Associate Director - AP Music Theory, Curriculum and Assessment

Associate Director, AP Music Theory, Curriculum and Assessment 

College Board – AP&I

Location: This is a remote role. Candidates who live near College Board offices have the option of being fully remote or hybrid (Tuesday and Wednesday in office). All College Board employees are required to occasionally travel to meet in person for business purposes.

Role Type: This is a full-time position

About the Team 

The AP Curriculum and Assessment Team at College Board (125+ staff) collaborates with colleagues across all aspects of the AP Program to develop, manage, and deliver AP’s 43 courses in a wide variety of subject areas. AP® is a rigorous academic program built on the commitment, passion, and hard work of students and educators from secondary schools and higher education. AP provides willing and academically prepared high school students with the opportunity to study and learn at the college level. AP’s course teams composed of educators and disciplinary experts ensure that course curricula are aligned to higher education expectations and reflect the state of the art in the discipline, contribute to instructional resources and tools for teachers, and develop assessments that allow students in these courses to demonstrate their mastery of course content and skills. AP leads in strategic use of AI to expand student access, strengthen instructional design and professional support, and enhance assessment creation and exam analysis.  The World Languages and Arts department, which includes Spanish Language, Italian Language, French Language, German Language, Chinese Language, Japanese Language, Latin, Music Theory, Spanish Literature, and Art and Design, is currently composed of approximately 27 people supporting 12 courses in the AP portfolio.  

About the Opportunity

As the Associate Director, AP Music Theory, you are responsible for supporting the creation, sourcing, and review of musical scores, audio excerpts, and test questions for use on the AP Music Theory Exam and formative assessments. In this role, you'll collaborate closely with the AP Music Theory Course Experts who lead all operational assessment development activities. The Associate Director may also provide assessment development support in other subject areas. You will ethically and effectively integrate AI technologies in assessment development and review. This includes judiciously using AI-assisted tools to support fairness, validity, and innovation in AP assessments. You may also train subject matter experts on assessment development protocols, translate between academics and technical experts (psychometricians), and collaborate to develop formative assessment materials and resources to support AP Music Theory.

In this role, you will: 

Assessment Development and Scoring (80-90%) 

• Set musical scores in Sibelius to specifications for use in AP Music Theory Exam materials. Add annotations in Adobe Illustrator and export SVGs for delivery to internal graphics team

• Edit audio to specifications using Adobe Audition and convert audio files using Adobe Media Encoder. Place audio files in digital test questions using item authoring and banking system

• Proof musical scores and audio 

• Review and edit alt text for musical scores

• Source audio and musical score stimuli material for multiple-choice questions

• Compose original stimuli for multiple-choice or free-response questions

• Assist in submitting requests to use third-party stimuli to internal permissions team and in tracking permissions status for stimuli

• Support AP Music Theory Course Experts in the review process (internal and/or external) for all stimulus materials, and adapt future stimulus identification and selection process based on internal and external acceptance criteria (e.g., permissions, Development Committee review, etc.)

• Support AP Music Theory Course Experts in reviewing assessment content (formative, summative, scoring materials), recommending revisions based on established item review criteria

• Leverage generative AI to improve quality and efficiency of assessment processes and outputs. 

• As needed, collaborate with AP Music Theory Course Experts to facilitate multiple face-to-face, weekend meetings, and virtual meetings (during workweek, evenings, or weekends) annually with the AP Test Development Committee

• In collaboration with AP Music Theory Course Experts, support the successful scoring of student responses for AP Exams at the annual scoring event in person and online—the “AP Reading”—and produce post-Reading publications materials for teacher and student use

Assessment Quality and Process (10-20%)

• Contribute to developing best practices in assessment and engage regularly with AP Curriculum & Assessment colleagues to align on standards and shared principles guiding AP’s assessment directions

• Support assessment workstreams within the World Languages and Arts department

• Contribute to processes for efficient, high-quality assessment development

• Monitor and improve stimulus quality, reliability, and fairness

About You 

You have: 

• A master's degree in music theory or a directly related discipline and knowledge of current trends in the discipline 

• Expertise in music theory with experience in standardized assessment development or related work; experience with digital assessment preferred

• Experience developing music theory and aural skills assessments in the form of teaching, assessment writing, and/or digital publications editing 

• Facility with music software, especially music notation software and audio editing software

• Strong oral and written communication skills, with solid technical proficiency and a customer-focused mindset

• Excellent organizational and planning skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and maintain close attention to detail, including proofreading

• Demonstrated ability to implement processes and procedures, manage project plans and schedules, and maintain tracking documentation

• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across all levels, and engage in giving and receiving constructive feedback

• Ability to travel 6-8 times per year, plus up to two additional weeks for the AP Reading

All roles at College Board require:

• A passion for expanding educational and career opportunities and mission-driven work

• Curiosity and enthusiasm for emerging technologies, with a willingness to experiment with and adopt new AI-driven solutions and comfort with learning and applying new digital tools independently and proactively. 

• Clear and concise communication skills, written and verbal

• A learner's mindset and a commitment to growth: welcoming diverse perspectives, giving and receiving timely, respectful feedback, and continuously improving through iterative learning and user input.

• A drive for impact and excellence: solving complex problems, making data-informed decisions, prioritizing what matters most, and continuously improving through learning, user input, and external benchmarking.

• A collaborative and empathetic approach: working across differences, fostering trust, and contributing to a culture of shared success

• Authorization to work in the United States

About Our Process  

• Application review will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.

• While the hiring process may vary, it generally includes: resume and application submission, recruiter phone/video screen, hiring manager interview, performance exercise such as live coding, a panel interview, a conversation with leadership and reference checks. 

What We Offer

At College Board, we offer more than a paycheck: we provide a meaningful career, a supportive team, and a comprehensive package designed to help you thrive. We’re a self-sustaining nonprofit that believes in fair and competitive compensation grounded in your qualifications, experience, impact, and the market.

A Thoughtful Approach to Compensation

• The hiring range for this role is $60,000 - $100,000.

• Your exact salary will depend on your location, experience, and how your background compares to others in similar roles at the College Board.

• We aim to make our best offer upfront, rooted in fairness, transparency, and market data.

• We adjust salaries by location to ensure fairness, no matter where you live.

You’ll have open, transparent conversations about compensation, benefits, and what it’s like to work at College Board throughout your hiring process. Check out our careers page for more.