Job Title : Curriculum Director

Work Location: San Francisco

Reports to: Executive Director

Annual Salary: Commensurate, based on experience

The Last Mile, a non-profit based in San Francisco, is the first prison program in the US to provide in-prison software engineering training. the goal is to prepare students for employment as front-end developers and web designers post-release. Students learn HTML, CSS, Javascript, Python and more.

We believe that having a job is the key to successful reentry and breaking the cycle of incarceration. A projected shortage of nearly 1 million software engineering jobs by 2020 means that these jobs skills will be in demand. Through in-prison software engineering training and continued mentorship post-release, The Last Mile bridges the gap between incarceration and freedom.

Position Description:

The Curriculum Director is responsible for ensuring TLM programs are providing the best possible curriculum to prepare students to be competitive in the job market.  This role will provide leadership and direction for a growing team as TLM enters a period of exponential growth. Our current one year program for training full stack developers, is currently being provided through a Learning Management System to 6 facilities across California and Indiana.

The Curriculum Director will be responsible for identifying enhancements and changes to the current curriculum to ensure it incorporates the most in-demand skills by employers and the best teaching practices from our growing team of instructors.  In addition, this role will expand our curriculum to provide additional training certifications that are in-demand in industry, including QA and IT certifications, UI/UX design, entrepreneurship, and other evolving areas. This role will work directly with classroom facilitators, students, and content partners.  

Responsibilities:

• Develop replicable, scalable curricula and course materials that respond to the needs of incarcerated students with support from the Director of Programs and Curriculum Director
• Write and design new modules and tutorials to expand the breadth and depth of computer science related instruction for our students.
• Design content for pilot projects to differentiate offerings across student demographics.
• Participate in the Curriculum Team’s content development and review cycle by researching best practices in pedagogy and current technology needs, writing educational content, reviewing team members’ work, and publishing final content in the LMS.
• Prepare instructional documentation templates to communicate complex and technical information easily.
• Collaborate closely with other TLM staff including the Curriculum Director, Director of Programs, Director of Education, Academic Support Representatives, and LMS engineers to manage and refine curriculum
• Assess needs and provide recommendations on improving continuing education
• Use feedback from students and facilitators to drive curriculum updates and changes.
• Maintain a positive and supportive attitude at all times. Provide honest and constructive feedback and appropriate encouragement to students and colleagues.
• Develop frameworks for tracking student metrics and success, revamp current assignments and final assessment.

Education and/or Work Experience Requirements:

• 1-3 years of professional experience, which may include teaching young people, writing technical curriculum, or working in engineering roles.
• Experience using JavaScript to build web applications
• Knowledge of current tools, best practices, and trends in the tech industry
• Successful completion of a developer bootcamp OR a degree in Computer Science
• Embrace challenges and adopt new responsibilities with creativity, initiative, and self-direction.
• Be an intellectually curious and responsive team contributor, delivering and receiving feedback regularly, and eager to learn and stay up to date on computer science education.
• Demonstrate comfort with adjusting work to evolving priorities in a dynamic work environment.
• Believe that anyone can learn to code.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Intermediate to advanced proficiency with HTML5, CSS3, jQuery, MySQL, and/or MERN stack.
• Experience working with incarcerated individuals, at-risk youth, or similar populations.
• Curriculum development or software engineering experience.
• Knowledge of Python, UX/UI, Project Management, Web Design, and/or Native app development
• Proficiency in GitLab, especially developing lesson branches and optimizing dependencies.
• Strong writer who can craft engaging content for students, teachers, and volunteers.
• Ability or interest in leading virtual instruction or in scripting and/or being featured in pre-recorded videos
• Curious to learn new systems, tools, and technologies quickly in order to build curriculum.
• Can communicate clearly and effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Familiarity with Understanding by Design, Universal Design for Learning, and/or Agile Development Methodologies.

Work Environment:

This position will be primarily located in San Francisco, and will require visits to the TLM prison locations.

Please send resume and cover letter to jobs@thelastmile.org if you are interested.