Director, AP Readiness - PBL Content Development

Director, AP Readiness - PBL Content Development   

College Board – AP&I 

Location: This is a fully remote role. Candidates who live near CB offices have the option of being fully remote or hybrid (Tuesday and Wednesday in office). 

Type: This is a full-time term position that will last 18 months from the start date.   

About the Team:  

The College Board’s Advanced Placement and Instruction division develops and administers coursework taken by more than 3 million students worldwide each school year, and the related subject matter exams utilized by more than 4,000 colleges and universities for course placement and awarding of college credit. These include credit and placement examination programs like CLEP and ACCUplacer; Advanced Placement (AP) and Pre-AP courses in 40+ disciplines; and associated teacher professional learning programs.   

The AP Program Access department focuses on expanding availability of AP and Pre-AP courses, participation among traditionally underserved students, and supporting teachers. Our goal is to serve a broad range of high school students to succeed in rigorous courses and earn credit opportunities that accelerate them to and through college. Within this department, our AP Readiness & Learning team of 14 focuses on growing the pipeline of students ready for AP by:  

• Implementing our Pre-AP program and strengthening its role in building readiness for AP 

• Exploring how students and teachers experience the early years of implementing new AP courses 

• Understanding perceptions of AP’s teacher professional learning (PL) offerings to inform program design 

We use what we learn to enhance how AP and Pre-AP teachers are trained, supported, and retained, emphasizing effectively leading classrooms that meet the needs of all students, including those taking AP courses for the first time. We are currently assembling a new Readiness Content Development Team to develop and execute a strategy for building the pipeline of students ready for AP, focusing on designing and deploying resources and tools for 8th and 9th grade classrooms.  

About the Opportunity:   

As Director, AP Readiness - PBL Content Development, you will play a key role in the development of innovative educational content across several subject areas, aligned with a project-based learning (PBL) approach. Your work will focus on prototyping, testing, and refining resources to put more 8th and 9th grade students on the path to AP readiness. By reverse-engineering the skills and instructional strategies from commonly taken first AP courses, you will create resources and tools, such as project-based learning teacher unit guides, to better align 8th and 9th-grade experiences with subsequent AP courses they take in high school. You will collaborate closely with cross-divisional teams, including Pre-AP and AP Instructional Services, to ensure that prototypes evolve into high-quality, scalable instructional materials. You will also contribute to the piloting process, to ensure that new components are tested and refined based on real-world classroom data. You relish the opportunity to bridge the gap between strategy, design, and the practical realities of working in complex school environments – particularly middle schools, ecosystems that are not typically partners to the AP program. As we embrace the challenge of this new work with our team, your ability to thrive in ambiguity and swiftly adapt plans to drive innovative program content development will be key to our success.  

In this role, you will focus on:   

Prototyping and Testing (50%)  

• Develop and refine prototypes for instructional resources grounded in the strategies of project based learning, supporting the skills and academic behaviors students need to be ready for future AP courses  

• Manage teams of external subject matter experts (generally, in-service teachers) in the creation of instructional resources, such as teacher unit guides, project scoring rubrics, and supporting student materials  

• Develop plans for iterative learning cycles to address design questions posed by cross-divisional teams including Pre-AP, AP Access, and AP Instructional Services  

• Conduct small-scale testing of prototypes to gather feedback and data, ensuring that new resources are responsive to teacher needs and effectively engage students  

Developing Requirements and Preparing Resources for Field Implementation (30%)  

• Translate successful prototypes into clear, actionable requirements for new publications, materials, and professional learning experiences, working closely with the Pre-AP Professional Learning, AP Instructional Services, and AP Product Management teams to ensure alignment  

• Collaborate with Pre-AP Professional Learning and AP Instructional Services to create content for teacher trainings, both synchronous and asynchronous  

• Design and develop processes in preparation for the launch of these instructional resources to schools across the country  

Project Management (20%)  

• Develop and execute project timelines and work plans, managing deadlines and workflow across cross-divisional teams   

• Work with cross-divisional teams to ensure that all aspects of the content development process are coordinated, with a focus on smooth transitions between project phases  

• Communicate proactively across cross-divisional teams about prioritization and emerging project needs  

About You

You have:  

• 5+ years of experience in instructional content development, project-based learning, and/or educational content creation, with a focus on prototyping and testing, ideally at both the middle and high school level 

• Demonstrated ability to lead, support, and guide teams to action in pursuit of an end goal 

• A relationship-building approach that’s motivated by a strong, user-centric orientation   

• Strong organization and prioritization skills and the proven ability to move forward multiple projects in concert, both independently and as a member of the team   

• Proven ability to manage and/or launch new projects, ensuring smooth transitions between project phases 

• Strong project management skills to keep projects on track, matched by comfort with ambiguity that allows you to adjust plans rapidly in the face of new information or challenges 

• Excellent writing skills, particularly in creating materials for educators, with a focus on clarity, engagement, and instructional effectiveness  

• Excellent communication and listening skills, with experience working collaboratively across different teams to develop effective solutions   

• Strong attention to detail and a thorough, feedback-oriented approach 

• Keen interest in and curiosity about adult learners and preparing teachers to use instructional strategies that support all students 

• An ability to work effectively with diverse teams and accommodate different viewpoints 

• An ability to travel 3-5 times per year  

• Authorization to work in the United States 

About Our Process   

• Application review will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled   

• While the hiring process may vary, it generally includes: resume and application submission, recruiter phone/video screen, hiring manager interview, performance exercise, a panel interview, a conversation with leadership and reference checks    

About Our Benefits and Compensation 

College Board offers a competitive benefits and compensation program that attracts top talent looking to make a difference in education. As a self-sustaining non-profit, we believe in compensating employees equitably in relation to each other, their qualifications, their impact, and the relevant market.  

The hiring range for a new employee in this position is $80,000 to $135,000.  

College Board differentiates salaries by location so where you live will narrow the portion of this range in which you can expect a salary.  

Your salary will be carefully determined based on your location, relevant experience, the external labor market, and the pay of College Board employees in similar roles. College Board strives to provide our best offer up front based on this criteria.  

Your salary is only one part of all that College Board offers, including but not limited to:    

• A comprehensive package designed to support the well-being of employees and their families and promote education. Our robust benefits package includes health, dental, and vision insurance, generous paid time off, paid parental leave, fertility benefits, pet insurance, tuition assistance, retirement benefits, and more 

• Recognition of exceptional performance through annual bonuses, salary growth over time through market increases, and opportunities for merit raises and promotions based on increased scope of responsibility 

• A job that matters, a team that cares, and a place to learn, innovate and thrive 

You can expect to have transparent conversations about benefits and compensation with our recruiters throughout your application process. 

About Our Culture  

Our community matters, and we strive to practice and improve our culture daily. Here are some headlines:  

• We are motivated to positively impact the educational and career trajectories of millions of students a year  

• We prioritize building a diverse and inclusive team where every employee can thrive, and every voice is heard 

• We are a dynamic hybrid team, giving staff members the choice to either be fully remote or hybrid if they live close to a College Board office. Hybrid employees go into offices every Tuesday and Wednesday 

• We welcome staff to join any or all six of our affinity groups: ARISE (Alliance for Asian Retention, Inclusion, Success, and Engagement; DIASPORA (Alliance for Pan-African Success and Achievement); Pride (alliance for LGBTQ+ staff and allies); Resilience (alliance for Native staff) 

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