Learning Skills Specialist

Description

Recruitment Period: 02/06/2026 - Until Filled

Status: Full-Time, 40 hours/week

Salary Information: Annual Minimum Salary-$43,600-Annual Maximum Salary-$65,400

Hiring Rate: $20.96-$26.20

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) does not sponsor employment visas. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and for the duration of their employment with PNWU. Employment eligibility will be verified in accordance with federal law.

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) was founded as a 501(c) (3) non-profit medical institution in 2005 aimed at increasing access to health care in medically underserved areas of the Pacific Northwest.

The University currently offers the degrees of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Dental Medicine, Master of Arts in Medical Science, and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy enrolling over 550 students annually with plans to develop other programs and/or colleges. Interprofessional education partnerships with other universities adds another 100 students to the population. The campus includes 300 employees with academic programming spread over a five-state region.

PNWU is located in Yakima, WA, a city of approximately 95,000 located in the south-central part of the state near the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains in a major agricultural and outdoor recreation region. It is approximately 140 miles from Seattle, 170 miles from Portland, and 200 miles from Spokane. The Yakima Valley is a wonderful place to live, work and play. For more information, visit https://www.visityakima.com/.

General Summary:

The Learning Skills Specialist provides direct academic coaching to support student success in rigorous health sciences programs, with a focus on learning skills development, high-stakes exam preparation (tutoring and learning strategies), course remediation support (tutoring and learning strategies), and academic persistence. The role works closely with students experiencing academic difficulty and supports both short-term intervention and ongoing skill development.

In addition to individual coaching, the Learning Skills Specialist designs and facilitates proactive learning skills workshops and group-based interventions addressing study strategies, academic stress and fatigue, test anxiety, executive functioning, and academic resilience. The position serves as academic support contact for designated programs and student populations, collaborating with faculty and administrators to provide targeted, program-aligned support.

The Learning Skills Specialist contributes to a coordinated, team-based student support model within Student Affairs by collaborating with the Student Affairs Counselor and other Learning Skills Specialists to identify and support higher-risk students, while maintaining clear role boundaries between academic support and counseling services. The role also supports the coordination of tutoring services, including assisting with recurring appointment structures, and serves as one of the primary administrators of SLATE for academic support services, scheduling, and reporting.

Essential Job Functions:

Student Academic Coaching

• Meet individually with students to provide academic coaching for board exam preparation, study strategies, executive-function coaching, time management, test-taking skills, professionalism, and course remediation support planning (tutoring).
• Develop individualized learning plans and provide longitudinal follow-up through recurring appointments when appropriate.
• Support students with executive functioning challenges, academic stress, fatigue, and performance anxiety using evidence-based learning strategies and schedule planning.
• Monitor student progress and adjust interventions as needed to support academic persistence and success. 

Program-Specific Learning Skills Support and Caseload Management 

• Serve as one of the Learning Skills Specialists for all academic programs (School of Dental Medicine, School of Occupational Therapy, Master of Arts in Medical Sciences, School of Physical Therapy, and College of Osteopathic Medicine).
• Manage program-specific student caseloads and provide targeted learning skills support aligned with program curriculum.
• Build collaborative relationships with faculty and program leadership to support academically at-risk students and proactive intervention. 

SLATE Administration and Program Support

• Serve as one of the primary administrators for SLATE related to tutoring and academic support services, including scheduling, recurring appointment setup, utilization tracking, and reporting.
• Collect and analyze data to assess program effectiveness, inform decision-making, and support accreditation and institutional reporting. 

Collaborative Student Support (Expanded Responsibility)

• Collaborates with the Student Affairs Counselor as part of a shared, team-based support model to identify and support students with elevated academic needs related to stress, burnout, mental health concerns, or overlapping barriers to success.
• Participates in coordinated support planning alongside other Learning Skills Specialists and Student Affairs staff.
• Assists with establishing structured academic support plans for higher-risk students, including recurring learning skills or tutoring appointments and referrals to general tutoring, while maintaining clear role boundaries between academic support and counseling services.
• Supports continuity of care by documenting academic support and communicating relevant academic progress within Student Affairs.

Proactive Workshops and Group-Based Learning

• Design, implement, and facilitate proactive workshops and small-group interventions focused on learning skills and academic well-being, including topics such as study strategies, time management, academic stress and fatigue, test anxiety, executive functioning, and resilience in rigorous health sciences programs.
• Use institutional data, student feedback, and emerging needs to guide workshop topics and delivery methods.
• Collaborate with Student Affairs staff, Counseling, and academic programs to promote workshop participation and alignment with student needs. 

Training, Collaboration, and Service

• Design and deliver training and professional development for peer tutors and recitation leaders.
• Serve on committees and collaborate with faculty, advisors, and Student Affairs staff to promote student success and retention.
• Provide appropriate referrals and complete reports.

Recurring Tutoring and Academic Support Coordination

• Assist with the setup and management of recurring tutoring and learning skills appointments, including pre-booked weekly sessions for the duration of a course or semester.
• Support matching students with consistent tutors and scheduling recurring sessions to promote continuity, accountability, and academic progress.
• Collaborate with tutoring staff and coordinators to ensure effective implementation of recurring appointment models. 
•  Performs other related duties as assigned and based on departmental need. 

Requirements

Education:

• Required: Bachelors Degree in Education, Human Development, Social Sciences, Psychology, Sociology, or related field

• Preferred: Master’s Degree in Education, Higher Education, Counseling, Social Work or related field

Experience:

• Required: 1–3 years of experience providing academic support or related work

• Preferred: Three (3)+ years in higher education, with experience supporting students in advising capacities or similar (e.g., academic coaching, career coaching, tutoring coordination, teaching, etc.)
• Preferred: Experience supporting at-risk or non-traditional student populations
• Preferred: Experience with learning management or student support tracking systems (e.g., SLATE, BANNER, Blackboard, TracCloud, etc.)

Desired Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities:

Skill in effective communication (both written and oral); skill in independent decision-making and problem-solving; ability to collaborate with team members; ability to design and implement individualized academic success plans for students preparing for high-stakes exams or course remediation through study strategies and tutoring support; ability to administer and use SLATE (or comparable systems) for scheduling, tracking, and reporting of appointments, emails, and tutoring; ability to collect and analyze data for program outcomes and present results to stakeholders as needed; skill in training, coaching, and supporting peer educators; knowledge of advising, student success, and learning strategies in higher education; skill in Microsoft Office 365 programs and platforms or similar; and ability to maintain professional composure in high-stress or crisis situations

To ensure full consideration submit:

• A letter of introduction outlining background and qualifications for the position

• Detailed resume

• Contact information for three professional references

The job announcement above is not the full job description but represents the job responsibilities and requirements. A full job description can be provided upon request.

PNWU offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees first of the month following date of hire and competitive salary.

Benefit Package (benefit eligible is at least .5 FTE):

• Health Benefits - Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• 403b with Roth Option
• Paid Holidays

For information about life in Yakima visit our PNWU page.

PNWU is a drug-free workplace, equal opportunity employer and educational institution. To request this publication in an alternative format, or to apply in an alternative format, please call Human Resources, 509.452.5100.