We summarize the experiences and outcomes for 'discipline-based education specialists' involved with a large-scale, 10-year initiative: the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia. A key aspect of the initiative was the hiring of these specialists into academic departments where they held graduate-level education in a matching discipline, often coupled with teaching experience. We draw upon various data sources to provide a rich, longitudinal picture of the experiences and career trajectories of these academic developers and explore the skills, behaviours, and supports they perceive as critical for changing and advancing instructional practices and departmental culture in higher education. We also discuss how embedding agents of change this way is a successful model for the transformation of institutional norms in undergraduate education.