bilingual) is essential to effectively communicate, train, and build strong relationships with Spanish‑speaking Community Health Workers, promotores, and the communities they serve.
Associate's Degree and two (2) years of experience program administration or project management in areas related to the purpose of the position. Any combination of education and/or direct experience in this occupation totaling four (4) years may substitute for the required education and experience.
The working conditions for this position require splitting your time between an urban administrative office and hands‑on, field‑based community engagements across the state.
When you aren't on the road, your work is anchored at the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) complex off San Mateo and Montgomery in Albuquerque. This is a professional state agency environment housing multiple core bureaus, including the Public Health Division's Population and Community Health teams. You will be operating in a standard office/cubicle setting¿handling data entry, compiling technical assistance modules, participating in regional state team meetings, and coordinating with state Medicaid and certification specialists. The office portion of the job is structured but fast‑moving, requiring high digital proficiency to manage correspondence, track data for tribal and rural clinics, and host virtual training sessions or webinars.
The true heart of this role takes place outside the office. Frequent in‑state travel in New Mexico means traversing vast, topographically diverse, and geographically isolated terrains to visit rural clinics, isolated community spaces and cultural gathering locales. Expect significant highway and rural driving time. Travel to Southern New Mexico or can easily involve multi‑hour trips one‑way, sometimes navigating unpaved roads and unpredictable seasonal weather (monsoons in summer, snow/mud in winter). Once you arrive at a site, the environment shifts immediately from formal state administration to community‑centric public health. You might be conducting an upskilling workshop in a community center, doing a walk‑through with a CHW manager at a Federally Qualified Health Center, or gathering feedback in a rural community room.
Because you are balancing office deadlines with distant site visits, you will need excellent self‑management and calendar flexibility. Travel often demands early departures or overnight stays depending on how far into the frontier communities your technical assistance is required.
Culturally, the working condition requires high adaptability. You must be able to switch gears seamlessly¿moving from formal, bureaucratic data‑tracking and policy discussions at the Homestead building to a position of deep listening, cultural humility, and peer‑level collaboration when stepping into colonias, community gatherings, or historic rural communities.
If you thrive in a role where no two weeks look exactly the same¿where you can balance structured administrative planning in Albuquerque with deep, relationship‑building field work across the beautiful landscapes of New Mexico¿this setup provides exactly that balance.
You will experience exposure to visual/video display terminal (VTD) and extensive personal computer and phone usage. The ability to lift up to 40 lbs (usually outreach materials), bending, stooping and reaching (during on‑site visits) and handling multiple projects and meet numerous deadlines will be expected.
Do you know what Total Compensation is? Click here
Agency Contact Information: Clifton Webb, clifton.webb@doh.nm.gov, Email
For information on Statutory Requirements for this position, click the Classification Description link on the job advertisement.
This position is not covered by a collective bargaining agreement.