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Position Summary

The Program Developer designs maps, and reviews nursing and healthcare education programs using both competency-based assessment (CBA) and concept-based frameworks. This role serves as the architect and steward of programs, ensuring alignment with the institutional mission, accreditation and regulatory standards, workforce needs, and learner pathways. The Program Developer applies nursing expertise, curriculum mapping skills, and accreditation knowledge to build and maintain program blueprints that guide course design, instructional content, and assessment strategies. The position requires a systems thinker who can translate complex standards and conceptual frameworks into clear, measurable, learner-centered outcomes. The Program Developer works across teams to support the development of new programs and the continuous improvement of existing programs to meet evolving standards and educational goals.

Salary range for this position is between $80,000 to $87,000 a year.

Essential Function and Responsibilities:

+ Translate institutional goals, accreditation standards, and labor market needs into program outcomes, concepts, and competency frameworks.

+ Lead KSAB (knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviors) and concept identification and mapping sessions with faculty, subject matter experts, and employer advisory boards.

+ Design integrated hierarchies of concepts and competencies, including program outcomes, key concepts, domains, competencies, sub-competencies, and performance indicators.

+ Ensure all statements, both conceptual and competency, are clear, measurable, inclusive, and aligned with accreditor and regulatory expectations such as seat time, RSI, and credit hour requirements.

+ Develop and maintain program blueprints that guide downstream curriculum, concept-based instruction, and competency-based assessment development.

+ Apply program-level backward design to ensure evidence, instruction, and outcomes align coherently across both conceptual and competency frameworks.

+ Work closely with the Director, Learning Content and Assessment Development to ensure program blueprints, concept frameworks, and competency structures are accurately translated into course design, instructional content, and assessment strategies. Collaborate to align upstream program mapping with downstream development timelines, quality standards, and regulatory requirements.

+ Facilitate collaborative sessions with subject matter experts, faculty, and industry partners to validate both conceptual structures and competencies against employer needs, accreditation standards, and learner expectations.

+ Review and revise existing programs to ensure ongoing alignment with updated accreditation standards, regulatory changes, labor market data, and institutional goals.

+ Identify misalignments or gaps in existing program maps, assessments, and instructional sequences, and lead improvement efforts in collaboration with faculty and academic leadership.

+ Anticipate design and delivery challenges to ensure frameworks and competencies translate effectively into courses, assessments, and clinical or practicum experiences.

+ Maintain the integrity of program maps through development, accreditation, and continuous improvement cycles.

+ Provide thought leadership in competency-based assessment (CBA) and concept-based education, advocating for inclusive, equitable program structures that meet the needs of diverse learners.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

+ Expert knowledge of nursing accreditation standards, competency frameworks, and concept-based curriculum models.

+ Proven expertise in competency-based assessment, concept mapping, program-level backward design, and program review processes.

+ Strong facilitation skills with the ability to synthesize labor market data, accreditation requirements, and educational standards.

+ Exceptional documentation and communication skills to ensure clarity and alignment across teams.

+ Familiarity with CBA, concept-based curriculum, credit hour and RSI regulations, and curriculum governance structures.

Minimum Required Qualifications:

+ Master's degree or higher in nursing, education, instructional design, learning sciences, or a related field.

+ Minimum of five years of experience in nursing curriculum development, program design, accreditation, or assessment, with demonstrated expertise in both concept-based frameworks and competency-based assessment (CBA).

+ Proven experience in program blueprinting, mapping, and reviewing and improving existing educational programs.

All new hires are required to attend New Collaborator Orientation (NCO) in Salt Lake City, Utah. The College will pay for travel and lodging accommodations.

Nightingale's commitment to diversity and inclusion is reflected both in our learners and collaborators because we believe the best outcomes for learners from underserved and diverse populations are achieved through collaborators with similar backgrounds and cultures. Nightingale College is an equal opportunity employer.

Our Mission (not just words on the wall, we live it, love it, and daily contribute to it): With the primary focus on higher learning in healthcare professions, Nightingale College contributes to elevating education, health, and employment systems through facilitation of academic achievement, personal growth, and professional development of its learners, alumni, and collaborators, while serving diverse communities.

At Nightingale College, our Innovative Education model helps transform rural health landscapes through our blended-distance learning platform. Every person involved with Nightingale College helps to change the lives of our learners, our communities, and ultimately the world by adding to the quality of healthcare. We are proud to have graduated nearly 5,000 nurses serving communities in need. We are serious about our outcomes and have a little bit of fun getting there.

The professional and personal development of our learners and our collaborators is our company's foundation. Not only do we develop strategies that promote a positive work-life integration, but we also create an environment that invites you to become an expert in your field, be it through higher education or professional development. Put simply, we elevate employment, elevate health, and elevate education. We're so happy that you've found us!

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check and drug screen.