[Hiring] Technical Curriculum Developer @Per Scholas

Role Description

We are seeking a technically-minded Technical Curriculum Developer to design, build, and maintain scalable training solutions for skilled trades in semiconductor manufacturing (wafer fabrication, assembly/test, and packaging) and advanced manufacturing.

This is a role for a technical translator: someone who can deconstruct complex semiconductor process and equipment systems and rebuild them into structured, high-quality learning modules. You bring a strong foundation in electrical, instrumentation, and PLC/controls systems, with working familiarity in vacuum technology, gas and chemical delivery, and the integrated mechanical systems that keep a fab running. You are not just a writer; you understand how fab tools and facility systems operate, and how to teach others to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot them in a cleanroom environment.

What You'll Do

• Curriculum Design and Content Development (70%)
  • Module Creation: Build interactive digital learning modules in Articulate 360 (Storyline/Rise) and Google Workspace, fully integrated into Canvas LMS.
  • Technical Documentation: Develop instructor manuals, lesson plans, facilitation guides, and learner workbooks with clear, step-by-step instructions for complex tasks such as wafer handling, tool preventive maintenance (PM), and process troubleshooting.
  • Visual & Multimedia Aids: Create technical diagrams, videos, animations, and interactive demonstrations that help learners visualize unseen processes such as plasma etch, thin-film deposition, vacuum behavior, and gas/chemical flow.
  • Hands-on Lab Design: Design practical lab exercises, diagnostic tests, and performance-based assessments for electrical, vacuum, and equipment-maintenance tasks, with rigorous cleanroom and hazardous-materials safety documentation.
  • Curriculum Architecture: Translate technical competencies into modular, progressive skill-building sequences, moving from foundational theory (semiconductor basics, fab process flow) to advanced equipment and process troubleshooting.
• Curriculum Maintenance & Feedback (20%)
  • Continuous Improvement: Synthesize feedback from learners, instructors, and field/fab SMEs to identify pain points and drive rapid curriculum iteration.
  • Content Lifecycle Management: Manage the update cycle for existing modules, adding, updating, or removing content based on changing industry standards, tool generations, and market signals.
  • Governance & Version Control: Maintain meticulous version control and technical documentation to ensure site-to-site consistency across national programs.
• Program Support & Collaboration (10%)
  • Instructor Enablement: Develop instructor onboarding materials and resource libraries, including technical reference sheets and troubleshooting guides for trainers.
  • Cross-Functional Support: Assist with program descriptions and technical marketing materials for recruitment and external partnership engagement.

Qualifications

• 1–3 years in technical instructional design or technical training content creation.
• 1–3 years in electrical, electromechanical, or equipment-maintenance roles in semiconductor fabs, advanced manufacturing, or comparable high-tech industrial environments.
• Strong technical background, with the ability to grasp and convey highly technical subject matter.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to respond clearly in live digital sessions (e.g., Zoom) or in-person training environments.

Requirements

• Technical and Industrial Expertise
  • Electrical & Controls (Priority): Demonstrable understanding of electrical systems, instrumentation, and PLC logic and troubleshooting, including the controls and RF power systems found on process tools.
  • Semiconductor Process & Equipment Familiarity: Hands-on experience or deep technical familiarity with:
    • Front-End Process Tools: Photolithography (steppers/scanners/track), plasma and reactive-ion etch, thin-film deposition (CVD, PVD, ALD, epitaxy), ion implantation, diffusion/oxidation furnaces, CMP, and wet-process/clean benches.
    • Vacuum Systems: Roughing and high-vacuum pumps (dry, turbo, cryo), chambers, gauges, and leak detection/troubleshooting.
    • Gas & Chemical Delivery: Bulk and specialty gas systems, gas cabinets and valve manifold boxes (VMBs), mass flow controllers, and slurry/chemical distribution for hazardous, pyrophoric, and corrosive materials.
    • Metrology & Inspection: Measurement, defect inspection, and test equipment used to qualify wafers and tools.
    • Automation & Wafer Handling: Robotics, EFEM/load ports, and equipment automation/communication (e.g., SECS/GEM concepts).
    • Facility & Sub-Fab Infrastructure: Ultrapure water (UPW), process cooling water, exhaust abatement and scrubbers, chillers, HVAC and cleanroom environmental controls, and basic pneumatic/hydraulic controls.
    • Cleanroom & Contamination Control: Cleanroom protocols, gowning, ESD control, and contamination/particle management.
• Instructional Design and Professional Skillset
  • Software Stack: Associate-level proficiency in Articulate 360 and Canvas LMS; high proficiency in Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides).
  • Communication: Exceptional written communication, with a proven ability to simplify expert-level technical jargon into teachable, structured content.
  • Safety Mindset: Solid understanding of industrial and semiconductor-specific safety standards and regulations (e.g., OSHA, NFPA 70E, hazardous gas/chemical handling, and SEMI guidelines such as S2/S8).

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certifications in semiconductor, maintenance, electrical, vacuum, or industrial safety disciplines (e.g., SACA Industry 4.0 Associate/Specialist, SMRP CMRT, NIMS Industrial Maintenance, OSHA 10/30, NFPA 70E).
• Instructional design or eLearning certifications (e.g., ATD Instructional Design Certificate, university-based ID certificates, Articulate 360 training, Canvas Certified Educator – Course Design).
• Experience with virtual labs, AR/VR simulations, or SCORM/xAPI content development.
• Familiarity with competency-based education (CBE) and national credentialing frameworks.

Personal Characteristics

• Learner-Centered Mindset: You design for the learner, not the content.
• Strategic Leader: You can zoom out to see the big picture while maintaining attention to instructional design details.
• People Developer: You invest in growing other designers and take pride in their success.
• Design Thinking: You approach problems creatively, iterate based on feedback, and balance innovation with practicality.
• Collaborative Spirit: You work effectively with SMEs, developers, and stakeholders who may not have design expertise.
• Quality Advocate: You have high standards for instructional quality and can articulate why design decisions matter.
• Mission-Driven: You are passionate about economic mobility and believe education can transform lives.
• Data-Informed: You use learner data and outcomes research to validate design decisions.
• Continuous Learner: You stay curious about new instructional approaches and are willing to experiment.

Compensation

For this role specifically, we are targeting a salary range of $40 - $50/hour where the difference in salary is typically determined by several factors, including geography in which the selected candidate resides, and alignment with qualifications and experience.

Benefits

• Full-Time Per Scholas team members enjoy over 40 days of paid time off each year through a mix of holidays, vacation, and sick/personal time.
• Comprehensive Medical Coverage: Benefit eligible employees can choose from multiple medical plans through Cigna or Kaiser Permanente (where available).
• Dental and Vision Insurance: Eligible employees can select from two dental plan options and a vision plan.
• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan with a current 100% employer match on contributions up to 6%.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Free, confidential, 24/7 access to counseling, legal support, and financial resources for employees and their household members.
• Parental Leave: Eligible employees are offered up to 6 weeks of 100% paid parental leave.
• Additional Benefits & Perks: Access to employer-paid life and AD&D Insurance, short-term disability coverage, and a range of voluntary benefits.