Kenzie Academy is a design and coding school breaking down the barriers to entering tech and challenging the oppressive student loan system. We offer a 1-year program as a new alternative to traditional colleges. We aim to tackle a major opportunity gap in America by developing a new talent pool and attracting technology jobs to Middle America. We'll achieve this by applying a forward-thinking education model, including project-based learning, critical thinking, and soft-skills training.
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THE OPPORTUNITY
Kenzie Academy is hiring a FULL-TIME REMOTE SOFTWARE ENGINEER TO CREATE CURRICULUM for our software engineering students. Salary is negotiable.
This is a unique opportunity to serve communities otherwise overlooked by the tech industry. You will interact directly with students, facilitators, and instructors to continually iterate on lessons and activities.
In this role, you will have the OPPORTUNITY TO GROW A WIDE RANGE OF SKILLS. As you observe new cohorts coming through the program each quarter, you will hone your verbal and visual communication skills, constantly gaining new understanding into how our students engage and learn. You will have the freedom to continually learn the latest frameworks and best practices in order to keep the curriculum current.
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By improving our educational resources, you are helping Kenzie Academy ensure that students are placed in well-paying tech jobs. Because our business model relies on students paying back a portion of their income, your role is a critical piece of our overarching business goals. You will report to the Head of Academics and you will be responsible for communicating the goals and vision of the courses you work on to the instruction and facilitation staff.
HOW WE WORK
Our REMOTE team is distributed across the continental US. We default to asynchronous communication via Slack, Asana, Airtable, and Dropbox Paper. Otherwise, your HOURS ARE FLEXIBLE AND NEGOTIABLE.
We're structuring the curriculum team to attract individuals who are passionate about teaching the next generation of tech workers, and changing the face of the tech industry. We hope that our workplace flexibility removes barriers that are all too common in the tech industry. Whether you use that flexibility to care for your family, yourself, your community, or the planet—we believe that balancing our energies allows us to deliver our best selves to our students.
Where more clear expectations are desired, we work loosely within an agile framework. We leverage kanban boards to organize our work and we meet every two weeks for sprint review and kick-off.
Inclusion & Diversity
Our students come from diverse backgrounds and a majority of our student body identifies with groups underrepresented in tech. This is possible in large part to our income-share agreement (ISA) which allows students to enroll with just a $100 deposit, then pay for their tuition once they get a job. Through our Kenzie Hope pilot program, we are extending ISAs to Dreamers and formerly incarcerated persons who otherwise would not qualify.
WSJ: KENZIE ACADEMY RAISES $100 MILLION IN DEBT TO PAY FOR STUDENTS' EDUCATION
We host two annual diversity summits and a weekly book club focusing on underrepresented voices in tech. We are continually questioning our systems and processes, including ongoing interviews with students and staff to highlight potential bias.
Kenzie Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Kenzie does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business need.
Stress & Mindfulness
Both traditional colleges and modern bootcamps can be extremely stressful for students. While Kenzie Academy is rigorous and demanding, we strive to consider our students' mental health as we build out systems and structures that largely dictate how they spend a year of their lives. We encourage mindfulness throughout the curriculum, practice active listening, and generally start meetings and interactions by “checking in” — sharing how we're feeling (emotionally and/or physically) and what we're thinking (what might be distracting us).
WHO YOU ARE
We're looking for a SOFTWARE ENGINEER OR DEVELOPER excited to up the stakes from coding apps to developing careers. We have the privilege of interacting with our “users” in person, every day! We're always improving and constantly adapting to the changing needs of our students and the tech industry. We do not hire recent graduates of coding bootcamps as we already have an amazing pool of Kenzie graduates.
Coding Background
You are proficient in at least two of the following:
Desired Traits
Responsibilities
You will be responsible for defining the structure of a course, curating and creating content, and designing activities and projects. You will report to the Director of Learning Science and collaborate with other curriculum developers.
MORE INFORMATION ON KENZIE ACADEMY
Why Kenzie
Kenzie Academy was founded to tackle a major opportunities gap. Fast-growing technology companies concentrated in expensive coastal cities are struggling to hire tech talent. Meanwhile, a large population of aspiring individuals across the country could help fill these talent needs. Kenzie's mission is to EQUIP PEOPLE FROM MIDDLE AMERICA WITH THE NECESSARY SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND ACCESS NEEDED TO BUILD SUCCESSFUL CAREERS IN TECH.
Who We Serve & Where We Work
Kenzie believes access to the forward-looking education required for modern careers should be available to the the best and brightest, regardless of where they come from, or what their financial circumstances are. Demographically, Kenzie focuses on creating access to well-paying tech jobs for individuals from LOWER-SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS. Geographically, Kenzie focuses on catalyzing tech ecosystems in the Midwest.
Kenzie vs. Coding Bootcamps
Kenzie Academy addresses the gap between four-year universities and short term coding bootcamps. As advancements in tech continue to accelerate, traditional universities are struggling to keep up with the latest programming technologies. While coding bootcamps attempt to tackle the skills gap through six to twelve week programs, they produce graduates who are not yet ready to fill the stringent demand of today's employers. Kenzie believes one-year programs are BETTER AT PREPARING GRADUATES FOR THE JOB MARKET.