Remote: Job may be performed from any state in the U.S.

Job Title: Principal Learning Experience Designer, Core Content Experience

Job Description

Working across teams on transformational, strategic projects, the Principal Learning Experience Designer will apply relevant experience to develop and deliver high-quality, pedagogically-appropriate, digital-first solutions that solve specific market problems shared by teachers and students. The person will typically lead the cross-functional solutioning of a variety of demonstrated market problems. The person in this role leverages data from a variety of sources and is willing and able to nurture innovative thinking across the team to develop the best solutions possible given the existing constraints. This role will also model problem-solving prowess, effective collaboration, and prioritization skills to deliver incremental value to users, and be aligned with the company’s strategic plans, as well as coach Core scrum teams to do the same. The Principal will also steward, advocate, and serve as an implementor of a consistent user experience, especially in digital.

Working in Learning Experience Design (LXD) for [Discipline], the Principal Learning Experience Designer is responsible for the following primary duties:

User Experience and Instructional Design:

• Working in collaboration and partnership with other teams, drives, defines, and/or influences the end-to-end user journey for digital experiences on HMH's teaching and learning platform.
• Leverages and applies expertise in many areas: discipline-specific knowledge, assessment, social-emotional learning, hands-on learning, differentiation, standards analysis, data analytics, multilingual learner support, accessibility, culturally responsive education, metadata, artificial intelligence, etc.
• Models flexibility across disciplines, grade bands, and projects/tasks. Supports decision-making across and within solutions.

Agile Development:

• Can serve as a Product Owner on a scrum team responsible for solving more complex teaching and learning problems. Relies on discovery and data analysis to test, develop, deliver, and iteratively optimize solutions in a variety of media formats. Guides scrum team in setting priorities. Manages the product backlog and holds the team accountable to sprint plans
• Delivers value to customers in keeping with capacity constraints, budget, interdependencies across teams, and market expectations, often arriving at and advocating for fresh, innovative solutions that surprise and delight users.
• Understands, applies, and models agile story-pointing to enable the scrum team to carry out high-quality iterative development. Adeptly uses retrospectives as a way to solve problems and improve team output and collaboration.
• May work independently with internal groups/vendors on sprint-based cross-team tasks and cross-company initiatives.
• Develops and implements change management strategies and plans as needed.

Research:

• Actively uses research to help drive team decisions to develop solutions for a wide variety of users based on market problems and needs. Knowledgeable of specific types of research methods such as observation and qualitative themes, quantitative responses, and useability testing. Collaborates with the Research team to identify goals for testing. Is ultimately responsible for ensuring that research is carried out and results implemented.

Data Analysis:

• Seeks out, applies, and synthesizes data from a variety of sources, including HMH's teaching and learning platform, to address market problems with input from key stakeholders
• If a Product Owner, ensures that the scrum team understands and utilizes usage and efficacy data (e.g., task difficulty, time on task, growth data) in order to iterate/improve upon instructional content.

Expected Skills:

Individuals working as a(n) Principal Learning Experience Designer are expected to show proficiency in the following skills:

Problem Solving:

• Innovates to develop solution alternatives that bring value based on user needs as well as business goals and constraints using Agile methodology.
• Leads cross-discipline, cross-functional problem solving efforts to minimize answer deserts and avoid/prevent churn.

Developing:

• Informs creation of user flows. Leads the creation of solutions to market problems that are supported by user research.
• Works with team to identify strategies for rapid development and to determine the kinds of content and experiences that solve market problems.

Working as Part of a Team:

• Leads team initiatives e.g., driving engagement with scrum team members. Aware of constraints and budget. Ability to determine high-level implementation needs and dependencies in coordination with other members of the scrum team. Provides clear, accurate updates to scrum team members on upcoming deliverables. Identifies any risks or blockers and proposes ways to mitigate the risks or remove the blockers.
• Takes initiative for deepening personal knowledge of and expertise in the market environment, pedagogical concerns, content issues, and process improvements.
• Coordinates with People Manager(s) as needed to mentor less senior members of the team in a way that grows strengths across all team members.

Communicating and Influencing:

• Ability to give concise and persuasive presentations to internal stakeholders to explain project/program goals and philosophy. Comfortable presenting to leadership at various levels and in various settings, and mentors scrum team members to do the same.
• Encourages scrum team to follow best practices and company norms as well as seek out improvements to content, user experience, and processes that may lead to updated corporate norms.
• Builds coalition among coworkers within and across scrum teams.

Key Competencies:

Each employee should show the appropriate level of accomplishment with these competencies as described in that document. Specifically, individuals working as a(n) Principal Learning Experience Designer are expected to demonstrate the following abilities in these key competencies:

• Focuses on Customers: Probes into customer feedback and data; uses this input to drive continuous improvement. Creates an environment in which team members feel strong ownership for creating the best possible customer experience.
• Manages Complexity: Thinks broadly about problems and appropriately incorporates new information and concepts when generating solutions. Offers penetrating questions that help others get to the heart of complex situations; stimulates others’ analyses and helps them find strong solutions.
• Cultivates Innovation: Rallies and inspires people to develop breakthrough solutions; is a leader of cutting-edge innovation.
• Applies Business Insight: Provides compelling messages about how people’s efforts make a difference to the broader organization.
• Values Differences: Builds a team culture in which differences are embraced; leverages people’s differences as a way to strengthen workgroup performance. Fluently adapts to different cultural norms and expectations; engages successfully with a wide range of people.
• Builds Effective Teams: Provides rich and targeted insight on how to establish strong teams with the right mix of abilities and perspectives. Revises processes and builds systems that create a culture of teamwork across the organization.
• Fosters Engagement: Trusts the team to make decisions and empowers them to make significant contributions. Regularly takes opportunities to celebrate efforts, progress, and everyday wins so that people feel inspired to push ahead.
• Exhibits Organizational Savvy: Secures the vigorous commitment and enthusiasm of champions and advocates. Demonstrates a clear grasp of the organizational culture and political dynamics; helps people make connections and thrive within the environment.
• Drives Results: Consistently drives initiatives/efforts to successful completion and closure in an extremely timely manner. Creates a results-focused team atmosphere; ensures that people engage in productive behaviors and don’t settle for poor performance.

What You’ll Need: