OPT Professional Learning Specialist Jobs
Professional Learning Specialist jobs on OPT typically fall under education, instructional design, or organizational development. Most roles qualify as specialty occupations, supporting a smooth STEM OPT extension if your degree is in education technology, curriculum design, or a related field. Employers in K-12, higher education, and corporate training sectors regularly hire OPT-authorized candidates.
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Get Access To All JobsProfessional Learning Specialist
Part Time, Year Round Availability
What We Seek
Our Professional Learning team is looking for highly motivated current or former mathematics teachers, instructional coaches or leaders to join our team in a part-time year-round capacity. As the PL Specialist - Mathematics you will facilitate professional learning for K-12 educators utilizing Carnegie Learning mathematics resources on an as-needed basis year-round. A Carnegie Learning PL Specialist is a Carnegie Learning product ambassador, promotes implementation fidelity, and increases teacher effectiveness in each of the schools/districts they support.
As a member of the Professional Learning team, the PL Specialist, Mathematics reports to the Senior Manager of School Partnerships in their primary region and works collaboratively with many of our teams, including the internal Professional Learning Team, Regional Directors of Professional Learning, and Managers of School Partnerships to support professional learning objectives. PL Specialists may also support additional teams, including PL Design, Product, Sales, and Tutoring Services on content, design and PL support.
PL Specialists must successfully complete a suite of certification requirements, as prescribed by Carnegie Learning experts, including shadowing and co-facilitating professional learning activities with our experts. This position is part-time, year round and is recruiting throughout the calendar year; applicants will be contacted when the customer demand arises.
What Your Day Will Look Like
Delivering High-Quality Professional Learning
- Facilitating engaging professional learning workshops centered on Carnegie Learning products, best practices in teaching, and content expertise.
- Facilitating intentional adult learning experiences anchored in clear learning intentions, active participant thinking, and explicit connections to classroom practice.
- Preserving time for reflection, discourse, and application to ensure learning transfers meaningfully into classroom implementation.
- Refining workshops and learning experiences, when appropriate, to meet the unique needs and contexts of our partners.
- Delivering intentional and impactful, job-embedded professional learning to teachers and campus leadership (formal coaching cycles, collaborative lesson cycles, lesson internalization support, collaborative planning (PLC) facilitation, etc.).
- Facilitating reflective, evidence-based coaching cycles that surface teacher thinking, anchor conversations in classroom artifacts and student evidence, and build clear continuity from visit to visit.
- Cultivating teacher ownership of instructional goals and next steps by creating space for reflection, agency, and accountability over time.
- Upholding Carnegie Learning’s core commitments in every interaction—approaching educators with belief in their potential, honoring their voices and expertise, empowering their ownership of implementation, and inspiring progress and purpose in their growth.
- Leveraging data to drive teacher growth, inform ongoing support, and track partnership progress.
Operations & Documentation
- Following the Professional Learning process in all aspects of delivery: planning, confirming, communicating, executing, and following up.
- Ensuring timely completion of all documentation, including digital sign-ins, workshop feedback, coaching and support logs, courtesy emails, coaching feedback forms, and other deliverables.
- Maintaining and sharing accurate and up-to-date records regarding professional learning deliverables, including forecasting deliverables and managing your calendar.
- Using logs, feedback forms, and follow-up communication as strategic tools to strengthen continuity of coaching, clarify next steps, and build trust with educators and partners.
Other Fun Work
- Develop correlations, custom curriculum, rubrics and/or other documents to support specific PL partner needs.
- Support the sales team in pre- and post-sales environments including RFP/proposal design, pre-sales discussions, formal presentations, and supporting pilot opportunities.
- Provide Tutoring Services to CL customers as desired/available.
- PL Specialists will have varied work opportunities based on skills and experience. These opportunities are evolving continuously as the business grows.
- Performing other duties as assigned or apparent.
Exuding Our Team Core Values
- PASSION: Exuding a positive, contagious energy around the work we do.
