Director Learning Design K-5 ELA

LearningMate; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

LearningMate seeks a science of reading curriculum expert to spearhead the creation, prototyping, and scaling of K-5 foundational literacy products with a focus on K-2. This role blends world-class pedagogy with a builder's mindset, consulting with clients and internal stakeholders to co-create instructional visions and solutions.

The ideal candidate has leadership in evidence-based reading instruction, 5+ years in K-2 literacy design, and a track record of driving measurable reading outcomes

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in Reading/Literacy or related field with strong credentials.
• Deep certification or proven expertise in science of reading frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional thought leadership from presales through delivery lifecycle.
• Translate cognitive science into accessible product principles for engineering, design, and sales.
• Mentor junior content and project management staff.
• Write research rationales to position K-2 portfolio in the market.
• Architect comprehensive K-2 foundational literacy products and scope-and-sequences.
• Deconstruct state standards and compliance guidelines into concrete specs.
• Design student and teacher materials focusing on phonemic awareness and systematic phonics.
• Ensure assets reflect UDL, cultural responsiveness, and engaging pedagogy.
• Collaborate with PMs, UX/UI, and engineers to prototype print and digital literacy tools.
• Iterate quickly based on user testing and pilot feedback.

Skills

Science of reading

Instructional design

Cross-functional

Education

Master’s degree or higher in Reading/Literacy, Curriculum & Instruction, Cognitive Psychology, Early Childhood Education, or equivalent

Tools

Wireframing

Agile iteration

Job description

We are seeking an innovative, highly strategic, and deeply knowledgeable science of reading curriculum expert to spearhead the creation, prototyping, and scaling of our next-generation K-5 foundational literacy products with a specialization in K-2.

This is not a traditional, siloed content-writing role. We are looking for a dynamic educational architect who pairs world-class pedagogical expertise with a builder's mindset and client consultation.

The ideal candidate possesses an authoritative understanding of evidence-based reading instruction (including Scarborough's Reading Rope and the Simple View of Reading) specifically mapped to the critical K-2 developmental years.

As our subject matter expert, you will actively navigate complex client requirements, transform abstract pedagogy into interactive instructional models, act as a cross-functional thought partner, and rapidly prototype high-impact curriculum solutions.

The ideal candidate is a thought partner, agile prototyper, a solution-oriented team leader.

• You confidently consult with client and internal stakeholders to co-construct instructional visions and strategic solutions.
• You enjoy getting hands-on, quickly sketching blueprints, mockups, and scope-and-sequences to test market and pedagogical efficacy.
• You thrive on constraints and actively transform complex client compliance roadblocks into creative, compliant product wins.

Core Responsibilities

1. Cross-Functional Thought Leadership

• Guide clients through the presales through the delivery lifecycle.
• Advocate persuasively for the science of reading integrity while remaining flexible enough to satisfy specific, custom client structural constraints.
• Act as an internal consultant and educational lighthouse for engineering, design, marketing, and sales teams, translating cognitive science insights into accessible product principles.
• Mentor junior content and project management team members.
• Write research rationales supporting the commercial positioning of the K-2 portfolio.
• Architect comprehensive, explicit, and systematic K-2 foundational literacy products, scope-and-sequences, and instructional materials strictly aligned with the Science of Reading.
• Deconstruct diverse state standards, local adoptions, and rigid compliance guidelines into clear, actionable engineering and content specifications.
• Design high-quality student and teacher-facing materials that prioritize phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, decoding, high-frequency word orthographic mapping, and language comprehension.
• Ensure all developed assets reflect cultural responsiveness, universal design for learning (UDL) frameworks, and highly engaging age-appropriate pedagogy.
• Collaborate with product managers, UX/UI designers, and software engineers to conceptualize, wireframe, and build functional prototypes of print and digital literacy tools.
• Iterate rapidly based on user testing, pilot feedback, and internal critique, pivoting content frameworks fluidly without losing sight of foundational research.
• Translate abstract pedagogical hypotheses into concrete, testable educational content models.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Master’s degree or higher in Reading/Literacy, Curriculum & Instruction, Cognitive Psychology, Early Childhood Education, or an equivalent educational field. Deep certification in structured literacy (e.g., LETRS, Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, CERI) is exceptionally highly valued.
• Pedagogical Expertise: Comprehensive, demonstrable expertise in the science of reading frameworks, cognitive models of reading acquisition, and the current state legislative landscape regarding literacy mandates.
• K-2 Domain Mastery: Minimum of 5 years of combined experience in K-2 classroom instruction, coaching, or specialized literacy product design, with a proven track record of driving measurable early literacy outcomes.
• Product Development Experience: Proven experience designing comprehensive curricular products, supplemental tools, or digital learning media from concept to market launch.
• Solution-Oriented Problem Solving & Creative Thinking
• Client-Facing Advisory & Relationship Management
• Design Thinking, Wireframing & Agile Iteration
• Comfort with Ambiguity & Fast-Paced Environments
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Empathy
• Exceptional Technical & Curricular Writing Skills

If you are a curriculum architect who blends a passion for the science of reading with a builder’s mindset, we want to hear from you.

LearningMate is an equal opportunity employer.