Head of Content and Course Design

EF; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

EF is seeking a Director of Content and Course Design to lead K-12 curriculum and publication efforts across digital and print formats. You will shape standards-aligned curricula, supervise content teams, and coordinate with product, sales, and government relations to meet global classroom needs.

You will steer AI-enabled tool adoption with a human-in-the-loop approach, ensuring high pedagogical quality while scaling production for international markets.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction or related field.
• Minimum 5–7 years' experience in curriculum/content development.
• Experience leading content teams across multiple markets.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain quality standards for K-12 learning content and course design across multiple subject areas and grade bands.
• Lead design and sequencing of coherent, standards-aligned curricula across disciplines.
• Oversee end-to-end production for digital and print publishing workflows.
• Direct development of unit plans, performance tasks, assessments, and instructional materials.
• Guide adoption of AI-enabled tools while maintaining human-in-the-loop oversight.
• Lead content development and sign-off across markets, adapting for local regulatory and cultural contexts.
• Partner with product, sales, and government-relations to align content strategy with business goals.
• Build relationships with authors, publishers, and standards bodies.
• Deliver projects on time and to specification across concurrent initiatives.
• Identify and pursue training opportunities related to materials use.

Skills

Instructional design

Leadership

Curriculum development

Cross-functional teamwork

AI in education

Communication

Education

Master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction

Job description

The Director of Content and Course Design combines strong instructional design expertise with proven people leadership, working as part of a cross-functional team of learning and creative designers, and product owners to deliver industry-leading K-12 learning experiences. You bring experience spanning multiple subject areas and grade levels, and are equally comfortable directing digital course production and print/textbook publishing workflows. You have a track record of taking projects from concept to launch across international markets, balancing pedagogical rigor with business and market requirements. You are curious about applying AI-enabled tools to curriculum design and production, and committed to human-in-the-loop workflows that keep learning science and educator judgment at the center.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain quality standards for K-12 learning content and course design across multiple subject areas and grade bands.
• Lead the design and sequencing of coherent, standards-aligned curricula (e.g., Common Core, NGSS, Cambridge, or relevant national/regional frameworks) across disciplines.
• Oversee end-to-end production for both digital course content and print/textbook publishing, including authoring, editorial, and QA workflows.
• Direct development of unit plans, performance tasks, assessments, and supporting instructional materials for multiple modalities and diverse learners.
• Guide the adoption of AI-enabled tools and workflows to improve curriculum quality, personalization, and production efficiency, while maintaining human-in-the-loop oversight.
• Lead content development, testing, and sign-off across multiple markets and countries, adapting for local regulatory, cultural, and procurement requirements, including B2G contexts.
• Partner with product, sales, and government-relations stakeholders to align content strategy with business goals, including RFP and B2G proposal requirements.
• Build and maintain relationships with cross-functional teams and external partners, including authors, publishers, and standards bodies.
• Deliver projects on time and to specification, managing multiple concurrent initiatives across subjects and markets.
• Identify and act on training and communication opportunities related to materials use.

Required

• Master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction, Instructional Design, Education, or a related field; subject-specific degrees (e.g., in a STEM discipline) also welcome.
• Minimum 5–7 years' experience in curriculum or content development.
• Experience developing both digital learning content and print/textbook publishing.
• Proven experience in a leadership or management role, supervising content teams.
• Experience working across international, multi-market educational contexts (public/private, B2G/B2C/B2B).

You have/are:

• Effective written and oral communication skills in accurate English (near-native).
• A strong instructional design foundation and familiarity with relevant K-12 standards frameworks.
• Working knowledge of AI concepts as applied to education (e.g., adaptive learning, generative AI, learning analytics), with the ability to critically evaluate their pedagogical value and apply them responsibly.
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to multi-task, prioritize, and consistently meet deadlines across concurrent projects and subjects.
• The ability to critically evaluate learning materials and curriculum, and to propose relevant, innovative solutions.
• A customer-focused, service-minded approach, with awareness of diverse market and stakeholder needs.
• Comfort working both independently and cross-functionally in a fast-changing environment.