Description

Senior Manager, Design: K-5 Spanish Language Arts

At Curriculum Associates (CA), we believe a diverse team leads to diversity in thinking, making our products better for teachers and students. If you read this job description, feel energized by what you see here, and believe you could bring passion and commitment to the role, but you aren’t sure you meet every qualification, please apply! Above all, we are looking for the right person!

Do you want to work at a mission-driven company that is making an impact on education for millions of students across the country?  We are looking for a talented and collaborative Senior Manager, Design to bring engaging and innovative design to our portfolio of Spanish Language Arts curriculum products.

The Senior Manager, Design reports to the Design Director, Spanish Language Arts and is responsible for working independently­­—as well as with the internal design team, editorial team, and with key stakeholders­­—to help define, develop, produce, and manage engaging design solutions for students and teachers from conception through to the completed product. Successful candidates will thrive in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment, and will have a passion for exploring and working to solve issues of inequity within education.

The impact you’ll have:

• Team Up with the Design Director, Spanish Language Arts, and the broader CA Design Team to establish creative direction, and define the user experience, for new core and supplemental Spanish Reading products (print + digital), using iterative and collaborative design techniques
• Create unique and compelling design solutions that promote a sense of fun and engagement, and ensure continuity and cohesion between print components and their digital counterparts
• Lead + Manage the design and user experience of product components, layouts, and features with a focus on teacher and student usability, never losing focus on the idea that engaged learners are better learners
• Collaborate with other team leads and cross-functional Product Design team members, ensuring solutions are research-driven, user-focused, highly engaging, and relevant to students of various abilities and varied demographics
• Contribute to establishing Design Best Practices for all phases of product development, including the creation and implementation of style guides, templates, spec sheets, branding guidelines, process documentation and streamlining of design and production workflows.
• Develop innovative products in collaboration with educators and industry leaders to create culturally responsive resources for the students and teachers we serve

What we're looking for:

• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, or similar creative field, or a comparable level of experience
• 7+ years of experience in the K-12 education space, children's publishing and/or media required, with a focus on Language Arts/Spanish Language Arts/Reading preferred
• 5+ years of experience in print design processes and production, including layout, page composition, image manipulation/preparation and careful attention to typography
• Experience developing and implementing a product-specific visual design plan – including the interiors of multiple components, covers and product packaging – from prototyping through production, while remaining true to the product guidelines established
• Experience implementing Design Thinking and User-Centered Design practices to define, build, test, and deliver effective and engaging experiences – print + digital
• Familiarity with UX artifacts (Personas, User Journeys, Wireframes, User Flows, etc.) to inform prototyping for internal review and user testing.
• Experience leading design efforts with internal staff, freelancers, and design vendor partners to deliver high-quality educational products 
• A willingness to mentor and educate other designers, provide art direction, and guide development teams through unfamiliar processes
• Highly detail-oriented and developed organizational skills including the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and a love of collaboration
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to rapidly exercise independent judgement, along with the ability to present and articulate Design/Art/UX strategy to non-designers
• Expert level Adobe CC (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), and Microsoft Office
• Working knowledge of prototyping and collaborative tools (Adobe XD, Figma, Mural, etc.) and a willingness to explore and implement new tools or applications as needed
• Proficiency in Spanish required

A plus to have experience with:

• Design systems and repeatable patterns
• WCAG accessibility standards for digital content
• Understanding of HTML, CSS & other web standards
• Agile methodology and workflow

Portfolio submission required to be considered

Location: Remote USA or Brooklyn, NYC or Billerica, MA

Benefits and Pay Range:
 

Pay Range – This role’s range is $69,250- $118,250. The wage range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that Curriculum Associates considers in making compensation decisions based on our Compensation Philosophy. Actual base pay within that range will vary based upon several factors including, but not limited to, prior experience and relevant skill sets. At Curriculum Associates, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances for each case. This role is also eligible to participate in the company bonus plan. The Company recognizes that minimum wage varies by location and will ensure all compensation decisions comply with applicable state and local laws.
 

Benefits – Benefit eligible employees (and their families) are covered by medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. Employees can enroll in our company’s 401k plan and receive an employer match. Employees have access to a flexible vacation and sick policy in addition to twelve paid holidays and a winter office closure between Christmas and New Year's, as well as a number of additional perks and benefits.