Professional Learning Specialist - Los Angeles-Based position

About the role

The Professional Learning Specialist supports the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of CharacterStrong’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), with a primary focus on serving partners in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

Responsibilities

• Facilitate engaging, high-quality in-person and virtual professional learning sessions aligned to CharacterStrong’s curriculum (Tiers 1, 2, and 3) and implementation practices.
• Provide virtual coaching calls and follow-up support to educators and school teams to strengthen implementation fidelity and impact.
• Serve as a lead Professional Learning Specialist for LAUSD partners, building strong relationships with school and district leaders.
• Support in-person sessions or district events within the greater LA area.
• Collaborate with the Director of Professional Learning Content to design, refine, and improve CharacterStrong professional learning content, materials, and session structures.
• Contribute to the development and updating of content for CharacterStrong’s On-Demand Professional Development platform.
• Partner with Curriculum and Product teams to ensure PD content aligns with curriculum updates and educator needs.
• Share field insights from LAUSD and other partners to inform ongoing improvements to content and services.
• Support schools and districts in understanding adult readiness, implementation stages, and effective PD structures.
• Customize professional learning experiences to meet district goals while maintaining alignment to CharacterStrong frameworks.
• Help educators engage in MTSS Tier 1, 2, and 3 practices and whole-staff engagement.
• Work closely with the Professional Services team to align facilitation practices, tools, and messaging.
• Participate in team meetings and reflective improvement cycles.
• Model CharacterStrong’s values in all interactions with educators, partners, and teammates.

Requirements

• Must reside within approximately 40 miles of the greater Los Angeles area and be able to support LAUSD partners.
• 3+ years of experience facilitating professional learning for educators, including virtual delivery.
• Experience as a school or district administrator, instructional coach, counselor, classroom teacher, or in a similar school-based role.
• Strong understanding of adult learning theory and facilitation best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and trust with educators and school leaders.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• High level of organization and ability to manage multiple projects and timelines.
• Comfort using virtual platforms and tools (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet, Google Slides, Google Workspace).
• Experience working with large urban districts, particularly LAUSD.
• Background in social-emotional learning, MTSS, PBIS, or whole-child initiatives.
• Experience contributing to professional learning content development or curriculum design.
• Experience using implementation science or coaching for fidelity.
• Familiarity with project/content tools such as Notion or a learning management system.

Qualifications

• Skilled facilitator and coach of adult learners.
• Strong collaborator and communicator.
• Self-driven with integrity to commitments.
• Growth-oriented mindset (1% better).
• Organized, detail-oriented, and responsive.
• Empathetic, culturally responsive, and student-centered.