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Instructional Design Specialist 🔥


CommonLit is a nonprofit edtech startup dedicated to closing the literacy opportunity gap which disproportionately affects low-income students and students of color. We operate an online reading program, www.CommonLit.org, that is used by teachers in over 75,000 American schools.

The organization is best known for operating a free online reading program for students and teachers in grades 3-12. Since its founding in 2014, CommonLit’s reading program has become widely implemented in schools and districts across the United States. To sustain its growing operations, CommonLit also sells premium digital services to schools and districts that are looking to effectively roll out CommonLit’s reading program. Those packages of affordable services include professional development, benchmark assessments, data tracking tools, and more.

The Instructional Design Specialist will become a pivotal part of a nimble, multidisciplinary team working at the intersection of curriculum, technology, and professional development. Responsibilities would include: writing and editing new lessons, designing new professional development experiences, maintaining and publishing new content to CommonLit.org, and managing projects to create new and exciting instructional resources that support CommonLit’s free and paid programs. 

The ideal candidate for this role should have 5+ years of experience teaching reading, writing, and/or English Language Arts, and a track record of measurable success working with a diverse population of students. Ideal candidates would also have leadership experience, such as leading school- or district-wide initiatives, projects, and/or curriculum development. The ideal candidate should enjoy working on a fast-moving and goal-oriented team where they’ll be designing and creating a wide variety of materials, curricula, and tools for teachers and administrators. The candidate must also demonstrate a strong empathy and understanding of a teacher’s workflow, and a strong understanding of best practices in reading and writing instruction.

This is a new role on a fast-growing team, and there will be many opportunities to be a part of and lead new projects. The candidate should be extremely flexible, excited to learn new skills quickly, pitch in on varied efforts, pivot on a dime, and be highly motivated to collaborate with other mission-driven professionals in a fast-paced and iterative startup work environment. 

We expect this person to start between April 1 and June 15. Educators who are currently working in schools are welcome to join the team when their school year ends, and should not feel pressure to leave mid year. This job is open to remote candidates (CommonLit is a remote team with a headquarters in DC for optional use), but the team begins work at 9AM EST and keeps an East Coast schedule.

How To Apply:

Please send a resume and cover letter to careers@commonlit.org and write "Instructional Design Specialist" in the subject line of the email. In your cover letter, be sure to describe how you’ve: A) had a measurable impact on student outcomes as a teacher, B) had success leading an instructional initiative or project to support other teachers, and C) what excites you about this role specifically.

Responsibilities:

  • Collaborate with many CommonLit teams including curriculum, sales, account management, and product development
  • Write, edit, and publish new lessons for the general library and for CommonLit 360
  • Write, edit, and publish professional development modules that help teachers and administrators use the site and its resources
  • Develop a deep understanding of the user experience to identify teacher pain points and pitch and package creative solutions to meet organizational goals
  • Manage projects and help stakeholders understand the project plan
  • Manage contractors and part-time employees
  • Maintain existing lessons on the CommonLit.org website, and support administrative efforts to ensure the CommonLit Library maintains a high bar of quality 

Qualifications:

  • Required: A Bachelor’s degree
  • Required: Exceptional writing, copyediting, and communication skills
  • Required: Exceptional lesson and text analysis skills
  • Required: 5+ years of teaching experience
  • Required: A measurable impact on student success as a teacher
  • Required: Experience successfully leading department-wide, school-wide, or district-wide initiatives
  • Required: Experience working with communities of color
  • Strong entrepreneurial spirit and eagerness to work in a fast-paced environment
  • Strategic thinker, self-starter, with strong time management and organizational skills
  • Strong attention to detail and desire for feedback

As an equal opportunity employer, CommonLit values having a diverse workforce and continuously strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace. We encourage people with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate against any person based upon their race, traits historically associated with race, religion, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy or related medical conditions, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristics. If you are a qualified applicant requiring assistance or an accommodation to complete any step of the application process due to a disability, you may contact us at careers@commonlit.org.

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