Senior Director, Instructional Design

College Board – AP&I New Course Design and Delivery 
 

Location: 

This is a remote role. Candidates who live near CB offices have the option of being fully remote or hybrid (Tuesday and Wednesday in office). All CB employees are required to occasionally travel to meet in person for business purposes. 
 

Role Type:  

This is a full-time position 

About the Team  

The College Board’s Advanced Placement and Instruction division (260 staff) develops and administers coursework taken by more than 3 million students worldwide each school year, and the related subject-matter exams utilized by more than 4,000 colleges and universities for course placement and awarding of college credit. These include credit and placement examination programs like CLEP and ACCUplacer; Advanced Placement (AP) and Pre-AP courses in 40+ disciplines; and associated teacher professional learning programs.  

The Advanced Placement Program is the largest offering in the division’s portfolio, and has six departments: Curriculum and Assessment, which is responsible for annual and ongoing development of the current suite of AP courses and exams; Delivery, which manages the annual cycle of transactions with schools – from student registration to exam administration, scoring, and score reporting; Access, which focuses on expanding availability of AP and Pre-AP courses, participation among traditionally underserved students, and supporting teachers; Strategy, which measures and evaluates the program’s components, identifies and evaluates program opportunities and threats, and leads the development and implementation of strategic initiatives; and New Course Design and Development, charged with conducting curricular research, and designing, developing, evaluating, and continuously improving new AP courses and exams.  

About the Opportunity   

As an Instructional Designer within the AP Instructional Design department, you will play a key role in the development of innovative educational content for a portfolio of new AP courses. Your work will focus on prototyping, testing, and refining new course components, as well as developing clear requirements for content that will shape the future of AP offerings. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure that prototypes evolve into high-quality, scalable instructional materials. You will also contribute to the piloting process, supporting the Executive Director who leads this phase, to ensure that new components are tested and refined based on real-world classroom data.  

In this role, you will:  

• Develop Content Requirements: Collaborate with subject matter experts to translate research findings into clear, actionable requirements for new content while ensuring alignment with AP standards and goals.  

• Lead Instructional Prototyping Efforts: Develop and refine prototypes for various components of new AP courses or instructional resources, such as sample topics, course skills, instructional approaches, and project-based learning tasks.  

• Collaborate on Testing: Conduct small-scale testing of prototypes to gather feedback and data, ensuring that new components meet educational standards and effectively engage students. Support the Executive Director in the piloting process, contributing insights and adjustments based on pilot data working in partnership with Learning Engineering.  

• Contribute to Cross-Divisional Planning: Participate in the planning process for the Development and Deployment stages, collaborating with the Project Management Office and other departments to ensure smooth hand-offs and effective governance.  

Specific Responsibilities:  

Research and Frameworks (10%) 

• Support Curricular Analysis: Provide research and feedback support to the curricular analysis team and contribute to developing course design recommendations for consideration by College Board leadership. 

• Ensure Alignment with Standards: Collaborate with subject matter experts to develop a framework for the course to ensure that the requirements align with educational standards, college credit requirements, and AP’s strategic goals.  

Prototyping and Testing (40%)  

• Develop and Refine Prototypes: Work with senior leaders and cross-functional teams to create instructional prototypes for new course components, such as a project, sample topic, course skills, instructional approaches, and integration of industry-recognized credentials (IRCs).  

• Conduct Small-Scale Testing: Plan and execute small-scale tests of prototypes to gather feedback from stakeholders and ensure that the new components are effective and feasible for broader implementation working with Learning Engineering.   

Developing Requirements and Instructional Resources (40%)  

• Respond to Feedback from Prototypes: Work closely with subject matter experts to evolve prototypes based on testing outcomes, ensuring that the final product meets the required standards for quality and alignment with AP goals. 

• Translate Prototypes into Requirements: Develop detailed, actionable requirements for new content based on the outcomes of the prototyping and testing phases to guide development of assessments, instructional resources, and professional learning.  