- CURIOSITY: Seeking out new information and experiences, questioning the status quo, exploring possibilities.
- FLEXIBILITY: Quickly and calmly responding to changing circumstances.
- AGENCY: Appropriately taking initiative in your work and professional growth.
- PARTNERSHIP: Developing and effectively using collaborative relationships (internally and externally) to drive your work.
- INTEGRITY: Consistently demonstrating our core values through your work.
What You Can Expect
Primary Job Function
Approx. % of Time
Delivering High Quality Professional Learning
80%
Operations & Documentation
15%
Other Fun Work
5%
TRAVEL COMMITMENT NOTE
This job requires travel when delivering onsite professional learning. PL Specialists have the opportunity to accept or decline opportunities based on their individual schedules and plans.
What Should Be In Your Bookbag
- Bachelor’s Degree in Education (specific to your content vertical).
- 3+ years mathematics teaching experience.
- Residing in one of the following states within the territory: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Washington DC, West Virginia.
- Flexible schedule and availability during the summer and school year.
- Prior experience with Carnegie Learning resources (preferred).
- Experience mentoring/coaching teachers (preferred).
- Experience facilitating professional learning workshops (preferred).
- Cognitive Coaching (or equivalent) certification (preferred).
- Exemplifies Carnegie Learning’s core values to the highest level.
- Exceptional time management skills, including calendar management, goal setting, and efficiency in task prioritization.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment while maintaining a positive attitude.
- Solution-minded, detail-oriented, and committed to continuous improvement of efficiency, communication, and customer experience.
- Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills.
What Gives Us Purpose
Others teach what; we teach why. For over 25 years, Carnegie Learning has developed solutions that help students achieve Aha moments and set them up for long-term learning success. We’re driven to find new, better ways to support teachers and reach more students, so we put our leading cognitive science research and real-world insights into solutions for how students think, learn, and do their best. This is a key part of our commitment to helping teachers spark student curiosity. As a Carnegie Learning team member, you’ll work alongside a team of passionate individuals dedicated to making a real difference in the lives of students and educators.
What We Provide
- Flexible work arrangements with our Work From Anywhere Policy.
- Reduced working hours for soon-to-be and new parents.
- Free access to CL products for employees and their children.
- Quarterly Wellness Incentives.
- Monthly employee activities + recognition program.
- Employee Allyship Groups (EAGs).
What We Believe
We celebrate the unique attributes, characteristics, and perspectives that define each person's individuality. This fusion of perspectives enriches our collective knowledge, fosters innovation, and empowers us all. Together, we can collectively and more effectively address issues that face our business and industry.
If our commitment to building an inclusive workplace resonates with you, we invite you to join our mission and welcome you to apply with us. Carnegie Learning is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.
Professional Learning Specialist
Part Time, Year Round Availability
What We Seek
Our Professional Learning team is looking for highly motivated current or former mathematics teachers, instructional coaches or leaders to join our team in a part-time year-round capacity. As the PL Specialist - Mathematics you will facilitate professional learning for K-12 educators utilizing Carnegie Learning mathematics resources on an as-needed basis year-round. A Carnegie Learning PL Specialist is a Carnegie Learning product ambassador, promotes implementation fidelity, and increases teacher effectiveness in each of the schools/districts they support.
As a member of the Professional Learning team, the PL Specialist, Mathematics reports to the Senior Manager of School Partnerships in their primary region and works collaboratively with many of our teams, including the internal Professional Learning Team, Regional Directors of Professional Learning, and Managers of School Partnerships to support professional learning objectives. PL Specialists may also support additional teams, including PL Design, Product, Sales, and Tutoring Services on content, design and PL support.
PL Specialists must successfully complete a suite of certification requirements, as prescribed by Carnegie Learning experts, including shadowing and co-facilitating professional learning activities with our experts. This position is part-time, year round and is recruiting throughout the calendar year; applicants will be contacted when the customer demand arises.
What Your Day Will Look Like
Delivering High-Quality Professional Learning
- Facilitating engaging professional learning workshops centered on Carnegie Learning products, best practices in teaching, and content expertise.
