Head of Content and Course Design

Education First; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Education First in London seeks a Head of Content and Course Design to lead cross-functional teams of instructional designers, editors and product owners in delivering K-12 curricula for multiple markets. You will shepherd digital and print publishing workflows from concept to launch, balancing pedagogy with market requirements and exploring AI-enabled tools responsibly.

You will supervise content teams, drive standards-aligned content across frameworks such as Common Core, NGSS, Cambridge, and

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction, Instructional Design, Education, or related field.
• Minimum 5–7 years' experience in curriculum or content development.
• Experience developing both digital learning content and print publishing.
• Proven leadership experience supervising content teams.
• Experience working across international multi-market educational contexts.

Responsibilities

• Apply and uphold curriculum quality framework for K-12 content and course design.
• Lead course-level design and sequencing across disciplines within blueprints.
• Run end-to-end course creation for digital and print publishing workflows.
• Direct development of unit plans, performance tasks, assessments, and materials.
• Operate AI-enabled tools and workflows with human-in-the-loop oversight.
• Lead market-specific adaptation and testing across markets and countries.
• Provide content input to product, sales, and government-relations teams.
• Build and maintain relationships with authors, designers, and vendors.
• Deliver projects on time and to specification, across concurrent initiatives.
• Manage production budgets, schedules, and resourcing.
• Feed production data and lessons learned into quality improvements.
• Identify training opportunities related to materials use.

Skills

Instructional design

Leadership

AI in education

English communication

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction, Instructional Design, Education, or related field

Tools

AI-enabled tools

Job description

The Role

The Head 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

• Apply and uphold Efekta's curriculum quality framework for K-12 learning content and course design across multiple subject areas and grade bands, and recommend refinements based on production experience.
• Lead course-level design and sequencing of coherent, standards-aligned curricula (e.g., Common Core, NGSS, Cambridge, or relevant national/regional frameworks) across disciplines, within approved scope-and-sequence blueprints.
• Run the course creation pipeline end to end for both digital course content and print/textbook publishing, including authoring, editorial, and QA workflows, and prepare content for library review and approval.
• Direct development of unit plans, performance tasks, assessments, and supporting instructional materials for multiple modalities and diverse learners.
• Operate and continuously improve AI-enabled tools and workflows within Efekta's content ecosystem to improve curriculum quality, personalization, and production efficiency, and evaluate and recommend new tools, while maintaining human-in-the-loop oversight.
• Lead market-specific adaptation, localization, and testing across multiple markets and countries, adapting for local regulatory, cultural, and procurement requirements, including B2G contexts, and recommend content for final approval.
• Provide content, production, and feasibility input to product, sales, and government-relations teams, including for RFP and B2G proposal requirements.
• Build and maintain relationships with cross-functional teams and production partners, including authors, designers, and vendors.
• Deliver projects on time and to specification, managing multiple concurrent initiatives across subjects and markets.
• Manage production budgets, schedules, and resourcing, including freelance and vendor teams.
• Feed production data and lessons learned back into quality framework and pipeline improvements.
• 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.