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Cato Institute

Curriculum Lead, Sphere Education Initiatives

🇺🇸 Hybrid - Washington, District Of Columbia 🕑 Full-Time 💰 $90K - $120K 💻 Instructional Design 🗓️ September 2nd, 2026

Edtech.com's Summary

The Cato Institute is hiring a Curriculum Lead for Sphere Education Initiatives. This role involves leading the development, implementation, and evaluation of interdisciplinary curriculum suites for middle and high school levels, managing project scope and strategy, and collaborating with various teams and stakeholders to scale print and digital educational offerings.

Highlights
  • Lead curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation for interdisciplinary educational resources.
  • Conduct curriculum mapping to ensure alignment and coherence across programs.
  • Perform needs assessments to identify market gaps and develop strategies accordingly.
  • Collaborate with scholars, curriculum contributors, and publishing, digital, and design teams.
  • Manage project budgets and schedules to ensure timely delivery.
  • Requires 5+ years of experience in curriculum development, publication, and evaluation, preferably in K12 social studies or economics.
  • Experience in textbook publishing and working with illustrators, editors, and printing companies preferred.
  • Strong knowledge of education standards such as C3 and UDL.
  • Salary range is $90,000 to $120,000 annually, based on experience.
  • Benefits include medical, dental, vision insurance, HSA contributions, paid leave, 401(k) with employer match, and other employee perks.

Curriculum Lead, Sphere Education Initiatives Full Description

Curriculum Lead, Sphere Education Initiatives
Washington, DC • Initiatives

Job Type
Full-time

Description

The Cato Institute seeks a dynamic and forward-thinking Curriculum Lead to oversee and evolve the curriculum strategy for Sphere Education Initiatives. Reporting to and working with the Associate Director, this individual will focus on scaling the growth of print and digital curriculum offerings across disciplines for middle and high school levels. 

The ideal candidate must possess a strong expertise in curriculum mapping, development, implementation, and evaluation. In addition, demonstrated experience in managing the scope, strategy, and execution of these curriculum projects is essential. Experience in textbook publishing is preferred. 

This position may be based in Washington, DC, or performed remotely. 

The projected salary for this role is $90,000 - $120,00 per year, commensurate with experience and demonstrated skill. 

About Cato
 
The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization — a think tank — dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Its scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research on a wide range of policy issues.

Founded in 1977, Cato owes its name to Cato’s Letters, a series of essays published in 18th-century England that presented a vision of a society free from excessive government power. Those essays inspired the architects of the American Revolution. And the simple, timeless principles of that revolution — individual liberty, limited government, and free markets — turn out to be even more powerful in today’s world of global markets and unprecedented access to information than Jefferson or Madison could have imagined. Social and economic freedom is not just the best policy for a free people; it is the indispensable framework for the future.

The Cato Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Responsibilities 
  • Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of new interdisciplinary curriculum suites and resources.
  • Conduct curriculum mapping to ensure alignment, coherence, and progression of respective suites and programs. 
  • Perform ongoing needs assessments with the curriculum team to identify market gaps and implement strategies to address them. 
  • Work closely with stakeholders, including scholars and curriculum contributors, to align curriculum with organizational goals. 
  • Collaborate and communicate effectively across internal and external publishing, digital, and design teams to execute projects.
  • Develop budgets and oversee schedules to ensure the timely delivery of projects with allocated resources. 

Requirements
Education and Experience 
  • Background in K12 teaching with a preference for social studies or economics.
  • 5+ years of professional experience managing curriculum development, publication, and evaluation. 
  • Proven ability to develop and implement a full-scale curriculum in both print and digital formats. 
  • Experience collaborating with illustrators, editors, and printing companies. 
  • Preferred experience with textbook publication. 
  • Alignment with the vision and principles of the Cato Institute and Sphere Education Initiatives.
Skills: 
  • Strong understanding of education standards and frameworks, including C3 and UDL.
  • Ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment. 
  • Strong attention to detail, quality, and accuracy. 
  • Excellent analytical thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and effective communication skills.
To Apply:
Please submit the following materials:
  • CV/Resume 
  • Cover Letter

Benefits:
All Cato employees are offered the following benefits:
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Employer contribution to a Health Savings Account (HSA)
  • Generous vacation and sick leave
  • Paid parental leave
  • Employer-provided life and disability insurance
  • 401(k) with employer match
  • Transit/Parking benefits
  • Pet discount plan

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. This position does not offer visa sponsorship.