Curriculum Designer Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a curriculum designer. Feel free to use our curriculum designer job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a curriculum designer.
Who is a Curriculum Designer?
A curriculum is simply defined as a set of courses, coursework, and course content offered at kindergarten, high school, and university. Curriculum Designers are also known as instructional coordinators or Curriculum developers who design curricula and also work closely with teachers, organizations, and clients to ensure that these educational programs are implemented or executed. They create suitable learning materials for students and they also observe classes to see what will be appropriate and what will not be appropriate for them.
A curriculum designer is referred to as a professional designer whose responsibility involves strategic planning and designing a school’s curriculum. This professional utilizes his or her expertise to ensure that proper learning takes place in the school environment. He or she achieves this by evaluating students’ test results as well as working closely with other teachers to decide the best strategy to improve quality education in the school.
Teachers’ training is also the responsibility of the professional curriculum designer; it is his duty to mentor teachers in the field of teaching. They also assist their colleagues in incorporating curriculums into their teaching and also aid them in designing their own. They work very hard to meet up with the necessities of individual teachers and students.
They also observe lessons; although they don’t do this frequently they can be called upon to do such. This is to ascertain how efficiently the curriculum they designed is effective in the school. For instance, if teachers find it very difficult to make their notes then a curriculum designer can draft notes and also add other essential information to the note. This could involve changing textbooks, teaching styles, utilizing different technology, or sometimes changing the whole curriculum.
To become a successful curriculum designer, you must be able to discern how the learning process works and be prepared to work together with a wide range of professionals in the field of education. In addition, you need to also possess strong project management abilities, excellent technical writing, and research and communication skills.
Curriculum Designer Job Description
Below are the curriculum designer job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a curriculum designer job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The followings are the duties and responsibilities of a curriculum designer:
- Observes teachers and the appropriate feedback to improve their teaching skills
- Conducts research and collaborates with policymakers, subject experts, educators, and other professionals to develop quality curricula and learning materials
- Establishes a feasible timeframe or deadline to accomplish set goals and objectives highlighted in the curriculum
- Formulates stimulated lesson plans and recommends interesting additional learning resources
- Works closely with other writers, graphic designers, and web designers to create new learning resources
- Monitors or observes students’ progress in learning and makes relevant modifications to curriculums
- Collects feedback from clients, students, and teachers
- Expands networks of curriculum designers, educators, and other professionals
- Develops a range of digital resources to enhance or optimize classroom learning and ensure ongoing learning outside of formal settings
- Sets up tests, exams, and other formal and informal assessments to ascertain the effectiveness of curriculums in schools
- Formulates supplementary teacher and students guide and other resource packs
- Researches innovative methods of instruction and teaching lessons
- Analyzing school educational programs to ensure they meet up with state’s criteria
- Researches and approves technology material such as computers, software programs, and tablets
- Trains students and teachers to be able to utilize the proper technology materials.
Qualifications
- A bachelor’s degree in education or a related discipline
- A master’s degree in education or a related field
- Past proven experience with curriculum development
- Proven experience in writing lesson plans
- Experience in how to teach and work in a classroom or classroom management skills
- Additional courses in instruction design
- Strong digital and technological skills
- Research and writing skills
- Excellent collaboration, written and verbal communication skills
- Great networking and interpersonal abilities
- Strong planning skills, vision, and creative intelligence
- A passion for education
- Familiarity with educational software programs
- Strong technical writing skills
- Compassion
- Excellent time management skills
- Strong knowledge of computers
- Detail-oriented
Essential Skills
A curriculum designer must possess these skills and competencies to be proficient in performing his or her responsibilities and they are:
- Communication Skills: curriculum designers need to possess excellent communication skills to be able to communicate with other teachers, educators, and clients. They must be able to pass a message across and carry everyone along. Communication skills are also required for them to collaborate with a team of experts to design a curriculum that will impact the learning environment.
- Project Management: Curricula designers are also known as curriculum developers; they must be able to have excellent project management skills For them to be able to design a curriculum that will serve the school. One of the core aspects of project management is setting up goals and objectives and the timeframe you want to achieve them; curriculum designers must set up targets in their schools and must be very sensitive to cross-check if all these goals are achieved; this is what project management is all about.
In addition, project management also involves planning; curriculum designers can plan a project that will be used in the next five years and can modify it if it is not giving them the appropriate result.
- Organization and Record-Keeping: curriculum designers must have organizational skills to organize learning resources and educational modules for both teachers and students. Teachers in the institution look up to them so they must be very organized with the kind of learning resources they recommend to students.
In addition, curriculum designers are researchers based on their duties and responsibilities; they must be able to research the curriculum they develop if it is working or not. They are responsible for keeping these records of research for future reference. In addition, they also keep records of curriculums, files, and other learning materials that will be needed for future reference.
