Program Designer, Curriculum

The Organization: Merit America The American economy is broken. Today, 53 million working adults–nearly half of the U.S. workforce–do not earn a living wage. These talented workers have few options to advance: college is too long and expensive, full-time boot camp programs don’t offer enough flexibility, and online courses don’t have the structure or support to translate learning into a new career. The result? Talented workers, disproportionately people of color and women, get stuck in low-wage roles with no way to build a better life for themselves and their families. Merit America is a national nonprofit that creates pathways to family-sustaining careers for Americans stuck in low-wage work. Our fast, flexible solutions are built for working adults: We start by analyzing tens of millions of job postings to identify in-demand, high-paying tech careers and then work with industry-recognized partners to train for these roles with part-time programs that combine flexible online learning with best-in-class coaching. Finally, we support our learners in their job search, helping them connect with a broad constellation of local and national employers such as JPMorgan Chase and Infosys to land higher-earning, family-sustaining jobs. Merit America is on a mission to build a scalable pathway for workers to join the middle class through merit, not money. Since our founding in 2018, we’ve generated a projected $1 billion in near-term wage gains for our learners. Role Overview As a Program Designer at Merit America, you will be central to developing and enhancing our learning solutions and program models. This role focuses on creating effective, industry-aligned curricula and program frameworks that drive learner success and scalability. You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including Product, Coaching, Operations, and Admissions, to integrate best practices and innovative strategies into our programs. Your role combines strategic planning with hands-on execution, leveraging data-driven insights to continuously improve our offerings. Day-to-day, you will collaborate with teams to design, test, and refine curriculum resources and coaching strategies, directly supporting learners through customized programs while continuously analyzing data to ensure the content aligns with industry needs and learner success. The Program Designer position is an exempt role reporting directly to the Director, Program Experience & Innovation. You will primarily collaborate with the Program team and frequently engage with other functional areas at Merit America. This role requires a strong commitment to our mission and values, a proven ability to drive innovation and continuous improvement, and the capability to balance high-level strategic goals with day-to-day operational excellence. Responsibilities Designer, Curriculum: Develop and deliver integrated curriculum strategies that support learners from onboarding through job success, driving engagement, retention, and career outcomes. Design and maintain curriculum resources across learning tracks that align with industry standards, employer demands, and learner needs. Collaborate with cross-functional teams and third-party content providers to ensure scalable, current, and relevant content and instructional learning practices. Utilize data insights and learner feedback to refine curriculum content and instructional methods, improving performance and learner support processes. Maintain standards of excellence in curriculum, ensuring consistent delivery across tracks in a virtual environment. Train and support coaches, equipping them with up-to-date tools, content, and resources that enhance learner experiences and outcomes. Core Responsibilities: Curriculum Design & Development (60%): Design, curate, and customize high-quality, end-to-end learning solutions and resources for multiple tracks. Partner with the coaching team to streamline the learner experience through clear objectives, instructions…