Instructional Designer

Ignite Reading teaches kids to read.

Today, 67% of students and 82% of low-income students can’t read at grade level by the end of third grade. That’s when you are supposed to go from learning to read to reading to learn. It’s America’s number one education crisis and we know how to fix it.

Ignite teaches kids to read by providing 15 minutes a day of 1:1 virtual reading instruction. We focus on the reading fundamentals (letters, phonics, and sight words) kids need to master so they can decode a sentence. Our program accelerates reading progress 2.4x and we are disrupting how schools think about reading instruction.

Ignite launched our first school implementation in the fall of 2021. Sixteen months later, we will have grown our number of schools and students 35x.

Ignite Reading is a mission-driven public benefit corporation. We believe we can do well for our team members and shareholders while we solve one of the nation’s biggest challenges. We believe we will be more successful with a diverse team and are seeking candidates who have lived experience related to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Your Role

As an Instructional Designer at Ignite Reading, you will play a vital role in creating engaging, effective, and personalized learning experiences for our students. Your primary responsibility will be to design and develop instructional content and materials that support our mission of ensuring all our students crack the code and become automatic, fluent readers. The Instructional Designer will be a member of the Academics department and serve as the lead designer for all instructional content the Academics team develops to support students’ reading growth. In addition, the Instructional Designer will collaborate closely with other departments such as Product and Engineering as well as Tutor Operations to support the integration of content cross functionally.

Responsibilities

Curriculum Development: Collaborate with the Academics team and other team members to design and develop instructional resources to enhance our programming for K-8 students based on strategic academic imperatives connected to student outcomes. Ensure that supports continuous improvement in our student outcomes by aligning instructional design to the best researched-based approaches. 

Content Creation: Create a wide range of instructional materials, including scope and sequences, lesson plans, data responsive foundational skills activities, and other resources that enhance student outcomes.

Quality Assurance: Review and revise instructional materials to ensure accuracy, effectiveness, and relevance. Continuously update content to reflect the latest educational research, best practices, and learnings from the Academics team’s frequent program data reviews.

Product Integration: Represent the Academics team as a subject matter expert. Collaborate with the Product and Engineering team to identify innovative opportunities to incorporate resources into Ignite’s proprietary platform for seamless tutor and student use in daily tutoring sessions. Support the Tutor Operations team in developing and turnkeying new content. 

Collaboration: Work closely with all key internal stakeholders to gather feedback and make necessary improvements to instructional resources; work strategically with the Director of Literacy and the Vice President of Academics to support Ignite Reading’s instructional vision.

Accessibility and Inclusivity: Ensure that all instructional materials are designed to be accessible to students with diverse needs and abilities, including those with learning disabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Instructional Design, or a related field. Master’s degree is a plus.
• Prior experience in instructional design, curriculum development, or educational content creation in early literacy.
• Strong understanding of K-8 educational principles, foundational reading skills, and the Science of Reading.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong project management skills and the ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Familiarity with virtual tutoring or online learning platforms is an advantage.
• Advanced skills with platforms such as Google Drive, Slack, and Zoom.

We also ensure you have the tools you need to thrive both in and out of work.

• Employee Stock Options
• 401k + employer contribution 
• Medical, Dental, and Vision (80% employee coverage, 50% dependent coverage)
• Short-term disability (100% employer paid) 
• Technology Stipend
• Unlimited PTO + 12 paid holidays 
• Professional Development Stipend
• Wellness Reimbursement
• Internet Stipend
• 12 Weeks of Parental Leave
• Yearly Staff Retreat
• Voluntary Life Insurance

At Ignite Reading, we believe in building and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace environment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer where all applicants are considered for employment without attention to color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. Research shows that candidates from underrepresented backgrounds often don’t apply for roles if they don’t meet all the criteria – unlike majority candidates meeting significantly fewer requirements. We strongly encourage you to apply if you’re interested!

We are seeking candidates who have lived experience related to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are a virtual organization with headquarters in the California Bay Area.