Job Opening at Learning Sandbox

Job brief

We’re looking for exceptionally skilled, knowledgeable and team-oriented Subject-Matter Experts in Biology, with a specific focus on molecular biology. You’ll join a multidisciplinary team of high-performance professionals - from subject-matter experts to creatives - who are responsible for developing premium educational content for the digital sphere. We want forward-thinking individuals who are able to unpack and communicate complex technical concepts to enable non-SMEs to produce the best work possible.

This role is not just about having the head-knowledge but also the desire to innovate with the knowledge you have, and the ability to do that effectively through cross-team collaboration. We want people who are self-motivated, passionate about the education space, and strive for nothing short of excellence when it comes to producing work of a high quality. Your primary focus will be on content development, with time given to quality-assurance and iterative reviews and a small focus on conceptualising new media to communicate your content. 

We’re looking specifically for individuals from two different categories: the first being those with experience working specifically as a high school biology teacher; and the second being those who may not have experience in the education space, or may have limited experience, but do hold an advanced qualification (Masters, PHD) in the field of Biology.  

Responsibilities

• Work closely with Learning Sandbox clients and the broader Content Team 

• Brainstorm and conceptualise topics for the digital education content produced

• Write proposals and briefs for content

• Develop and create subject content 

• Conduct quality assurance and iterative reviews of the content

• Innovate to determine which media is appropriate for their subject content 

 Requirements

• Group 1: Advanced education (Masters, PHD) in Biology with 3 or more years of work experience in relevant field ( work experience in education would be advantageous) 

• Group 2: High school biology teacher with a minimum of 5 years biology teaching experience

• Good problem-solving skills and people skills

• Excellent organisation and time-management skills

• Communication skills, both written and verbal

• Willingness to work remotely, very important

Remuneration: Commensurate with job level (senior) and education/ experience. 

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Job description:

We are looking for a UX Researcher and Designer to join the Learning Sandbox team. Learning Sandbox is an education technology consultancy based in Cape Town, South Africa. The heartbeat of our business is producing bespoke digital content while also offering strategic, pedagogical and digital asset research, design and production services. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace, where individual differences are respected, appreciated, and supported.

You will be joining a small product team, based in South Africa with a globally distributed extended team. You will be helping us take LabXchange to its next phase as well as refining some of our earlier designs and features.

The Basics:

• Remuneration: Market-related 

• Type: Full-Time

• Job level: Mid-Level

• Reports to: Lead Product Designer

• Location: Remote, with the option of coming into our shared office space in Constantia, Cape Town

• Start date: As soon as possible. 

• Must be eligible for employment in South Africa.

Responsibilities:

• Remote user testing with learners and educators.

• Asynchronous user testing, with learners and educators.

• Managing and running testing groups.

• Secondary research including comparing and analyzing similar or competitor products. 

• Data gathering and insight finding. 

Skills:

• Experience with remote testing tools (our current tool set includes maze.design and usertesting.com but we are open to suggestions). 

• Good with people, and running user interviews.

• Ability to perform all research-related tasks including research, planning, evaluating, and iteration.

• Able to ask non-leading questions.

• Basic data analysis skills. 

• Basic knowledge of Figma is preferred.

• Advocate research findings to diverse audiences through written and oral presentations.

• Advocate for inclusive software design and testing. 

Qualifications:

• A certificate in a human behaviour related field

• Over three years experience in digital or product design.

• A portfolio of design work with a focus on digital or product design.

Bonus qualifications:

• Experience in e-learning or the sciences

• Any extra certifications from HFI, IDEOU, or IDF

• Experience with OpenedX

• Experience working asynchronous with globally distributed teams.

• Experience analysing data.

The next step for shortlisted candidates is to complete a competency test.

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Job description:

We are looking for a learning designer with a passion for antiracism and inclusive education to join the Learning Sandbox team, making engaging e-learning content for a project in antiracism in science. Learning Sandbox is a young, dynamic start-up working with top academic institutions. This means you need to be flexible, versatile, and passionate about learning and researching new things as you work.