- Facilitating intentional adult learning experiences anchored in clear learning intentions, active participant thinking, and explicit connections to classroom practice.
- Preserving time for reflection, discourse, and application to ensure learning transfers meaningfully into classroom implementation.
- Refining workshops and learning experiences, when appropriate, to meet the unique needs and contexts of our partners.
- Delivering intentional and impactful, job-embedded professional learning to teachers and campus leadership (formal coaching cycles, collaborative lesson cycles, lesson internalization support, collaborative planning (PLC) facilitation, etc.).
- Facilitating reflective, evidence-based coaching cycles that surface teacher thinking, anchor conversations in classroom artifacts and student evidence, and build clear continuity from visit to visit.
- Cultivating teacher ownership of instructional goals and next steps by creating space for reflection, agency, and accountability over time.
- Upholding Carnegie Learning’s core commitments in every interaction—approaching educators with belief in their potential, honoring their voices and expertise, empowering their ownership of implementation, and inspiring progress and purpose in their growth.
- Leveraging data to drive teacher growth, inform ongoing support, and track partnership progress.
Operations & Documentation
- Following the Professional Learning process in all aspects of delivery: planning, confirming, communicating, executing, and following up.
- Ensuring timely completion of all documentation, including digital sign-ins, workshop feedback, coaching and support logs, courtesy emails, coaching feedback forms, and other deliverables.
- Maintaining and sharing accurate and up-to-date records regarding professional learning deliverables, including forecasting deliverables and managing your calendar.
- Using logs, feedback forms, and follow-up communication as strategic tools to strengthen continuity of coaching, clarify next steps, and build trust with educators and partners.
Other Fun Work
- Develop correlations, custom curriculum, rubrics and/or other documents to support specific PL partner needs.
- Support the sales team in pre- and post-sales environments including RFP/proposal design, pre-sales discussions, formal presentations, and supporting pilot opportunities.
- Provide Tutoring Services to CL customers as desired/available.
- PL Specialists will have varied work opportunities based on skills and experience. These opportunities are evolving continuously as the business grows.
- Performing other duties as assigned or apparent.
Exuding Our Team Core Values
- PASSION: Exuding a positive, contagious energy around the work we do.
- CURIOSITY: Seeking out new information and experiences, questioning the status quo, exploring possibilities.
- FLEXIBILITY: Quickly and calmly responding to changing circumstances.
- AGENCY: Appropriately taking initiative in your work and professional growth.
- PARTNERSHIP: Developing and effectively using collaborative relationships (internally and externally) to drive your work.
- INTEGRITY: Consistently demonstrating our core values through your work.
What You Can Expect
Primary Job Function
Approx. % of Time
Delivering High Quality Professional Learning
80%
Operations & Documentation
15%
Other Fun Work
5%
TRAVEL COMMITMENT NOTE
This job requires travel when delivering onsite professional learning. PL Specialists have the opportunity to accept or decline opportunities based on their individual schedules and plans.
What Should Be In Your Bookbag
- Bachelor’s Degree in Education (specific to your content vertical).
- 3+ years mathematics teaching experience.
- Residing in one of the following states within the territory: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Washington DC, West Virginia.
- Flexible schedule and availability during the summer and school year.
- Prior experience with Carnegie Learning resources (preferred).
- Experience mentoring/coaching teachers (preferred).
- Experience facilitating professional learning workshops (preferred).
- Cognitive Coaching (or equivalent) certification (preferred).
- Exemplifies Carnegie Learning’s core values to the highest level.
- Exceptional time management skills, including calendar management, goal setting, and efficiency in task prioritization.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment while maintaining a positive attitude.
- Solution-minded, detail-oriented, and committed to continuous improvement of efficiency, communication, and customer experience.
- Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills.
