Director of Curriculum Development

Director of Curriculum Development

CONTRACT POSITION | REMOTE - TEXAS TRAVEL | EST. APRIL 2026 – MARCH 2027

ABOUT THE DEFENSIVE LINE

The Defensive Line (TDL) is a suicide prevention nonprofit based in Texas founded after

the loss of Ella Thomas. TDL's mission is to end the epidemic of youth suicide,

especially for young people of color, by transforming the way we communicate and

connect about mental health.

After five years of design, implementation, and measurement, TDL is now formalizing its

flagship D-LINES training program into a nationally scalable, train-the-trainer model for

educators, coaches, youth-serving professionals, and caregivers. This role will lead that

transformation.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

TDL is redesigning its D-LINES Suicide Prevention Training (V2) to serve a national

audience through three delivery modalities: facilitator-led in-person, facilitator-led virtual,

and asynchronous online. The new training will be available grounded in culturally

responsive, trauma-informed pedagogy informed by a national Advisory Board of 15–17

subject matter experts and community leaders. The Director of Curriculum will be the

engine of this build — translating Advisory Board input, existing V1 training materials,

and evidence-based best practices into a complete, scalable curriculum suite.

POSTION SUMMARY

The Director of Curriculum Development is a 12-month contract role responsible for

leading the end-to-end design, development, and documentation of the TDL D-LINES

V2 training. Working closely with TDL leadership and a national Advisory Board, this

contractor will ensure the new training is content-rich, culturally grounded,

trauma-informed, accessible (UDL/ADA-compliant), and ready for scale.

This is a high-ownership, highly collaborative role. The right candidate brings deep

curriculum design expertise, comfort with sensitive mental health content, and the ability

to synthesize diverse community voices into coherent, effective learning experiences.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

ADVISORY BOARD FACILITATION & SYNTHESIS

• Lead the redesign of the existing D-LINES training into a fully documented V2 curriculum suite (45/60/90-minute versions; in-person, virtual, and asynchronous modalities)
• Write and iterate on learning objectives, lesson plans, facilitator scripts, case studies, and scenario libraries in alignment with Advisory Board direction
• Develop a scenario library representing diversity across race, gender, sport, and geography
• Build trauma-informed, culturally responsive content guardrails into every module
• Ensure all content aligns with evidence-based suicide prevention best practices (Safe Messaging Guidelines, AFSP, SAMHSA)
• Design caregiver/parent take-home plain-language resources

ADVISORY BOARD FACILITATION & SYNTHESIS

• Prepare materials for and support facilitation of all six (6) Advisory Board meetings (bi-monthly, 90 minutes each)
• Synthesize Advisory Board input into clean, actionable curriculum drafts within 5 business days of each meeting
• Manage the monthly Board Review Packet: 1-page progress update artifact for review feedback form
• Track and incorporate async board feedback between meetings

FACILITATION DESIGN & TRAINER DEVELOPMENT

• Develop and refine the Facilitator Guide and train-the-trainer certification curriculum
• Design 45/60/90-minute run-of-show structures for both in-person and virtual delivery
• Build facilitator preparation checklists, discussion guides, and timing tools
• Collaborate with TDL leadership on facilitator recruitment criteria and certification standards

ACCESSIBILITY & QUALITY ASSURANCE

• Ensure all training materials meet UDL (Universal Design for Learning) and ADA accessibility standards
• Develop readability standards for plain-language caregiver resources
• Review all materials for alignment with TDL's harm-minimization language standards (Safe Messaging Guidelines)
• Coordinate with TDL on credentialing/badging pathway documentation

PROJECT MANAGEMENT & PILOT

• Support preparation for and debrief from the training pilot session (target: October 2026)
• Maintain a project timeline aligned to the Advisory Board meeting calendar (April 2026 – March 2027)
• Deliver all materials in organized, version-controlled shared files

DELIVERABLES BY MILESTONE

Foundation & Onboarding

April – May 2026

Onboarding complete; V1 training audit delivered; target audiences confirmed; landscape analysis of comparable mental health trainings; state training requirements documented; research repository

initiated; learning objectives outlined; Advisory Board kickoff meeting facilitated

Architecture & Design

May - June 2026

Full curriculum suite outline (45/60/90 min; in-person, virtual, async); scenario framework designed; filming RFP drafted; production team identified; Advisory Board Meeting 2 materials prepared (scripts, tone, scenarios)

Content Development & Filming

June – August 2026

Core curriculum written; filming completed and cataloged; scenario library built; Advisory Board

Meeting 3 materials prepared (scenario library architecture); filming participants and trauma-informed interviewer secured

Review & Accessibility

August – September 2026

UDL/ADA compliance review complete; plain-language caregiver resources drafted; content

refined based on Advisory Board feedback; Advisory Board Meeting 4 facilitated (accessibility

resources); Safe Messaging Guidelines audit complete

Pilot & Facilitation Design

October – November 2026

Facilitator Guide written; facilitator training curriculum designed; run-of-show drafts for all versions (45/60/90 min) completed; pilot session delivered and debriefed; structured feedback integrated; Advisory Board Meetings 4–5 facilitated (facilitation flow pilot)

Finalization & Launch Ready

December 2026 – February 2027

All pilot feedback integrated; credentialing/badging documentation complete; add-on module outlines

delivered; complete V2 curriculum package finalized (all versions, all modalities, facilitator guide, caregiver resources, accessibility documentation); Advisory Board final review facilitated; handoff to TDL for go-to-market

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

• 5 years of curriculum design experience, preferably in adult learning, professional development, or public health education, behavioral health
• Demonstrated experience designing trauma-informed and/or culturally responsive content
• Strong writing skills ability to translate complex concepts into clear, engaging instructional content
• Experience managing stakeholder feedback processes and synthesizing input from diverse voices
• Comfort working with sensitive mental health content, including suicide prevention
• Proficiency with Google Workspace
• Strong experience with e-learning and learning management systems
• Ability to work independently in a remote, fast-paced nonprofit environment

PREFERRED

• Background or certification in mental health, social work, public health, or education
• Familiarity with Safe Messaging Guidelines (AFSP, SAMHSA) for suicide prevention content
• Experience with UDL and/or ADA compliance in educational materials
• Prior work with BIPOC communities or culturally specific mental health programming

To apply, please submit the following to info@thedefensiveline.org

1. Resume or CV
2. Portfolio or writing samples showing curriculum design work (at least 2 examples)
3. Brief cover letter (no more than one page) describing your experience with culturally responsive curriculum design and your approach to trauma-informed content

Applications reviewed on a rolling basis. Position open until filled.