You will work with a team of graduate fellows to turn academic scholarship into short, engaging e-learning content for a lay audience. The two areas of study are racism as a public health crisis and antiracist and inclusive teaching strategies. You will also work with scriptwriters and graphic designers to create accessible, high-quality assignments, animated videos, infographics, and other teaching and learning materials. You will need to analyse audience and client needs and apply e-learning best practices. 

The basics:

• Remuneration: Market-related

• Type: Full-time, 1–year contract

• Job level: Mid to senior

• Reports to: Lead Writer and Learning Designer

• Location: Remote, with the option of coming into our shared office space in Constantia, Cape Town

• Company: Learning Sandbox

• Start date: June 2021

Responsibilities:

• Analyse academic content on antiracism as a public health crisis, and inclusive education, to turn this content into bite-sized learning experiences (text, videos, infographics, and other content types)

• Work with subject matter experts (US post-graduate fellows and faculty) to ensure learning objectives are achieved

• Collaborate with subject matter experts and creative team to communicate key ideas in antiracist theory and scholarship in an accessible and easily understandable way

• Work with graphic and motion designers to ensure the best visual treatment for concepts

• Design short, engaging teaching and learning material for an audience of high schoolers, educators, and the general public 

Requirements:

• A relevant degree and 3+ years of experience in a similar role

• Excellent English communication skills

• A passion for inclusive education and antiracism

• The ability to work both independently and with a diverse global team

• A passion for research and exploring ideas

• Ability to empathise with the audience, the client, and the subject matter expert

• Excellent work ethic and high standards

• Comfortable with receiving and giving feedback

• Knowledge and understanding of learning theories

• Experience in designing teaching and learning materials and/or lesson plans

• Ability to take initiative and be proactive

• Ability to communicate and collaborate with an international multidisciplinary team

• A keen eye for detail and excellent analytical thinking skills

Good to have:

• A background or knowledge in public health or inclusive education

• Knowledge of US education system

• Familiarity with the Google Suite and Trello

Must be eligible for employment in South Africa.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace, where individual differences are respected, appreciated, and supported.

The next step for shortlisted candidates is to complete a competency test.

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Job description:

We are looking for an experienced editor to join our team, making engaging e-learning content in science and inclusive education. Learning Sandbox is a young, dynamic start-up working with top academic institutions, so you need to be flexible, versatile, and passionate about learning and researching new things as we work. As a content professional, you believe in making content clear, engaging, and easy to understand. As an editor, you can take a scythe to a piece of clumsy prose, and you can guide a writer to make their words shine. You know your em dashes from your en dashes. You consider yourself a life-long learner and you’re dedicated to finding the best ways to ensure everyone has access to education. You’re a deep thinker, ready to get stuck into complex and unfamiliar subjects. You’re also a team player, ready to turn your hand to whatever needs doing. You thrive in collaborative environments and embrace challenges as opportunities to learn.  

The basics:

• Remuneration: Market-related

• Type: Full-time, permanent

• Job level: Senior

• Reports to: Lead Writer and Learning Designer

• Location: Remote, with the option of coming into our shared office space in Constantia, Cape Town

• Company: Learning Sandbox

• Start date: As soon as possible

Responsibilities:

• Copy-edit different types of content, mainly in science, inclusive education, and anti-racism

• Copy-edit blogs, UX copy, internal guides, and other communications where needed

• Edit alternative descriptions (alt text) for accessibility

• Contribute to the development of accessibility processes as part of the writing and learning design team

• Support in the creation and implementation of editorial style guides, and ensure consistency

• Ensure readability and digital accessibility best practices across all written content

• Edit e-learning content on inclusive education (text, videos, infographics, and other content types)

• Proofread web content before it goes live

• Guide content creators and writers to create clear copy, giving constructive feedback

• Switch between heavy structural editing, lighter editing, and proofreading where needed

• Work with learning designers and educators to ensure learning objectives are achieved

