Director of Training Content & Curriculum

About the Organization

Upwardly Global is a national workforce development organization that connects work-authorized, college-educated immigrants to skill-aligned professional employment across the United States. We address one of the country’s most significant economic inefficiencies: more than 2 million highly educated, work-authorized immigrants are underemployed, representing over $40 billion in annual forgone wages and untapped productivity for the American economy.

Our model works. Jobseekers enter our programs earning an average of $9,000 per year and are placed in roles averaging $67,000 per year. To date, we have supported an estimated 35,000 job placements, contributing billions in earnings to the U.S. economy.

Upwardly Global is data-driven, economically accountable, and built for scale. We are committed to leveraging AI to its fullest potential, driving operational efficiency, jobseeker readiness, and national economic impact. We operate nationally, partnering with leading employers, workforce agencies, and policymakers to ensure that global talent becomes an American advantage.

About the Role

The Director of Content Training Content & Curriculum leads the strategy, design, and continuous improvement of the training and learning content that powers Upwardly Global's jobseeker programs. This role owns the curriculum and learning experience our jobseekers move through- from career readiness and job search strategy to interviewing, networking, and U.S. workplace navigation- and ensures it is rigorous, culturally responsive, and accessible to adult learners with diverse professional backgrounds and varying levels of English proficiency.

Reporting to the Chief of Programs and managing an Instructional Designer, the Director partners closely with Programs leadership, Products & IT, Monitoring & Evaluation and other cross functional teams. This is a strategic leadership role focused on content vision, quality, and relevance. The Director does not need to be a practicing instructional designer, but must have a solid working understanding of instructional design concepts in order to effectively manage, guide, and evaluate the work of their direct report.

Key Responsibilities:

Content Strategy & Development

• Set and own the content roadmap for jobseeker trainings, prioritizing development based on learner needs, program goals, and labor market trends.
• Lead the design, development, and continuous improvement of curriculum across the jobseeker journey (e.g., career readiness, job search strategy, resumes and personal branding, interviewing, networking, and U.S. workplace culture).
• Ensure all learning content is culturally responsive and accessible to adult immigrant and refugee learners, accounting for diverse professional backgrounds and a range of English-language proficiency.
• Establish and maintain content standards, templates, style guidelines, and a quality-review process to ensure consistency across all materials.
• Review and update training content on a regular cycle to ensure it remains accurate, current, and relevant to evolving employer expectations and the realities of today's job market.

Labor Market & Hiring Trends Awareness

• Stay continuously up to date on trends and changes in the job market, including shifts in hiring demand, in-demand skills, and industry expectations.
• Maintain a current understanding of what employers are looking for in candidates and how recruiters and hiring managers are conducting interviews (e.g., new formats, assessment methods, and screening practices).
• Track how AI is changing the hiring landscape- including AI-driven applicant screening and ATS tools, AI-assisted or automated interviews, and candidates' own use of AI in their job search- and ensure jobseeker content reflects these shifts.
• Translate these insights into timely updates to training content so that jobseekers are always prepared for the current hiring landscape.

Instructional Design & Learning Experience

• Apply adult learning principles and instructional design best practices to create engaging, outcomes-driven learning experiences.
• Design across multiple modalities- live virtual workshops, self-paced e-learning, blended learning, facilitator guides, and job aids- selecting the right approach for each learning objective.
• Oversee the use of learning technologies, including the learning management system (LMS) and content authoring tools.
• Partner with the data and evaluation team to design assessment architectures that reliably measure what participants know, can do, and are ready for, and use data to improve both content and delivery.

AI & Innovation

• Leverage AI tools to develop, update, and scale learning content more efficiently, and identify opportunities to apply AI across the content lifecycle.
• Ensure training content equips jobseekers to use AI tools effectively and responsibly in their own job search (e.g., resume tailoring, interview preparation, research) while maintaining authenticity and integrity.
• Champion a culture of experimentation, staying current on emerging AI tools and practices relevant to learning design and workforce development.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner with Program leadership and frontline coaches to identify content gaps, surface learner needs, and ensure training translates into real-world results for jobseekers.
• Equip coaches and facilitators with the materials, facilitator guides, and train-the-trainer support they need to deliver content effectively.
• Gather and incorporate feedback from jobseekers, coaches, and program staff into ongoing content iteration.
• Engage subject-matter experts and external partners as needed to strengthen content quality and relevance.

Team Leadership & Management

• Manage, coach, and develop the Instructional Designer, setting clear goals and supporting professional growth.
• Manage content-related vendors, contractors, or subject-matter experts as needed.
• Contribute to Programs strategy and planning as a member of the broader Programs team.

Qualifications:

• 7+ years of experience in learning and development, content/curriculum development, education, or a closely related field, including experience managing or mentoring others.
• Demonstrated ability to lead content strategy and ensure learning materials are high-quality, relevant, and aligned to learner needs.
• Experience in workforce development, adult education, or designing learning for diverse, multilingual, or immigrant/refugee adult populations.
• Solid working understanding of instructional design concepts and adult learning principles
• Familiarity with learning technologies such as content authoring tools and learning management systems.
• Demonstrated comfort using AI tools in content development or learning
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver high-quality content on deadline.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Commitment to Upwardly Global's mission and to serving immigrant and refugee professionals.

Summary Benefits package offered by Upwardly Global:

• Paid time off: 160 hours per year (20 days)
• Paid sick time: 72 hours per year
• Health and wellness time: 16 hours per year
• Floating holidays: 16 hours per year
• Birthday holiday
• Parental leave: 12 weeks with supplemental pay up to 100% of salary
• Medical insurance: Upwardly Global pays 85% of the premium
• Dental and Vision insurance
• Short-term disability plan: 26 weeks at 60% pay, up to $1,000 per week; Upwardly Global pays the full premium
• Long-term disability plan: up to retirement age at 60% pay, up to $10,000 per month; Upwardly Global pays the full premium
• Life and AD&D insurance: Upwardly Global pays the full premium
• 403(b) retirement plan: 100% match on the first 3% of income, with a one-year vesting schedule
• Benefits and healthcare coverage begin on the first day of the month following the start date