Sr Assessment Designer (ELA / Science)

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 98,000; Full time

Job summary

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (NWEA division) seeks a Senior Content Designer to lead the development of ELA and Science assessment content and drive quality across item and passage sets. You will serve as a subject-matter expert for content areas and collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure defensible, equitable usage of assessment data.

The role emphasizes content-area leadership, training, and ensuring delivery of high-quality materials aligned with standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in English Language Arts, STEM, or Education.
• At least 3 combined years of subject-area teaching experience and test development experience.
• Subject matter expertise in Science and English Language Arts.
• Expertise in industry standards for assessment quality and psychometrics.
• Experience in instructional design and delivering training.

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain high-quality assessment items and passages aligned to standards.
• Provide SME support to connect NWEA data to teaching and learning.
• Lead projects, track deliverables, and communicate progress to leadership.
• Coach and mentor staff, delivering professional development workshops.
• Promote evidence-based and equitable practices across product strategies.

Skills

Content leadership

Project coordination

Communication

Instructional design

Training delivery

Education

Bachelor’s degree in ELA/STEM/Education

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

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NWEA® is a division of HMH that supports students and educators through research, assessment solutions, policy and advocacy services, professional learning and school improvement services that fight for equity, drive classroom impact and push for systemic change in our educational communities. For nearly 50 years, NWEA has developed innovative pre-K-12 assessments, including their flagship interim assessment, MAP® Growth™ and their reading fluency and comprehension assessment, MAP® Reading Fluency™. For more information, visit NWEA.org to learn more.

HMH is a learning technology company committed to delivering connected solutions that engage learners, empower educators and improve student outcomes. As a leading provider of K-12 core curriculum, supplemental and intervention solutions, and professional learning services, HMH partners with educators and school districts to uncover solutions that unlock students’ potential and extend teachers’ capabilities. HMH serves more than 50 million students and 4 million educators in 150 countries. For more information, visit www.hmhco.com

Location: Remote (this job may be performed in any state in the U.S.)

Whatyou’lldo:

Responsible for providing ELA & Science subject matter expertise in the use of NWEA assessment data relating to teaching and learning and for the development of content that promotes that usage. The Senior Content Designer applies a high level of knowledge and skill to clarify appropriate and consistent messaging about HMH/NWEA’s products and usage to ensure promotion of defensible and equitable use of NWEA data. This knowledge and skill will extend to reviewing, evaluating, and revising materials for HMH and Heinemann products beyond the use of NWEA data (e.g., Into Math, Into Reading, Waggle) to promote the highest quality assessments for students. This individual will lead projects, tracking deliverables to ensure timeliness and quality and communicating progress and concerns (with proposed solutions) to leadership.

Unique responsibilities include content-area leadership, senior-level reviews, training, project coordination, and approval of development deliverables.

Development Expertise and Assessment Quality

• Create andmaintainhigh-qualityassessmentitems/passagesin accordance withassessment program needs. This includes but is not limited to aligning content to standards/frameworks/resources/etc. and providing senior reviews ofitem/passage sets against checklists, specifications, and style guides;
• Contributes to the development of process documentation and evaluation of passage or item bank inventories

• Provides ELA & Science Subject Matter Expertise: Support efforts for connecting assessment data from NWEA products to teaching and learning, ensuring data is understood and used appropriately as one point within a comprehensive assessment system. Serve as an ELA & Science subject matter expert in content area(s) & assessments when collaborating with internal and external stakeholders.
• Supports Program Management: Consults with program management on issues and concerns with projects, asappropriate, attending relevant meetings and tracking progress.
• Applies research-based practice: Ensures that all product strategies and approaches reflect evidence-based andequitablepractices andpromoteunderstanding of research-based best practices both internally and with district partners.

Project Management

• Administration of Projects: Support the facilitation of project launch meetings. Lead some or all portions of development-specific project meetings.
• Promoting Efficiencies: Generate ideas for improving processes and procedures
• Tracking: Help ensure required tasks are completed on schedule and within budget, such that the project adheres to all financial, legal, and organizational requirements.
• Communication: Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to understand and communicate direction
• Supports Scrum Work: Collaborate with other teams to ensure that scrummethodologyis enablingsuccessful work across the division, staffing large-
  scale assessment work as well as content connections work to the wider HMH organization.

Leadership

• Coaching: Present informational or professional development workshops relevant to staff, and help lead in the training and mentoring of new and existing staff
• Job Expectations: Develop and communicateexpertiseof development-related tools, software, and/or processes
• Change Implementation Enacts change within projects, ensuring that direction is carried out. Reports back to manager if anyadditionalintervention is needed.

Whatyou’llneed:

• A bachelor's degree in a relevant field, such as English Language Arts, STEM, or Education.
• At least 3 combined years of subject-area teaching experience and experience as a test development specialist.
• Subject matterexpertisein Science (must have) & English Language Arts.
• Expertisinindustry standards forassessmentquality, including technical requirements for items and tests.
• Expertisinassessment development processes for custom and shelf products.
• Experience writing or reviewing curriculum, with a strong understanding of how assessment and curriculum work together to promote learning.
• A working understanding of research design, data analysis, psychometric concepts, and measurement principles.
• Experience in instructional design anddeliveringtraining.
• The ability to collaborate extensively with peers and cross-functional stakeholders toaccomplishgoals.
• The ability to develop creative solutions to resource and schedule challenges.
• The ability to communicate project direction, progress, concerns, and proposed solutions clearly.

Preferred but not necessary:

• A master's degree in a relevant field, such as English Language Arts, STEM, or Education.
• 5 years of K-12 classroom teaching experience.
• 3 years of educational assessment experience.

Benefits and Salary Range:

Salary Range: $90,000-$98,000.

Application Deadline:

The application window for this position is anticipated to close on September 20, 2026. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. The posting may be available past this date but is not guaranteed.

HMH is fully committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to attracting, retaining, developing and promoting the most qualified employees without regard to race, gender, color, religion, sexual orientation, family status, marital status, pregnancy, gender identity, ethnic/national origin, ancestry, age, disability, military status, genetic predisposition, citizenship status, status as a disabled veteran, recently separated veteran, Armed Forces service medal veteran, other covered veteran, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. We are dedicated to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment, and where employees are treated with respect and dignity. We actively participate in E-Verify.

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