About One Million Degrees:  

One Million Degrees accelerates community college students’ progress on career pathways to economic mobility.  

Over 60% of students who start community college do not complete a degree or successfully transfer to a four-year institution. However, 84% of jobs in the US require skills training beyond high school. OMD’s holistic support model is designed to support community college students as they work toward degrees and careers. From tutors and coaches to financial assistance and professional development, OMD helps community college students succeed in school, work, and life, transforming their futures and the futures of those around them for generations.   

The OMD student support model is rooted in evaluation and evidence: A randomized controlled trial conducted with the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab shows that OMD scholars are 70% more likely to enroll, 94% more likely to persist, 73% more likely to earn a degree.   

Currently, OMD serves scholars in all 7 of the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) and is scaling to reach over 3,000 community college scholars by 2026. In addition to its unique partnership with CCC, OMD partners with employers across industries to build on-ramps to in-demand jobs through internships and apprenticeships. Alongside this direct service work in Chicago, OMD is also experiencing rapid growth working with higher education institutions and additional partners across Illinois and nationwide, supporting them to build holistic student support models.  

Through this growing body of work, OMD continues to have a profound impact in Chicagoland while becoming a national model for sustainable, scalable, and systemic change.   

OMD Values:  

OMD is deeply committed to our core values, as demonstrated in the work we do, our approach to change and growth, and our commitment to our staff.   

• Equity: We address historical and existing systemic inequities by taking a holistic approach to supporting students on their path to economic mobility.  
• Excellence: We hold ourselves to a high bar and provide exceptional support so that students   
• are empowered to achieve their ambitions.  
• Community: We unite around putting students first, collaborating with partners, and celebrating our collective wins.  
• Learning: We each adapt to a changing world and refine our approach to support students, community members, staff, and stakeholders along the way.  
• Amplify: We advocate for our students and share what we’ve learned as leaders in the field. 

Position Summary: 

The Curriculum and Training Specialist plays a central role in designing, developing, and maintaining high-quality curriculum for OMD’s scholar and apprentice development programs, with a strong emphasis on creating interactive, learner-centered experiences within our Learning Management System (LMS). Reporting to the Director of Curriculum, Training, and Continuous Improvement, this role collaborates closely with cross-functional teams to ensure a coherent vision for curriculum design, staff training, and facilitation excellence. 

OMD curriculum supports community college students in building the durable skills, academic behaviors, and career readiness competencies needed for long-term success. This position is ideal for a mission-driven educator and instructional designer who is passionate about innovation, adult learning, equity, and the creation of scalable, digital learning experiences. 

What You’ll Do:   

Specific duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:   

In-Person Curriculum Development & Continuous Improvement 

• Create new curriculum from concept to implementation, ensuring all materials and activities align with program outcomes and student needs. 
• Adapt and refine existing content to improve clarity, flow, and alignment with best practices, research, and student feedback. 
• Produce high-quality deliverables including facilitation guides, slide decks, scholar resources, and supporting documents. 
• Consult with staff, scholars, and stakeholders to inform curriculum innovation and improvement. 
• Support program evaluation efforts by integrating data insights into curriculum updates. 

LMS-Based Curriculum Design & Development 

• Design, build, and manage student-facing asynchronous modules within the LMS (e.g., Brightspace, Canvas, Absorb), ensuring a clear, intuitive learner experience. 
• Translate in-person curriculum into engaging, interactive digital content using instructional design best practices. 
• Apply skills in multimedia integration, assessment creation, and activity sequencing to enhance online learning engagement. 
• Ensure all digital content is accessible, aligned to learning outcomes, and grounded in evidence-based adult learning frameworks. 

Staff Training & Facilitation Support 

• Design and deliver training workshops for scholar-facing staff, both virtually and in person. 
• Support the implementation of OMD’s Standards of Facilitation Excellence through modeling, training, and structured practice. 
• Conduct curriculum reviews, which include modeling facilitation, reviewing content, and workshopping instructional strategies with staff. 
• Provide timely, actionable feedback through in-person and virtual observations, grounded in facilitation best practices and student outcome data.
• Support facilitation training for additional stakeholders such as volunteer coaches and partner organizations. 

Collaboration, Systems Building & Cross-Functional Support 

• Partner with program coordinators and managers to ensure curriculum resources are clear, user-friendly, and supportive of scholar engagement. 
• Collaborate across departments to strengthen communication, alignment, and instructional coherence. 
• Contribute to the creation of systems, templates, and processes that make curriculum and training workflows replicable and scalable. 
• Stay current on trends in online learning, adult learning theory, instructional design, community college student success, and workforce development. 

Additional Duties Performs other related responsibilities as assigned. 

Qualifications 

Education 

• Bachelor’s degree required. 
• Coursework or certification in instructional design strongly preferred. 

Experience 

• Minimum of three years of experience in curriculum or instructional design, including experience building content in an LMS. 
• Minimum of two years of teaching or facilitation experience with adult learners. 
• Experience collaborating with diverse teams and subject matter experts. 
• Professional development and staff training experience preferred. 

Skills 

• Strong instructional design skills and familiarity with LMS platforms (Brightspace, Canvas, Absorb, Articulate, etc.). 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adjust style for different audiences. 
• Strong interpersonal and presentation skills; able to engage and support adult learners. 
• Ability to give and receive feedback with clarity, thoughtfulness, and professionalism. 
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously. 
• Data-driven mindset with the ability to use evaluation results to inform design choices. 
• Proficient in Microsoft Office 365 and online collaboration tools. 

Values and Work Style 

• Deep commitment to educational equity and OMD’s mission. 
• Collaborative team member who enjoys building, designing, and problem-solving. 
• Strong cultural awareness and ability to build trust with diverse students, staff, and partners. 
• Resourceful and independent, able to complete audience-ready projects within a timeline. 

Compensation and Benefits 

• Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $55,200 -$64,900 
• Full Health Benefits –Provided for all full-time employees, including medical, dental, and vision. OMD pays 100% of individual’s basic monthly health premium and 80% dependent coverage.  
• Employee assistance program, which offers confidential emotional support, work-life solutions, legal guidance, financial resources, and more.  
• Retirement Benefits – For full-time employees, OMD offers a 401(k) plan and matches retirement contributions up to 4% of total salary.  
• Generous Paid Time Off Policy– OMD has 12 paid holidays and offers up to 15 days PTO in year one; in addition to two weeks paid time off for winter break.  
• Compensatory time for designated duties performed outside of normal work hours**  
• Monthly cell phone and internet reimbursement up to $50/month.  
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave for birthing and non-birthing parents.  
• Professional Learning Opportunities – OMD supports employee development in areas relevant to professional and organizational goals and will pay for training such as workshops and conferences as agreed upon by the employee and supervisor.  
• Hybrid Work Schedule – One in-office day required a week; other days can be remote (in-person day set by you and your manager), and additional in-office days may be needed based on organizational priorities.  

To allow OMD to set salaries based on market data and internal equity, and to ensure fair and equal pay for every role, we offer our best offer first.  

All employees are expected to work a set number of Saturdays and evening hours per year due to organizational-wide events. One Million Degrees is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation, and evaluate all candidates based on merit.  

All employees are expected to work a set number of Saturdays and evening hours per year due to organizational-wide events.  

One Million Degrees is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation, and evaluate all candidates based on merit.