What Gives Us Purpose
Others teach what; we teach why. For over 25 years, Carnegie Learning has developed solutions that help students achieve Aha moments and set them up for long-term learning success. We’re driven to find new, better ways to support teachers and reach more students, so we put our leading cognitive science research and real-world insights into solutions for how students think, learn, and do their best. This is a key part of our commitment to helping teachers spark student curiosity. As a Carnegie Learning team member, you’ll work alongside a team of passionate individuals dedicated to making a real difference in the lives of students and educators.
What We Provide
- Flexible work arrangements with our Work From Anywhere Policy.
- Reduced working hours for soon-to-be and new parents.
- Free access to CL products for employees and their children.
- Quarterly Wellness Incentives.
- Monthly employee activities + recognition program.
- Employee Allyship Groups (EAGs).
What We Believe
We celebrate the unique attributes, characteristics, and perspectives that define each person's individuality. This fusion of perspectives enriches our collective knowledge, fosters innovation, and empowers us all. Together, we can collectively and more effectively address issues that face our business and industry.
If our commitment to building an inclusive workplace resonates with you, we invite you to join our mission and welcome you to apply with us. Carnegie Learning is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.
See all 55+ OPT Professional Learning Specialist Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Professional Learning Specialist
Clarify your OPT authorization upfront
When applying, state your OPT status and authorization end date clearly. Many hiring managers confuse OPT with H-1B visa sponsorship. A brief note explaining you're already work-authorized removes that friction before the first interview.
Target employers with established CPD programs
Organizations with dedicated professional development departments, such as large school districts, universities, and mid-to-large enterprises, are more accustomed to OPT candidates and more likely to initiate H-1B sponsorship after your OPT period ends.
Emphasize instructional design credentials
Certifications in instructional design, curriculum frameworks, or learning management systems strengthen your specialty occupation case. USCIS looks for field-specific qualifications, so credentials like ATD or Google for Education carry real weight here.
Align your degree field to the role description
A Professional Learning Specialist role is more defensible as a specialty occupation when your degree is in education, instructional technology, or organizational learning. Highlight that direct alignment in your resume and cover letter every time.
Pursue STEM OPT if your degree qualifies
If your degree in education technology, learning science, or a related STEM-designated field qualifies, the 24-month STEM OPT extension gives you significantly more runway to secure long-term sponsorship, so verify your CIP code with your DSO early.
Build relationships in professional learning communities
Networking within professional development associations and edtech communities connects you with hiring managers at sponsorship-friendly organizations. Peer relationships in these networks often surface unadvertised openings before they reach general job postings.
Professional Learning Specialist OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Professional Learning Specialist role qualify as a specialty occupation for OPT purposes?
In most cases, yes. The role typically requires a bachelor's degree or higher in education, instructional design, curriculum development, or a related field, which satisfies the specialty occupation definition. Roles that list a general degree as sufficient can weaken the case, so review the job description carefully before applying.
Can I work as a Professional Learning Specialist on STEM OPT?
You can if your degree is in a STEM-designated field such as educational technology, learning science, or instructional systems design. Not all education degrees carry a STEM CIP code, so confirm your specific program's classification with your Designated School Official before assuming eligibility for the 24-month extension.
Which types of employers hire Professional Learning Specialists on OPT?
K-12 school districts, community colleges, universities, edtech companies, healthcare systems, and large corporate training departments all hire for this role. Organizations with structured professional development functions tend to be more familiar with OPT work authorization. Browse Migrate Mate to filter for employers actively open to OPT candidates in this field.
How should I explain my OPT status to employers hiring for this role?
Be direct and brief. State that you hold F-1 OPT authorization, include your authorization end date, and note whether you qualify for a STEM extension. Framing it as existing work authorization rather than a sponsorship request removes the most common employer hesitation and keeps the focus on your instructional qualifications.
Will a Professional Learning Specialist employer typically sponsor H-1B after OPT ends?
Sponsorship varies by employer size and HR capacity. Larger school districts, universities, and enterprise edtech companies are more likely to sponsor than small nonprofits or startups. The strongest leverage is demonstrating that your role genuinely requires a specialized degree, which makes the H-1B petition more straightforward for the employer to file.