- Computer and technological skills: curriculum designers need to have a decent level of comfort with understanding basic web design concepts. Students in the present age rely heavily on online resources to keep up with their current coursework. Curriculum designers should know strategies for formulating and maintaining web-based curriculum materials.
They should also make research on the latest innovation in online software for education and recommend it to students if necessary.
How to Become a Curriculum Designer
An individual considering becoming a curriculum designer must follow the steps highlighted below:
- Enroll for a Bachelor’s Degree
The minimum qualification to become a curriculum designer is a bachelor’s degree in childhood education, special education, educational management, or any related course.
Acquiring a bachelor’s degree, first of all, depends on your area of interest, you need to choose an undergraduate course that focuses on the subject you want to teach. For instance, if you want to become a curriculum designer for science classes in high school, you may need to consider acquiring a degree in chemistry, biology, or physics to get a better understanding of the curricula you may be designing in such subject areas. You may also consider focusing on high school education to have a great understanding of the educational system you want to pursue.
This degree usually takes four years to complete but some employers may prefer a candidate with a master’s degree for the role of a curriculum designer but it is not possible to have a master’s degree without enrolling for a bachelor’s degree. The foundation starts from acquiring a bachelor’s degree and you should acquire a bachelor’s degree in the course or subject you will love to teach. During the bachelor’s degree; you will get to learn curriculum design, classroom management, and how to use technology in the classroom.
- Acquire a master’s Degree
The role of a curriculum designer is a top-notch role in education; some employers will prefer a candidate with a master’s degree for this position. A master’s degree usually takes 18 months to complete and it is requisite for a curriculum designer or instructional coordinator. The best master’s degree courses for a curriculum designer are M.S. in Educational Leadership or an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction.
During the master’s degree process, professional curriculum designers learn the latest in developing and executing curriculum standards, how to work with a team, and how to take leadership responsibilities at schools. These are the kind of skills that curriculum designers need to have to stand out when looking out for a job.
- Acquire Classroom Experience and complete a Teaching Internship
As a curriculum designer, you need to have classroom experience to be able to be successful in your responsibilities. Acquiring a classroom experience gives a curriculum designer a firsthand opportunity to understand how to make adjustments to ensure that students are benefiting academically from the curriculum they designed. An established curriculum developer typically has experience in working with textbooks, lesson plans, and technology which can help them to develop a new curriculum effectively.
A teaching internship can provide you with the extra experience in a classroom and groom you for a career in developing curricula. Internships can help you to learn how to teach small courses, assist with developing lesson plans, and grade students’ assignments. Internships may enhance the experience section of your resume and help you decide if a career as a curriculum designer is suitable for you.
According to researchers, a professional curriculum designer needs to work for five years before they can get their first job placement.
- Earn a Teaching Certification
A curriculum designer needs to possess a teaching license and certification. The requirement varies from state to state, and each state has its license examinations. Some states or regions may require additional licenses such as certification in the course subject you want to teach. These courses may cover principles of curriculum writing and curriculum theory. After you have completed your certification, you can focus on the grade level you want to work with. You may choose to work in a high school, elementary school, or even preschool. This depends on your passion that is if you want to groom toddlers or teenage children.
- Draft a Strong Resume
Drafting a strong resume can show job recruiters your potential as a curriculum designer candidate. You should highlight all your experiences, educational qualifications, skills, and accomplishments to prove your worth. You draft your objective statement that summarizes your career objectives, most valuable skills, and experiences and includes it.
- Apply for Open Positions of a Curriculum Designer
Do thorough job research to discover the available job positions of a curriculum developer; once you stumble on a job position that supports your career goals. You can proceed to draft a customized resume for the job position and you should also include your contact information so that it will be easy for the employer to seek more information or schedule an interview. It is also important for you to write an excellent cover letter and specifically apply for that position.
In addition, include writing samples and links to the academic articles you have published research papers about curriculum design. This research paper can be your undergraduate or postgraduate research.
Where can a Curriculum Designer Work?
Curriculum designers work primarily in the educational sector; they can work in schools, offices, universities, and other organizations. Curriculum designers usually work in kindergarten or K-12 grade schools, both private and public. They are primarily responsible for formulating and approving teaching resources and educational guidelines. Government agencies, educational support, trade schools, staff development programs, and universities may also need curriculum designers to design training classes or course work. The job of a curriculum designer is very lucrative and there is a wide range oppo of unities for working in multiple educational environments at the same time. Many work environments find curriculum designers relevant, including government settings and training programs.
Curriculum Designer Salary
- The salary of a curriculum designer in the United States ranges from $67,603 to $83,273. The average salary is $75,473. The salary depends on the experience of the curriculum designer and the educational environment he or she is working in.
- In Nigeria, an individual working as a curriculum designer earns around 365,000 NGN per month. Curriculum developer salaries vary drastically based on experience, gender, skills, and location.