Director of Course Design (Senior or Executive level depending on experience)

The Director of Course Design drives pedagogical design and governs the implementation of content strategies via digital tools, in addition to fostering experimentation within and beyond Macmillan's traditional product models. You will develop and manage top talent with specialization in the areas of instructional design, evidence-based teaching practices, artificial intelligence, and data analysis. Your team will lead the development and implementation of new processes and initiatives aimed at improving learning design, increasing digital customer retention, and reaching new audiences.

In this position, you will work cross-functionally with implementation specialists, content developers, program managers and directors, and product partners, including learning science.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform every job description task. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including women and people of color, to apply for this role. We're eager to meet people that believe in our mission and can contribute to our team in a variety of ways - not just candidates who check all the boxes. We believe in fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we recognize that unique perspectives and experiences contribute to the strength of our team. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role. We value your potential, and we are committed to providing a supportive and inclusive environment where all individuals can thrive and contribute their best.

Major responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

To help prospective candidates evaluate the expectations of the position, we've aligned competencies that are used to develop employees at Macmillan Learning to the key responsibilities of the position.

• Manage, inspire, and develop a team to consistently scale best practices for pedagogically effective course designs based on data analysis and instructor and learner needs. Foster professional growth and collaboration within the team and with key partners and stakeholders to translate data, including usage patterns and efficacy research, into actionable initiatives within editorial.
  • Competency: Leads Change (Advanced).
  • Competency: Data Literacy (Advanced).
  • Competency: Digital Literacy (Advanced).
  • Competency: Teamwork and Collaboration (Advanced).
  • Competency: Nurtures Innovation (Advanced).
• Design and implement processes that enable teams to develop and measure testing plans with explicit success criteria, gather customer feedback, monitor product usage, and understand the competitive landscape in order to ensure that plans for content updates are commercially viable and differentiate Macmillan Learning in the education market.
  • Competency: Drives Outcomes and Impact (Advanced).
  • Competency: Data Literacy (Advanced).
  • Competency: Business Perspective (Advanced).
  • Competency: Analytical Thinking (Advanced).
• Enable teams to develop and test new products or courses, both within and beyond Macmillan's traditional business models and with AI-supported pedagogical practices. Oversee experiments in and implementation of AI-supported tools and/or interactions, in partnership with Product.
  • Competency: Creativity & Innovation (Advanced).
  • Competency: Data Literacy (Advanced).
  • Competency: Strategic Thinking (Intermediate).
• Promote the implementation of Macmillan's standards and guidelines on creating accessible, diverse, equitable, and inclusive content to ensure learners of all backgrounds and experiences can achieve equitable outcomes. Partner with Learning Science to scale best practices.
  • Competency: Diversity & Inclusion Orientation (Advanced).
• Support digital product adoption and retention by working directly with customers, marketing, and sales partners.
  • Competency: Client Focus (Advanced).
  • Competency: Data Literacy (Advanced).
• Participate in internal and external events to promote products, gather market information, and meet with potential and current authors and reviewers.
  • Competency: Client Focus (Advanced).
  • Competency: Market, Industry and Competitive Knowledge (Intermediate).
• Stay informed of pedagogical research and trends driving digital pedagogy inside higher education institutions and in adjacent markets to capture and communicate emerging opportunities to differentiate our level of service.
  • Competency: Market, Industry and Competitive Knowledge (Intermediate).
  • Competency: Fosters Learning & Development (Advanced).

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree.
• Experience with either:
  • working with digital educational content either as an instructor/educator, content creator, editor, instructional designer, or learning experience designer, or
  • At least 5 years of experience in educational publishing; educational content creation; teaching experience in high schools, community colleges, or universities; and/or creative roles within edtech.
• Demonstrated leadership abilities, with at least 5 years of management experience
• Adaptable to change, and quick to internalize technology, systems, and practices relevant to the role.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret and apply data-driven insights.
• Strong understanding of evidence-based teaching practices and pedagogical approaches in the context of digital education.
• Ability to set priorities, meet deadlines, and work independently.
• Strong interest in identifying and solving problems.
• Proven ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing to exhibit influence and impact.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to form productive working relationships with authors and in-house teams.
• Ability to travel for in-person meetings, less than 15% of the time

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certificate or advanced degree in STEM, social science, humanities, educational technology, instructional design, or learning science is a plus.
• Experience teaching or instructional design is a plus.
• Knowledge of JIRA, Smartsheet, Pendo, Amplitude, and Articulate360.

Salary: $125,000 - $135,000/year at the Senior level. $150,000+ at the Executive level.

Exemption Status: Exempt

Physical Requirements:

Position requires periods of close concentration and the ability to multi-task in an open office, noisy/busy environment. Must be able to travel occasionally, and work more than 40 hours a week as needed.

This position can be based in our New York, NY office, Boston, MA office, Austin, TX office, or a fully remote U.S.-based location. This position is eligible for remote employment, excluding the following locations: Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming.

Benefits

Regular full-time and qualifying part-time employees and their dependents are eligible for Macmillan benefits, effective on the employee's date of hire. Macmillan also offers health benefits coverage to qualifying same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners (may require additional documentation) of active employees.

• Competitive pay and bonus plan
• Generous Health Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• Contributions to your 401k retirement account through Fidelity
• Generous paid time off, sick time, floating holidays, and paid holidays (Spring Reset Day , Juneteenth, Indigenous People's Day, Election Day, and more!)
• Employee Assistance Program, Education Assistance Program
• 100% employer-paid life and AD&D insurance
• And much more!

Macmillan Learning is a privately-held, family-owned company that inspires what's possible for every learner. We envision a world in which every learner succeeds. Through our content, tools and services, we aim to make that a reality. To learn more, please visit , join our , stay connected to our , or see us on , , or . Macmillan Learning is a division of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, a global media company headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are actively seeking job applicants who reflect a broad representation of differences, including race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, physical ability, neurodiversity, age, veteran, family and economic status and background, geographical background and status, and perspective. We believe that the best companies reflect the incredible diversity in viewpoints, backgrounds, and identities of the world in their staffs, and are committed to inclusive hiring across departments and levels.

The successful candidate for this position will be an employee of Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishing Group, LLC d/b/a Macmillan Learning. Bedford Freeman & Worth Publishing Group, LLC has developed an affirmative action program in compliance with the NY Department of Education's guidance. Portions of the affirmative action program are available for review by applicants and employees by contacting Human Resources at Macmillan Learning.