• Stay updated with best practices in social justice language

• Support other editors and writers

• Support various teams with word dilemmas and grammatical crises, and be an extra brain to bounce ideas or solve a problem

Requirements:

• Excellent English communication skills

• A degree and at least 3 to 5 years of editing experience

• A passion for accessibility, inclusive education, and anti-racism

• Awareness of power dynamics and biases in language

• The ability to work both independently and with a diverse global team

• A passion for research and exploring ideas

• Proofreading precision

• Knowledge of different publishing and editing processes

• Experience adapting to different style guides (we use The Chicago Manual of Style)

• Proficiency in US English grammar (or able to learn the rules quickly)

• Ability to multi-task and switch between different types of tasks within a day

• Excellent work ethic and high standards

• Comfortable with receiving and giving feedback to both professional writers and non-writers

• Willingness to upskill 

• Enjoys a robust discussion about grammar and style rules

Good to have:

• Experience in learning design, instructional design, or online education

• Science editing experience

• A background or knowledge in life sciences or inclusive education

• Familiarity with the Google Suite and Trello

Must be eligible for employment in South Africa

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace, where individual differences are respected, appreciated, and supported.

Please upload your CV, a brief letter of introduction, and a portfolio or writing sample. The next step for shortlisted candidates is to complete a competency test. If you don’t hear from us within 2 weeks after the deadline, unfortunately the application has been unsuccessful.

go to method of application »

Job description:

We are looking for a writer to join our team, making engaging e-learning content in science and inclusive education. Learning Sandbox is a young, dynamic start-up working with top academic institutions, so you need to be flexible, versatile, and passionate about learning and researching new things as we work. As an experienced content professional, you believe in making content clear, engaging, and easy to understand. You consider yourself a life-long learner and you’re dedicated to finding the best ways to ensure everyone has access to education. You’re a deep thinker, ready to get stuck into complex and unfamiliar subjects and research the best ways to solve a problem. You’re also a team player, ready to turn your hand to whatever needs doing. You thrive in collaborative environments and embrace challenges as opportunities to learn.  

The basics:

• Remuneration: Market-related

• Type: Full-time, permanent

• Job level: Mid to senior

• Reports to: Lead Writer and Learning Designer

• Location: Remote, with the option of coming into our shared office space in Constantia, Cape Town

• Company: Learning Sandbox

• Start date: As soon as possible

Responsibilities:

• Write alternative descriptions (alt text) and transcripts for accessibility

• Contribute to the development of accessibility processes as part of the writing team and learning design team, doing research into best practices and writing guidelines

• Work with subject matter experts and the production team to build and refine engaging e-learning content in science, anti-racism, and inclusive education

• Implement editorial style guides (we use Chicago Manual of Style)

• Write e-learning content on inclusive education (text, videos, infographics, and other content types)

• Write blog posts

• Support various teams with word dilemmas and grammatical crises, and be an extra brain to bounce ideas or solve a problem

• Support with editing and learning design where needed

Requirements:

• Excellent English communication skills

• A degree and at least 3 years of experience in content writing

• A passion for accessibility, inclusive education, and anti-racism

• Creativity and storytelling skills

• The ability to work both independently and with a diverse global team

• A passion for research and exploring ideas

• Grammatical accuracy

• Experience adapting to different style guides (we use The Chicago Manual of Style)

• Proficiency in US English grammar (or able to learn the rules quickly)

• Ability to multi-task and switch between different types of tasks within a day

• Excellent work ethic and high standards

• Comfortable with receiving and giving feedback

• Willingness to upskill 

• Enjoys a robust discussion about grammar and style rules

Good to have:

• Experience in learning design, instructional design, or online education

• A background or knowledge in life sciences or inclusive education

• Familiarity with the Google Suite and Trello

Must be eligible for employment in South Africa

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace, where individual differences are respected, appreciated, and supported.

Please upload your CV, a brief letter of introduction, and a portfolio or writing sample. The next step for shortlisted candidates is to complete a competency test. If you don’t hear from us within 2 weeks after the deadline, unfortunately the application has been unsuccessful.