Professional Development Specialist

University System of Maryland Office • Adelphi, MD

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

Under the general supervision of the Project Manager for the Maryland Center for Computing Education (MCCE) within the University System of Maryland (USM), the Professional Development Specialist serves as a lead facilitator and champion for teacher professional learning statewide. In this role, the Specialist designs, delivers, and evaluates dynamic, evidence-based professional development experiences in computing education for P–12 educators at all career stages. The position fosters a statewide learning community, supports teacher growth through coaching and mentoring, and cultivates collaborative innovation in instructional practice. In addition, the Professional Development Specialist supports MCCE’s growing commitment to innovative educator preparation by providing technical support for the learning management system (LMS). This is a 1-year contractual position with the potential for renewal.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Computer Science, STEM, Instructional Design, Learning Technologies, or a related field.
• Five (5) years of experience in education, computer science education, STEM education, instructional design, or related P–20 fields.
• Experience designing, facilitating, and/or supporting in-person and online professional development for educators or adult learners.
• Experience providing coaching, mentoring, or implementation support to K–12 educators.
• Experience coordinating programs, events, or professional learning activities, including scheduling, registration, participant communication, and logistical support.
• Knowledge of instructional practices, adult learning theory, and effective facilitation strategies.
• Skill in facilitating professional learning experiences in both in-person and virtual environments.
• Ability to coach, mentor, and support educators in the implementation of instructional practices, programs, or initiatives.
• Proficiency with learning management systems (e.g., Canvas), including course setup, participant support, course delivery, and troubleshooting.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and project management tools.
• Ability to organize, analyze, and interpret data and communicate findings clearly to diverse audiences.
• Strong written communication skills, including the ability to develop training materials, guides, reports, and stakeholder communications.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to coordinate program logistics and communicate effectively with participants, educators, facilitators, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders and build productive working relationships.
• Knowledge of accessibility standards and inclusive learning practices, including ADA and WCAG principles, or the ability to quickly acquire such knowledge.
• Ability to support inclusive, equitable, and accessible professional learning environments.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Education, Computer Science, STEM, Instructional Design, Learning Technologies, or a related field.
• Experience designing, facilitating, or evaluating large-scale professional development programs, curriculum institutes, communities of practice, or sustained educator learning cohorts.
• Experience teaching in K–12 or higher education, preferably in computer science, STEM, or technology-enhanced instruction.
• Experience serving as an instructional coach, lead teacher, mentor, or professional learning facilitator.
• Experience supporting statewide initiatives, multi-district programs, or district-level implementation efforts.
• Experience leading the planning and coordination of statewide, regional, or education-focused events, workshops, conferences, or professional learning programs.
• Familiarity with computer science standards and implementation practices.
• Demonstrated ability to design and facilitate inclusive, equity-focused professional learning experiences that promote educator engagement and growth.
• Experience developing user guides, tutorials, training resources, or digital learning materials for educational technologies.
• Familiarity with WCAG/ADA accessibility considerations in instructional design and digital content development.

Responsibilities

• Designs, facilitates, and evaluates in-person and online professional development workshops, curriculum institutes, and professional learning communities in computer science and related P-20 areas for K-12 and higher education educators.
• Collaborates with the Maryland State Department of Education on the development and revision of K-12 computer science education standards.
• Conducts quarterly needs assessments related to computer science, computational thinking, and related content instruction in Maryland public school systems.
• Delivers interactive training on computing pedagogy, curriculum integration, equity strategies, and emerging educational technologies.
• Provides ongoing mentoring and coaching to participating teachers to support instructional improvement.
• Manages implementation of MCCE workshops and related activities for Maryland K-12 districts, administrators, facilitators, higher education faculty, and collaborators.
• Coordinates event logistics, including registration, accommodations, participant communication, and required resources.
• Ensures professional learning offerings are reviewed and approved for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits in alignment with state requirements.
• Provides operational support to ensure effective meetings, workshops, and conferences.
• Creates and manages user accounts, roles, permissions, enrollments, and authentication methods; oversees course access and sub-account provisioning for all MCCE and P-20 accounts.
• Sets up academic terms, creates course shells, archives/concludes courses, and supports content import/export and duplication.
• Serves as the primary technical contact for LMS platform-related issues; provides timely support to staff, facilitators, and participants; communicates updates, features, maintenance, and outages for all MCCE and P-20 accounts.
• Develops and maintains user guides, FAQs, tutorials, and best practices; delivers training and onboarding for facilitators and participants.
• Assists with course setup, content organization, and Canvas tool usage; advises on instructional design and accessibility (WCAG/ADA compliance).
• Aligns Canvas interface with MCCE/P-20 branding and manages shared resources, templates, and blueprint courses.
• Generates reports on usage, engagement, and enrollment trends.
• Helps develop and enforce Canvas-related policies; manages course completion certificates and MSDE CPD credit forms.
• Collects, compiles, and organizes data pertinent to the effectiveness of facilitated workshops.
• Analyzes, summarizes, and communicates this information to appropriate USM officials.
• Assists in the preparation of annual and financial reports, recommendations, and other information resources for the improvement of MCCE and its programs.
• Provides support for P-20 meetings, convenings, and events as needed, including coordination of logistics and participant communication.
• Assists with implementation tasks to support the overall effectiveness of P-20 activities and initiatives.
• Assists in arranging online or in-person event venues, sets up registration, arranges accommodations, communicates with facilitators and participants, and coordinates any resources needed.
• Provides any other support required by P-20 to promote the effectiveness of meetings, workshops, and conferences.

Benefits

• 22 days of annual leave
• 15 days of sick & safe leave
• 16-17 holidays
• 3 personal leave days
• 12 weeks paid family medical leave
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with flexible spending accounts
• Supplemental retirement options with major providers like Empower, Fidelity, and TIAA
• Optional term life and AD&D benefits through MetLife
• Tuition remission for employees and their families
• Free professional development conferences
• Unlimited LinkedIn Learning access
• Membership eligibility for SECU, Maryland’s largest credit union
• Free counseling, legal, financial, and work-life support services

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level