Learning Designer (6 Month Fixed-term Contract)

Contract: 6 months, full time

Background checks: Due to the nature of the work we do with global governments and partners, all employees are required to pass BPSS verification.

The role

Apolitical's high-impact online courses are developed by the Course Creation team. This team is looking for a Course Writer to create high-quality, engaging online courses for public servants. You will use your excellent writing and research skills to help public servants become more knowledgeable, motivated and impactful in their roles. We're looking for someone who loves to learn, as you'll develop content across a diverse portfolio ranging from climate to AI to leadership skills.

In this role, you'll need the ability to hit tight deadlines, manage external stakeholders to uphold valuable partnerships and find credible sources to work from. You'll get to work with expert and government partners like the University of Oxford and the World Resources Institute.

You should either have existing experience in learning design or have a background in research and writing and be interested in upskilling in online pedagogy. In addition to authoring your own high-impact online courses, this is also an opportunity to grow your skills in all aspects of learning design, from facilitating design workshops to developing effective pedagogical approaches, overseeing filming and interacting with public servants.

The Team

Apolitical is a high growth organisation of just over 50 people. You would join the Course Creation team, a group of Learning Designers and subject matter experts who report to line managers and are overseen by the Head of Course Creation. Course Creation are a lovely bunch, bias aside. We care about our colleagues and are passionate about our mission.

Role breakdown

• Content Development
  • Research and write comprehensive, accurate, and engaging course materials.
  • Ensure all content is tailored to meet the needs of public servants and adheres to our company's tone and style.
  • Collaborate with external partners, experts and our network of public servants to ensure technical accuracy and relevance of content.
• Instructional Design
  • With in-house training, design and develop courses that are engaging, effective, and aligned with best practices in online pedagogy.
  • Incorporate interactive elements, assessments, and multimedia to enhance the learning experience.
• Stakeholder Management
  • Work closely with internal and external stakeholders to understand requirements, gather feedback, and ensure content meets user needs.
  • Communicate effectively with team members and stakeholders to manage project timelines.
  • Adapt content based on feedback and changing requirements.
• Project Management
  • Manage your time and commitments, ensuring all deadlines are met.
  • Maintain detailed records of project progress and communicate status updates regularly.
  • Identify and mitigate potential risks to project timelines and deliverables.

You'll need

• You should either have existing experience in learning design or a solid background in research and writing (and an interest in upskilling in online pedagogy).
• An editorial instinct - as a course writer, your work will be a high-profile advert for the company, so your writing needs to be fantastic
• Strong organisational skills - good administration is a key requirement for this job, as we need to keep projects on track and deliver courses on time
• Great communication and stakeholder management skills - you'll partner with Apolitical staff from across the company, and you'll liaise with external parties
• Initiative - you're a proactive and independent worker, quick to understand tasks, and keen to problem-solve
• To be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment - you're adaptable and happy to juggle a range of tasks
• To care about our mission - you're excited to help us develop innovative online learning content for public servants
• Curiosity - as a start-up, we're constantly testing how to most effectively deliver our ambitious mission. This means you need to be open and willing to try new things and change direction when needed

Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. Apolitical is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.