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

Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Pro-rated based on hours/week.

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.

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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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Collaborates with the Student Affairs Counselor as part of a shared, team-based support mode to…