Learning Experience Designer, ELA Multilingual Learning (Remote, US)

Newsela

20d•$60,000 - $70,000•Remote

About The Position

We are seeking a Learning Experience Designer (LXD), ELA and Multilingual Learning to be a key driver in the design and production of high-quality instructional materials for Newsela’s ELA and English Language Development (ELD) products. This role is ideal for a hands-on curriculum builder with deep expertise in multilingual learner (MLL) pedagogy and second language acquisition—and enough familiarity with English Language Arts standards to apply that expertise sharply within ELA contexts—who is passionate about creating engaging, standards-aligned lessons, texts, and assessments that give multilingual learners genuine access to grade-level content. In the near term, you’ll be a central contributor to our designated ELD curriculum for grades 9–12—supporting the design of scopes and sequences, building prototype lessons, refining AI prompts to support production, and serving as a trusted point person who reviews and guides the work of external contributors. In the longer term, this role carries opportunities for helping shape how Newsela serves multilingual learners across all of its offerings. If you have a heart for multilingual learners and love bridging research-based practice with practical, scalable content, this role may be the perfect opportunity to make a lasting impact on all of the multilingual learners who use Newsela products.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Education, Linguistics, TESOL, Curriculum & Instruction, English, or a related field.
A specialized degree, endorsement, or certification related to multilingual learner education, ELD, TESOL/ESL, or language acquisition.
3+ years of experience in K–12 curriculum development, instructional design, or content creation with a significant focus on multilingual learners, preferably for an educational technology or publishing company (school- or district-based content development experience also considered).
Strong working knowledge of multilingual learner pedagogy, second language acquisition, and ELD standards and frameworks (e.g., California ELD/ELPAC, WIDA, or ELPS), across the four language domains.
Familiarity with ELA pedagogy across K–12, including reading development, foundational literacy (e.g., phonics), and assessment best practices, particularly as they intersect with the Science of Reading for multilingual learners.
Experience developing, adapting, or scaffolding English Language Arts content—such as standards-aligned lessons, texts, or reading and writing assessments—with a demonstrated ability to apply MLL expertise within an ELA context.
Excellent English writing and editing, with a demonstrated ability to produce polished, standards-aligned instructional content and to give clear, useful feedback to other writers.
Comfort and fluency with AI tools, and an interest in using them to accelerate high-quality content development without sacrificing pedagogical rigor.
Strong organizational and verbal communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams and prioritize in conjunction with business needs.

Nice To Haves

Experience with multilingual learners across both elementary and secondary grade bands (secondary emphasis is welcome given near-term needs).
Prior classroom teaching experience with multilingual learners / English learners.
Experience contributing to a supplemental ELA product (e.g., fiction, nonfiction, or assessment content) in an EdTech environment.
Master’s degree in TESOL, ESL, Multilingual Education, Curriculum & Instruction, or a related field.
Experience managing or mentoring contributors, freelancers, or vendor teams.
Experience with digital content authoring tools or content management systems (CMS).
Familiarity with the dual language market and biliteracy frameworks.

Responsibilities

Support in the design of ELD scopes and sequences (initially for secondary grades), including the selection and vetting of grade-appropriate texts that align to language and content objectives across listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Directly write, design, and structure prototype lessons, student-facing activities, and ancillary materials that model rigorous, scaffolded instruction for multilingual learners based on established instructional frameworks and product specifications.
Develop clear formative and summative assessment items and rubrics that meaningfully measure language growth and content mastery against state-specific ELD standards and learning outcomes.
Build embedded scaffolds and differentiation—graphic organizers, sentence frames, leveled vocabulary, and translanguaging supports—so complex, high-interest content is accessible across English proficiency levels.
Support the design and iterative refinement of AI prompts that support key stages of lesson design and production, translating instructional blueprints into specifications that help us produce consistent, high-quality D-ELD content at scale.
Review lessons, providing focused editorial and pedagogical feedback grounded in Newsela guidelines and ELD best practices to ensure accuracy, fidelity to the curriculum model, and student engagement.
Support manager in developing and maintaining the rubrics, quality checklists, and naming conventions that guide contributors and AI tools, ensuring repeatability and consistency across grade levels and units.
Maintain knowledge about and act as an internal authority on state and national English Language Development standards and frameworks (e.g., California ELD Standards / ELPAC, WIDA, ELPS), ensuring all content adheres to the relevant standards across the grade-level continuum.
Apply the latest evidence-based principles of second language acquisition, biliteracy, and the Science of Reading for multilingual learners to the design of every lesson, activity, and assessment.
Ensure materials uphold the goal of grade-level access, pairing high expectations with the right language scaffolds rather than diluting rigor.
Collaborate closely with the core ELA team to integrate ELD supports into standards-aligned ELA content (prototypes, AI prompts, and pilot-unit review), applying your MLL lens to ELA lessons, texts, and assessments so they work for multilingual learners—and with product and technology teams on content digitization and platform experience.
Act as a grade-level lead and subject-matter point of contact for external contributors, fielding questions and resolving content and alignment issues across workstreams.
Prioritize and re-prioritize in line with business needs, delivering work on time and to Newsela’s standards of quality, and communicating progress and blockers proactively.

Benefits

Comprehensive medical benefits with employer contribution to premiums and to HSA accounts.
Gym reimbursement.
Pet insurance.
Free access to the Calm app.
Rocket Lawyer.
Monthly tech stipend to support WFH needs.
Parental leave.
Fertility support.
Adoption assistance.
401(k) plan with employer match.
Flexible PTO.
Paid sick time off.
Company holidays.
Winter break (Dec 24th - Jan 1st).
Annual learning and development allowance to attend external training sessions, classes, workshops, conferences, and educational materials.
Incentive stock options.