Seasonal Rubin Education Consultant

Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 47,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) seeks a Seasonal Rubin Education Consultant to help develop and refine educational products and instructional resources for the Rubin Observatory EPO program. You will collaborate with the Rubin Education Team to apply instructional design expertise toward formal education initiatives serving secondary and undergraduate learners.

You will review and enhance instructional materials, align them with NGSS and curriculum frameworks, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Science, STEM Education, Curriculum and Instruction or equivalent.
• Experience designing science instructional materials for secondary or post-secondary learners.
• Five or more years of teaching experience at secondary or college level in past eight years.
• Strong NGSS knowledge with three-dimensional learning applied to curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
• Experience developing or evaluating educational assessments and measuring student outcomes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with educators, scientists, and stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and virtual collaboration tools.
• Ability to work independently and in remote team environments.
• Commitment to inclusive, learner-centered instructional design.
• Ability to review and apply educational standards and frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Review, evaluate, and revise educational products for quality and effectiveness.
• Align materials with NGSS and curriculum frameworks.
• Design inclusive learning materials for diverse audiences.
• Apply instructional design principles to improve engagement and accessibility.
• Collaborate with Rubin Education Team and subject matter experts to improve resources.
• Participate in project meetings to ensure timely deliverables.
• All AURA employees manage and report property as required.
• Ensure compliance with government award terms in the Vela system.

Skills

NGSS knowledge

Instructional design

Communication skills

Google Workspace

Remote collaboration

Inclusive education

Education

Bachelor's degree in Education, Science, STEM Education, Curriculum and Instruction

Tools

Docs

Sheets

Slides

Job description

The Seasonal Rubin Education Consultant supports the development and refinement of educational products and instructional resources for the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program. Working in collaboration with the Rubin Education Team, this position contributes instructional design expertise to advance formal education initiatives serving secondary and undergraduate learners.

The consultant is responsible for reviewing, developing, and enhancing instructional materials, learning experiences, and assessment resources to ensure alignment with educational best practices and program objectives. Work is performed independently and through collaboration with educators, scientists, and project team members to support the successful delivery of high-quality educational products.

Essential Functions

• Review, evaluate, and revise existing educational products and instructional resources, including teacher guides, assessments, phenomenon-based investigations, and supporting materials to ensure quality, accuracy, and instructional effectiveness.
• Ensure educational products align with applicable educational standards and frameworks, including the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Chile's Curriculum Nacional three-dimensional learning model.
• Design, revise, and enhance educational materials that support inclusive and equitable learning experiences for diverse audiences across varying cultural, linguistic, educational, and ability backgrounds.
• Apply instructional design principles and educational best practices to improve learner engagement, accessibility, and achievement of learning objectives.
• Collaborate with Rubin Education Team members and subject matter experts to incorporate feedback and continuously improve educational products and resources.
• Participate in project meetings, reviews, and collaborative work sessions to support the timely completion of assigned deliverables.
• All AURA employees are responsible for the proper management and control of all AURA property within their work area, whether assigned to them or someone else. This responsibility includes reporting any known missing, stolen, or non-working property in their work area to their supervisor or the AURA Property Officer.
• Responsible for ensuring compliance with government award terms and conditions assigned to this position or subordinates of this position as defined in the Vela Award Management system, https://cas.aura-astronomy.org/Awards.

Other Functions

• Support the development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of educational programs, resources, and related communications as needed.
• Assist with professional development activities, educational content updates, and revisions to web-based instructional materials.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Required Education/Experience/Skills/Abilities

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Science, STEM Education, Curriculum and Instruction, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience designing, developing, and implementing science instructional materials, lessons, investigations, or learning experiences for secondary or post-secondary learners.
• Five (5) or more years of teaching experience at the secondary school or college/university level within the past eight (8) years.
• Strong knowledge of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), including experience applying three-dimensional learning principles to curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
• Experience developing or evaluating educational assessments and measuring student learning outcomes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with educators, scientists, and project stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace applications (e.g., Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive) and virtual collaboration tools.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and collaborate effectively in a remote team environment.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive, learner-centered instructional design and educational best practices.
• Ability to review, interpret, and apply educational standards, frameworks, and curriculum requirements.

Preferred Education/Experience/Skills/Abilities

• Familiarity with Rubin Observatory educational programs, instructional resources, or related astronomy education initiatives.
• Experience implementing NGSS-aligned instruction in a classroom setting.
• Experience integrating emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence tools, into instructional design, assessment, or educational experiences.
• Experience supporting STEM, astronomy, or science communication programs.

Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear.
• The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms and stoop; kneel; crouch; or crawl.
• The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
• Must possess - sufficient mobility, strength, or dexterity in both arms and hands and both legs to a) reach upward, sideways, downward to work with paper files; b) sufficient mobility and dexterity to utilize computer systems, fax machines, copiers, and other office machines.
• Must possess – 1) ability to read and understand instructions, drawings, safety guides, and other written materials necessary to perform job; 2) sufficient visual capacity to
• perform the applicable functions without assistance of visual aids other than eye contacts or eyeglasses; 3) sufficient spoken aural capacity to hear and understand instructions, warning bells, fire alarms, or shouted instructions without assistance of auditory aids other than a hearing aid; and 4) ability to impart information orally so that others understand and can respond appropriately

Salary Range

$34.19 - $39.42 per hour. The final salary will depend on skills, qualifications and experience.

AURA offers an excellent benefits package including paid time off and retirement plan contributions, competitive salary commensurate with experience, and a very attractive work environment. Details on benefits can be found at https://hr.aura-astronomy.org/benefits-by-location/