Senior Systems Engineer → Curriculum SME at TripleTen in Columbus
Career & Market Insight
This contract role sits at an interesting intersection of senior technical practice and educational content creation — a niche skill set that's increasingly valuable as companies like TripleTen, Coursera, and Pluralsight compete for credible practitioner-educators.
Compensation context: No salary is disclosed, and milestone-based pay means earnings depend on scope and deliverable count. Comparable SME curriculum consulting rates typically range from $80–$150/hr for senior engineers in the US market. At 20–40 hrs/week over 4–6 months, total earnings could range significantly — clarify milestone pricing upfront.
Skills you'll build or strengthen:
- AI-assisted content production workflows (a fast-growing industry skill)
- Learning experience (LX) design vocabulary and process
- Curriculum architecture — sequencing, scoping, and learning objective writing
- Technical writing at senior/architect level for a professional audience
Green flags: Autonomous culture, no micromanagement, a mission-driven team with measurable outcomes (job placements). The iterative LX designer feedback loop signals a mature content production process rather than a chaotic startup sprint.
Watch for: Milestone-based pay without disclosed rates requires careful negotiation upfront. The 20–40 hr/week range is wide — clarify expected ramp and peak weeks. This is a contract, not a full-time role, so benefits and stability are limited.
For senior engineers looking to transition into instructional design, developer relations, or edtech product roles, this is a strong portfolio-building opportunity.
At TripleTen, we're building an international platform of digital re-skilling products to help people from diverse backgrounds learn new professions and build sustainable careers in tech.
Our program graduates have landed jobs at top companies like Tesla, Spotify, PlayStation, Google, and Microsoft. So far, over 5,000 students have chosen TripleTen, and hundreds of new students are joining us each month. We believe everyone can jumpstart a new career, which is why we produce quality educational content and offer intensive courses in tech complete with full access to an interactive platform, code reviews, and support from industry practitioners.
We're building a program for experienced engineers transitioning into system architecture roles. We need AI Systems Engineering practitioners who can do more than just know their craft — they need to help build the curriculum and turn their expertise into content others can learn from.
This is a content authoring role. You'll start by shaping the program syllabus based on our existing draft, then move into producing lessons using AI-gen tools — following our content guidelines, reviewing the output, and fine-tuning it until it's accurate and teachable. An LX designer will review your content and send comments back; you'll iterate from there. The best candidates are people who are opinionated about what good systems engineering looks like and what engineers need to learn, can spot when something is oversimplified or wrong, and are comfortable working in a structured production process and keeping up with deadlines.
Your audience: experienced engineers looking to level up to system architecture roles. They will spot shallow content instantly.
Format: async-first, project-based, estimated 4–6 months. We expect you to be ready to commit from 20 to 40 hrs/week.
Please submit all resumes or CV's in English.
What You Will Do
- Review and shape the existing syllabus draft — validate topic sequencing, flag gaps or unrealistic scope, and make sure the content reflects how these systems are actually built in production
- Define clear learning objectives per topic: what should a student be able to do after this lesson, not just know
- Produce lessons using AI-gen tools following our content guidelines — then review, fact-check, and fine-tune the output until it's technically sound
- Design hands-on projects and exercises that are realistic for a working engineer studying 20 hrs/week
- Write supporting content: project instructions, rubrics, and reviewer guides
- Respond to LX designer feedback and iterate on content — this is a back-and-forth process, not a one-time handoff
Requirements
- 5+ years of real-world experience as a Senior Systems Engineer with depth in your area
- Has designed and shipped systems at scale in a real company — not just coursework or side projects
- Can explain why a decision was made, not just how it was implemented
- Strong technical communication skills — ability to explain complex topics clearly to learners
- Comfortable using AI tools for content drafting and iteration
- Strong English C1+ — content will be in English for a US-based audience
- Attention to detail, proactivity and ability to meet deadlines independently
What We Can Offer You
- Milestone-based payments tied to deliverables
- Fully remote work with flexible hours
- A digital office — we use modern tools (Notion, Miro, Slack, Figma) to keep collaboration smooth
- Professional trust and autonomy — no micromanaging
- The chance to see real impact: our metric is graduates landing jobs in tech
- Join a diverse, international, and close-knit team excited to work with you
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a fully remote role with no location restrictions?
How long is the engagement and how many hours per week are expected?
How is compensation structured for this role?
Do I need prior teaching or curriculum experience to apply?
What language level is required and in what language is the content produced?
