Curriculum Development Specialist- CTD

Department : Educ Ctr for Talent Development

Salary / Grade : EXS / 7

Job Summary

We seek a motivated, creative individual with K-12 experience (middle and / or high school emphasis) who shares our mission of preparing young people to be knowledgeable, equity centered leaders and citizens.

The Curriculum Development Specialist (CDS) will play a central role in the design and development of high-quality leadership and service-learning instructional materials to be used in Center for Talent Development in-person and online enrichment and credit bearing courses and for dissemination to schools and educational organizations in developing their own programs.

The CDS will work as a writer (for initial unit development or unit revision) with the potential to work as a unit lead in other segments of the project, including sourcing and securing collaborations with external stakeholders (e.

g., community and school leaders, non-profit organizations). This role will require working closely with other program and curriculum team members and the supervising associate director to collaboratively research and write teacher and student materials for external audiences and to integrate principles of civic leadership across CTD’s internal academic pathways.

The CDS will need to be able to design curriculum and instructional activities for advanced and accelerated learners using a talent development approach.

The unit development process for writers includes a) initial design and framework, b) identifying appropriate resources (such as data sets, videos, and photos) that will support student learning, c) writing teacher-facing and student-facing text, d) final production, and e) presenting professional development and / or design consulting for implementation.

This position requires candidates to have expertise in the creation of instructional materials for leadership development and service-learning as well as the interests, social identities, and learning obstacles of marginalized populations in formal and informal educational settings in the US.

We recognize that both formal study and practical experience can be valuable sources of this expertise.

Occasional evening and weekend hours may be required.

Specific Responsibilities :

Work with program leads, administrators, and independent contractors to develop teacher- and student-facing curriculum materials and related professional development required for discrete courses, course series, and units (external and internal stakeholders).

Revise materials based on data from field trials and external review.

• Observe and support CTD and partners and instructors as needed in the implementation of curriculum materials. Work with CTD administrative and program teams to schedule and design processes for CTD civic leadership courses and related events.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications : (Education, experience, and any other certifications or clearances)

• Bachelor's degree in education or curriculum and instruction.
• At least 3 years of experience teaching middle or high school students, including courses emphasizing leadership, service-learning or related subjects.
• At least 2 years of experience training and / or leading educators in implementing curriculum and / or instructional strategies.
• Ability to travel to in-person professional development events and activities.

Minimum Competencies : (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Understanding of relevant standards and instructional practices that meet the needs of advanced and accelerated learners
• Proficiency in using collaborative digital tools
• Interpersonal skills in collaborating with others across a variety of contexts
• Ability to manage complex work and achieve specified goals under time and resource constraints
• Ability to lead professional development events in remote and in-person settings
• Excellent writing and oral communication skill

Preferred Qualifications : (Education and experience)

• Extensive experience developing instructional materials for middle or high school students.
• Experience in gifted education, specifically talent development models
• Knowledge as called for by the K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice
• Experience designing for and / or working with student populations that have been historically underserved in education

Preferred Competencies : (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• A commitment to equity and social justice in education
• Expertise in research-based gifted education instructional practices
• Expertise in the development of instructional materials and educational practices that are equitable and inclusive of students from populations historically underserved in educational settings
• Expertise in coaching or training of educator

Target hiring range for this position will be between $64,000 - $75,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits :

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness :

Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.

We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior / adult care. Visit us at to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development :

Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at to learn more .

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness.

More information can be found on the webpage.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations.

We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.