Senior Director of K–12 STEM Curriculum & Design Management

About Ascend

Ascend is Brooklyn’s premier K–12 public charter network, committed to graduating high-achieving students who have access to boundless choice in their futures—not only through college acceptance, but through meaningful preparation for career readiness and thriving adult lives.

Across our schools, we pair rigorous academics with strong systems, supportive adult culture, and a deep belief in students’ brilliance and potential. Our work is grounded in the understanding that preparing students for long-term success requires excellence in instruction, intentional culture-building, and disciplined execution at every level of the organization.

At Ascend, adults are held to high standards because our students deserve nothing less. How we teach, lead, collaborate, and make decisions every day directly shapes the opportunities our students will have tomorrow.

Join us in shaping learning environments where curiosity is nurtured, excellence is the norm, and every student is prepared for a lifetime of boundless choice.

About the Role

Ascend Public Charter Schools seeks a Senior Director of K–12 STEM Curriculum to serve as the chief architect of the network’s Mathematics and Science curriculum across Kindergarten through 12th grade. Reporting to the Managing Director of STEM, this leader is responsible for the coherence, rigor, and vertical alignment of curriculum and assessment systems in STEM disciplines.

Ascend’s STEM program emphasizes conceptual understanding, mathematical reasoning, scientific inquiry, and equitable access to advanced coursework. Our academic design builds cumulatively from foundational numeracy and scientific literacy in the early grades to Regents mastery and Advanced Placement coursework in high school.

The Senior Director ensures that STEM curriculum sequences are intentionally designed, standards-aligned, intellectually rigorous, and vertically coherent across all schools.

Key Responsibilities

K–12 Curriculum Architecture

• Design and refine vertically aligned K–12 Mathematics and Science curriculum.
• Ensure cumulative conceptual development from elementary numeracy and scientific foundations through Algebra readiness, Regents coursework, and AP pathways.
• Lead backward mapping from Regents and AP Calculus, Statistics, and Science standards into earlier grade-level design.
• Establish clear expectations for mathematical reasoning, problem-solving, scientific inquiry, and lab-based rigor.
• Ensure coherence between elementary, middle, and high school STEM sequences.

Assessment & Academic Coherence

• Design and oversee common STEM assessments aligned to curriculum expectations and NYS standards.
• Establish clear performance benchmarks for mathematical mastery and scientific reasoning.
• Ensure assessments reflect conceptual depth rather than procedural compliance.
• Maintain alignment between curriculum scope & sequence and high-stakes Regents and AP assessments.

Curriculum Implementation Support

• Partner with the Senior Director of Teaching & Development – STEM to ensure instructional systems align tightly to curriculum architecture.
• Provide clarity around instructional intent, pacing, and conceptual priorities.
• Monitor implementation trends and recommend curriculum refinements based on performance data.
• Facilitate cross-grade alignment to ensure seamless vertical progression.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Analyze student performance data to identify curriculum gaps and opportunities for strengthening rigor.
• Conduct periodic curriculum audits to ensure vertical coherence and conceptual integrity.
• Evaluate and integrate high-quality external STEM resources where strategically appropriate.
• Anticipate evolving standards and advancements in STEM education.

Leadership & Team Development

• Manage and develop Associate Directors or subject-specific curriculum leaders.
• Build internal expertise in Mathematics and Science curriculum design.
• Contribute to enterprise-level academic planning and cross-disciplinary coherence efforts.

Qualifications

Required Experience

• 8–12 years of professional experience in K–12 education.
• 4–6 years of experience in curriculum design or academic leadership, preferably with multi-grade or K–12 scope.
• Demonstrated expertise in Mathematics and/or Science curriculum development.
• Proven record of designing or leading curriculum that improved student outcomes in Regents-level coursework, AP performance, or measurable math/science growth.
• Experience working within standards-aligned and centralized curriculum models.

Preferred Experience

• Experience in a high-performing charter network or centralized academic environment.
• Demonstrated success designing vertically aligned K–12 math sequencing or inquiry-based science curriculum.
• Experience aligning curriculum to Regents acceleration and AP expansion strategies.
• Advanced degree in Education, Mathematics, Science, Curriculum & Instruction, or related field preferred.

Leadership Profile

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Deep conceptual fluency in Mathematics and/or Science.
• Strong understanding of K–12 developmental progression in STEM disciplines.
• Precision in scope & sequence design and assessment architecture.
• Systems thinking across grade bands.
• High expectations for conceptual rigor and intellectual integrity.
• Commitment to equitable access to advanced STEM coursework.

Compensation

The salary for this position begins at $115,000. Salaries are determined using an equitable compensation scale that accounts for years of experience and levels of attained education.

Location & Work Arrangement

• Based at an Ascend school campus in Brooklyn, NY

• In-person role aligned to school-based instructional

expectations

In-person work includes daily intervention sessions, collaboration meetings, professional development sessions, and other responsibilities as determined by school leadership.

This full-time, exempt position offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching
• Generous paid time off and additional employee benefits