Programme Design Lead

Programme Design Lead

Full time 12 Month Fixed Term Contract

This role is primarily remote with the possibility of working from one of our four IB Global Centres: Cardiff, The Hague, Washington DC and Singapore.

Job Purpose:

We are seeking a Programme Design Lead who will join the DP Project team in laying the foundation and creating the conditions for change necessary to deliver programme-wide innovation across the Diploma Programme (DP). The Programme Design Lead will focus specifically on defining the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values foundational to a lifetime of learning and success as they relate to 16-19 year old DP students.

This requires further defining the work and collaboratively creating a concrete plan of action that builds upon existing work.  Given how significant this change is and the early stage of the work, this role is for one year initially.  but could become a longer-term position based on how the plan evolves.

Collaboration in this role is critical to ensure that innovation occurs in a holistic, integrated manner. Not only should every element come together seamlessly to create a full DP experience, but the evolved DP should fit strategically within the context of the full IB continuum of programmes. 

This role will collaborate with the other members of the DP Project team (led by the DP Project Lead and including two other Design Leads) as well as colleagues in the Learning & Teaching, Assessment and research divisions - thought partnering, sharing innovative ideas back and forth, and leveraging related work already underway, for example through innovation groups and curriculum development processes. 

Key Requirements:

Contribute to developing a K-12 taxonomy of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to underpin the entire IB continuum.

Lay the foundation to develop those knowledge, skills, attitudes and values specifically within the context of the DP:

• Tailor the approach for the DP:
• Add detail to and /or highlight the elements of the taxonomy for which the ages of 16-19 are a crucial development period
• Develop an approach for embedding capabilities across the programme, through curriculum-review processes, across the core and consider new programme elements as needed
• Create an implementation plan that fits within the broader DP Project roadmap. The plan should include:
• A concrete multi-year workplan with phased activities, owners and timelines (that takes into consideration how current curriculum review processes fit in). Phases of work likely include:
• Prototyping phase requiring designing the content and supports necessary for testing purposes
• Piloting / Trialling phase including developing an approach to piloting / trialling prototypes and measuring effectiveness
• Delivery phase involving a rollout plan for successful initiatives that meets schools where they are at
• A cost-efficient resourcing plan that considers the current organizational structure of the IB
• A cross-divisional internal and external stakeholder communication and engagement plan for each phase of the work
• Key indicators to measure successful implementation along the way

Lead a collaborative process: Accountable for designing and facilitating internal and external workshops and other engagement mechanisms to ensure that visioning and planning results in thoughtful outcomes that are sensitive to the needs of the IB’s wide range of stakeholders

Knowledge and Experience:

• Has experience with system-level programme and/or curriculum design within complex and diverse educational contexts (for example, with national or local educational agencies or school systems, in educational research, in ed tech, with examining bodies, with educational policy or standards bodies), preferably for students age 16-19
• Has demonstrated thought leadership in programme and/or curriculum design based in broad, substantive knowledge of educational research and best practices (demonstrated for example through relevant master’s or PhD level qualification with a focus on curriculum design, assessment for learning, educational psychology, learning science, or other related disciplines)
• Has a proven track-record of planning and implementing complex change efforts, preferably ones involving iteration and collaboration in an educational context
• Has experience leading and making decisions in the context of a collaborative environment with competing needs and priorities
• Has experience engaging diverse stakeholders
• Is able to navigate ambiguity to develop a strategic, research-backed vision related to programme and/or assessment design
• Is able to think strategically and operationally - can see the big picture as well as get into the details
• Is able to commit and focus on a vision for change but can be agile and open-minded in exploring multiple pathways to achieving the vision
• Is able to structure, facilitate and synthesize discussions with diverse audiences on contemporary topics likely to attract multiple possibly competing viewpoints and define a direction
• Is able to manage complex projects and navigate complex organizational dynamics to design a plan for change
• Is able to balance a sense of urgency to enable change with the patience required to establish sustainable change - can balance productive ideation with timely decision-making
• Is able to quickly build trust and credibility as a leader with diverse stakeholders, getting people excited about a vision and achieving results through the effective influencing and management of others

Applications will be accepted until Friday 22nd October 2021

We are committed to building a working environment that values respect, diversity, and compassion. The International Baccalaureate is proud to be an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified applicants.