Instructional Designer, AP Instructional Design at TheCollegeBoard in Houston, Texas

Job Description:

Instructional Designer, AP Instructional Design




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 position




About the Team



The College Board's Advanced Placement and Instruction division (260 staff) 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 Advanced Placement Program is the largest offering in the division's portfolio, and has six departments: Curriculum and Assessment, which develops the course frameworks, designs the exams, and guides the grading and scoring process; Delivery, which manages the annual cycle of transactions with schools - from student registration to exam administration, scoring, and score reporting; Access, which focuses on expanding availability of AP and Pre-AP courses, participation among traditionally underserved students, and supporting teachers; Strategy, which measures and evaluates the program's components, identifies and evaluates program opportunities and threats, and leads the development and implementation of strategic initiatives; Digital, which leads product development of the Bluebook digital assessment platform, manages the implementation of digital testing for AP Exams, and provides instructional resources via AP Classroom; and Instructional Design, a new department charged with developing and implementing a curricular research and instructional design phase to proceed all major content development projects, including: any possible new AP course; any significant revision to existing AP courses; major changes to student assessments, such as replacing part of the summative exam with through-course tasks or projects; and new teacher resources.



About the Opportunity



As the Instructional Designer, you will support the prototyping, testing, and development of requirements for a portfolio of instructional projects within the department. To this end, you will work closely with senior leaders, cross-functional teams, and subject matter experts to ensure that prototypes are effectively developed, tested, and refined, and that clear requirements are established for new content.


As an Instructional Designer within the AP Instructional Design department, you will play a key role in the development of innovative educational content. Your work will focus on prototyping, testing, and refining new course components, as well as developing clear requirements for content that will shape the future of AP offerings. You will collaborate closely with the Curriculum and Assessment team and other cross-functional teams to ensure that prototypes evolve into high-quality, scalable instructional materials. You will also contribute to the piloting process, supporting the Executive Director who leads this phase, to ensure that new components are tested and refined based on real-world classroom data.



In this role, you will:

• 
  Lead Instructional Prototyping Efforts: Develop and refine prototypes for various components of new AP courses or instructional resources, such as sample topics, course skills, instructional approaches, and project-based learning tasks.
  
  


• 
  Collaborate on Testing: Conduct small-scale testing of prototypes to gather feedback and data, ensuring that new components meet educational standards and effectively engage students. Support the Executive Director in the piloting process, contributing insights and adjustments based on pilot data working in partnership with Learning Engineering.
  
  


• 
  Develop Content Requirements: Translate successful prototypes into clear, actionable requirements for new content, working closely with the Curriculum and Assessment team to ensure alignment with AP standards and goals.
  
  


• 
  Contribute to Cross-Divisional Planning: Participate in the planning process for the Development and Deployment stages, collaborating with the Project Management Office and other departments to ensure smooth hand-offs and effective governance.
  
  

Specific Responsibilities:




Prototyping and Testing (40%)

• Develop and Refine Prototypes: Work with senior leaders and cross-functional teams to create instructional prototypes for new course components, such as a project, sample topic, course skills, instructional approaches, and integration of industry-recognized credentials (IRCs).
  
  


• Conduct Small-Scale Testing: Plan and execute small-scale tests of prototypes to gather feedback from stakeholders and ensure that the new components are effective and feasible for broader implementation working with Learning Engineering.
  
  


• Collaborate with Curriculum and Assessment: Work closely with the Curriculum and Assessment team to evolve prototypes based on testing outcomes, ensuring that the final product meets the required standards for quality and alignment with AP goals.
  
  

Developing Requirements (50 %)

• Translate Prototypes into Requirements: Develop detailed, actionable requirements for new content based on the outcomes of the prototyping and testing phases. These requirements will guide the Curriculum and Assessment and Access teams during the content development process.
  
  


• Ensure Alignment with Standards: Collaborate with subject matter experts and the Curriculum and Assessment team to ensure that the requirements align with educational standards, college credit requirements, and AP's strategic goals.
  
  

Cross-Divisional Planning and Collaboration (10 %)

• Support Planning for Development and Deployment: Participate in cross-divisional planning efforts led by the Project Management Office, contributing to the development of high-level project plans, governance structures, and timelines for the Development and Deployment stages.
  
  


• Facilitate Collaboration: Work with other AP departments and external partners to ensure that all aspects of the content development process are coordinated, with a focus on smooth transitions between project phases.
  
  

About You



You are a creative force in the world of instructional design, driven by a passion for crafting engaging, innovative educational experiences. You thrive in environments that allow you to explore new pedagogical approaches and bring fresh ideas to life. Your background is broad and flexible, giving you the confidence to dive into unfamiliar content areas and quickly become a subject matter expert. You are meticulous in your work, balancing creativity with a strong attention to detail, ensuring that every prototype you develop is not only imaginative but also practical and effective. Your love of learning is matched by your commitment to collaboration, as you work closely with cross-functional teams to refine and perfect instructional content that meets the highest standards.



You have:

• 
  7+ years of experience in instructional design, curriculum development, or educational content creation, with a focus on prototyping and testing.
  
  


• 
  A broad and flexible pedagogical knowledge, with the ability to dive into new content areas and adapt to a variety of instructional approaches.
  
  


• 
  A passion for innovation, always looking for opportunities to reimagine what high school education can be in the 21st century.
  
  


• 
  Strong project management skills, with the ability to keep projects on track, manage resources effectively, and adjust plans as needed in the face of new information or challenges.
  
  


• 
  A high bar for quality, ensuring that all instructional materials you create are polished, well-researched, and ready for implementation.
  
  


• 
  Excellent writing skills, particularly in creating materials for both teachers and curriculum developers, with a focus on clarity, engagement, and instructional effectiveness.
  
  


• 
  A collaborative mindset, working effectively with cross-functional teams, including curriculum and assessment experts, to bring your instructional designs to life.
  
  


• Ability to travel (up to 15%)
  
  


• Authorized 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 such as live coding, 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 $112,000 to $165,000. 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.



A
bout 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 and advocates); SALSA (Staff Alliance for Latinx Success and Achievement); and WIN (Women's Impact Network)
  
  


• We value learning and growth; we offer formal and informal ways to lead through your superpowers, sharpen your strengths, and meet your development goals
  
  


• We know that our impact is strongest together. Our College Board Cares program offers all staff up to $1,000 annual match against partner non-profit organizations
  
  


• We offer a transparent approach to promotions and merit raises, annual performance-based bonuses, and how to grow your career here over time
  
  

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