Onboarding Support Aide

WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL FOR BLIND CHILDREN•Pittsburgh, PA

4d•$22 - $24•Onsite

About The Position

The Instructional Aide Trainer serves as a lead support and onboarding specialist for Instructional Aides within assigned programs. The role models best practices, provides on-the-job coaching, and helps new staff integrate into classroom routines and school culture. It supports instructional consistency, staff retention, and high-quality services for students with blindness, visual impairments, and multiple disabilities. The position combines direct student support with structured staff development, modeling, and real-time coaching throughout the school day. The role works Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., for 187 days per year, not including optional Extended School Year. It is non-exempt and pays $22.43–$24.43 per hour, depending on education level. The position is based at the Pittsburgh Main Campus in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children is a private institution chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Founded in 1887, it educates approximately 200 enrolled students from 80–85 school districts in western Pennsylvania and also provides early intervention and outreach services to students with visual impairments.

Requirements

At least 3 years of successful experience as an Instructional Aide or in an equivalent role within a special education or related setting.
Demonstrated expertise in student personal care, including toileting, feeding, hygiene, lifting, and positioning.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to model professional behavior for peers.
Proven reliability, strong attendance, and consistent job performance.
Ability to provide constructive feedback and support adult learners.
Strong collaboration skills and ability to work across multiple classrooms and teams.
Ability to lift, carry, push, pull, transfer, and reposition students weighing up to 50 pounds, using appropriate lifting techniques and assistive equipment when available.
Ability to perform personal care duties, including toileting, diapering, feeding assistance, hygiene, dressing, and mobility support.
Ability to frequently stand, walk, bend, kneel, crouch, squat, reach, climb stairs, and move between floor-level and standing positions.
Ability to escort, guide, and physically assist students during classroom activities, transitions, community-based instruction, recess, lunch, transportation, and emergencies.
Ability to respond quickly and appropriately to student behavioral, medical, or safety needs, including crisis intervention and approved safety procedures.
Ability to work in varied instructional and residential environments, move throughout campus, and tolerate prolonged standing, walking, and physical activity while maintaining student supervision.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting students with blindness, visual impairments, multiple disabilities, or medically complex needs.
Prior informal mentoring, peer coaching, or leadership responsibilities.
Training in positive behavior support, AAC, or specialized feeding and support protocols.

Responsibilities

Serve as a primary on-the-job trainer for newly hired Instructional Aides during onboarding and initial placement.
Model instructional support strategies, including student engagement, prompting, communication supports, and behavior support implementation.
Provide hands-on guidance in personal care procedures, including hygiene routines, feeding plans, g-tube awareness or assistance as applicable, and safe lifting and transfer techniques.
Support staff in understanding and implementing positive behavior support plans and individualized student programming.
Orient new staff to classroom routines, student-specific needs, and program expectations.
Coordinate and monitor onboarding by tracking required competencies, training modules, hands-on training, and signoffs; communicate progress and outstanding requirements to supervisors.
Coach probationary Instructional Aides on student engagement, interaction, data collection and documentation, instructional and behavioral strategies, and recreational and leisure skills.
Provide real-time feedback, modeling, and reflective support to strengthen staff performance.
Support Instructional Aide Managers in identifying staff development needs and training opportunities.
Promote a positive, respectful, collaborative school culture aligned with WPSBC values and model professionalism, flexibility, patience, and problem-solving.
Build relationships among staff, help create a welcoming environment for new hires, and support staff retention through mentorship and daily support.
Collaborate with teachers, instructional managers, nurses, therapists, and administrators to ensure consistent student support.
Communicate about staff progress, training needs, and classroom support needs; participate in meetings, training sessions, and program planning as requested.
Provide support across school programs as needed to meet student and operational needs.
Provide direct student support as directed by supervisors, teachers, or daily schedules.
Assist students with activities of daily living, including toileting, hygiene, changing, feeding, lifting, positioning, and mobility support across classroom, therapeutic, and pool settings.
Maintain dignity, safety, and professionalism in personal care interactions and support consistent implementation of student routines, schedules, and individualized plans.