• Manage Instructional Fellows or Subject Matter Experts, as needed, to support the development of requirements and instructional resources. 

Cross-Divisional Planning and Collaboration (10%)  

• Support Planning for Development and Deployment: Participate in cross-divisional planning efforts, contributing to the development of high-level project plans, governance structures, and timelines for the Resource Development and Deployment stages.  

• Facilitate Collaboration: Work with other AP departments and external partners to ensure that all aspects of the content development process are coordinated, with a focus on smooth transitions between project phases.  

About You  

You are a creative force in the world of instructional design, driven by a passion for crafting engaging, innovative educational experiences. You thrive in environments that allow you to explore new pedagogical approaches and bring fresh ideas to life. Your background is broad and flexible, giving you the confidence to dive into unfamiliar content areas and quickly become a subject matter expert. You are meticulous in your work, balancing creativity with a strong attention to detail, ensuring that every prototype you develop is not only imaginative but also practical and effective. Your love of learning is matched by your commitment to collaboration, as you work closely with cross-functional teams to refine and perfect instructional content that meets the highest standards.   

You have: 

• 7+ years of experience in instructional design, curriculum development, or educational content creation, with a focus on prototyping and testing.  

• A broad and flexible pedagogical knowledge, with the ability to dive into new content areas and adapt to a variety of instructional approaches.  

• A passion for innovation, always looking for opportunities to reimagine what high school education can be in the 21st century.  

• Strong project management skills, with the ability to keep projects on track, manage resources effectively, and adjust plans as needed in the face of new information or challenges.  

• A high bar for quality, ensuring that all instructional materials you create are polished, well-researched, and ready for implementation.  

• Excellent writing skills, particularly in creating materials for both teachers and curriculum developers, with a focus on clarity, engagement, and instructional effectiveness.  

• A collaborative mindset, working effectively with cross-functional teams, including curriculum and assessment experts, to bring your instructional designs to life.  

• A strategic and inclusive leadership style: you set clear priorities, build effective team structures, plan for future needs, and foster a culture of belonging. 

• A proven ability to drive performance and growth: you set high expectations, deliver real-time, evidence-based feedback, and coach team members to take smart risks, stretch their skills, and achieve meaningful impact. 

• Ability to travel (up to 15%)  

• Authorized to work in the United States.   

All roles at College Board require: 

• A passion for expanding educational and career opportunities and mission-driven work 

• Curiosity and enthusiasm for emerging technologies, with a willingness to experiment with and adopt new AI-driven solutions and comfort with learning and applying new digital tools independently and proactively.  

• Clear and concise communication skills, written and verbal 

• A learner's mindset and a commitment to growth: welcoming diverse perspectives, giving and receiving timely, respectful feedback, and continuously improving through iterative learning and user input. 

• A drive for impact and excellence: solving complex problems, making data-informed decisions, prioritizing what matters most, and continuously improving through learning, user input, and external benchmarking. 

• A collaborative and empathetic approach: working across differences, fostering trust, and contributing to a culture of shared success 

• Authorization to work in the United States 

About Our Process   

• Application review will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days. 

• While the hiring process may vary, it generally includes: resume and application submission, recruiter phone/video screen, hiring manager interview, performance exercise such as live coding, a panel interview, a conversation with leadership and reference checks.    

What We Offer 

At College Board, we offer more than a paycheck- we provide a meaningful career, a supportive team, and a comprehensive package designed to help you thrive. We’re a self-sustaining nonprofit that believes in fair and competitive compensation grounded in your qualifications, experience, impact, and the market. 

A Thoughtful Approach to Compensation 

• The hiring range for this role is $112,000 - $160,000 

• Your exact salary will depend on your location, experience, and how your background compares to others in similar roles at the College Board. 

• We aim to make our best offer upfront, rooted in fairness, transparency, and market data. 

• We adjust salaries by location to ensure fairness, no matter where you live.