Who We Are

NWEA® is a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 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.

What You’ll do 

The Staff Learning Scientist applies deep expertise in learning science to design and evaluate theoretically coherent K–12 education products. They partner with LSE leadership and lead cross-functional teams in developing learning models that are expressed as ontologies and knowledge graphs that underpin product development and validation. They think flexibly and creatively about applying research within product constraints and communicate complex ideas clearly to non-experts. 

Responsibilities: 

• Develop and refine models of K-12 student learning grounded in educational research. Lead the design and implementation, and analysis of research studies that examine K-12 ELA constructs and their functional relationships. 
• Independently apply deep expertise across multiple teams and stakeholder groups. Identify areas of improvement, bring alignment around shared goals, and lead execution of those initiatives.
• Work closely with other learning scientists, engineers, UX researchers, product managers, and other subject matter experts (SMEs) in the service of developing and iteratively refining products that help K-12 teachers make instructionally relevant decisions.
• Provide hands-on support with tasks that benefit from a learning-expert perspective, including learning-focused user research or data analysis to evaluate the learning effectiveness of specific product features or understand student learning outcomes.
• Translate quantitative and qualitative research expertise into rigorous validation studies that test and refine cognitive models of student learning. 
• Provide leadership and mentorship to more junior colleagues in the service of developing and iteratively refining products. These colleagues include learning scientists and senior learning scientists.
• Provide clear, concise documentation of findings, including white papers, internal informational memos, technical reports, or standard operating procedures.

What you will need 

Education & Experience: 

• A PhD in developmental psychology, ELA, or Reading education, curriculum and instruction, cognitive psychology, or a related field.
• 8+ years relevant job experience, preferably designing or evaluating educational technology (experience can include a leadership role on a funded research project)
• Achievement of national recognition in the field (e.g. widely published, serves on federal grant review boards, serves on grant advisory boards)

Skills & Competencies:

• Deep expertise in ELA education, with demonstrated knowledge in at least one grade band (K–2, elementary, or middle school) or a focused area such as literacy development, classroom technology or personalized learning.
• Proven experience applying learning sciences to the design, development, or evaluation of educational products or learning environments, through commercial work or funded research.
• Strong understanding of ELA content standards across multiple grade levels and the instructional implications of those standards.
• Solid knowledge of ELA learning models and learning progressions, including how skills develop and connect across grades.
• Experience using quantitative and qualitative research methods, as well as student performance data, to inform learning models, standards alignment, and instructional decisions.
• Technical fluency with common learning science and product tools (e.g., Office tools, data analysis tools such as SQL and Python), with the ability to quickly learn new tools as needed.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage senior leaders and cross-functional partners effectively.
• Serves as the Learning Sciences subject matter expert, providing guidance and oversight across projects and initiatives.
• Strong project management skills, able to guide complex initiatives while managing dependencies, scope, and timelines.
• Contributes to strategic planning, staffing recommendations, and process improvement, including agile workflows.
• Takes ownership of deliverables and outcomes while mentoring and supporting junior team members.
• Brings creativity, sound judgment, and a collaborative approach to solving learning challenges and improving systems.

Salary range: 115k – 134k.

Application Deadline: The application window for this position is anticipated to close on Mar 2, 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.