Program Development Instructor; SME – AI & Machine Learning

Overview

Under the general supervision of a program lead, the Professional Program Development Instructor will collaborate with UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) staff to design and develop a cohort-based professional learning program. This work is a “work for hire” focused on the design and creation of program materials. The development timeline, scope, and deliverables will be established during the planning phase and agreed upon by all parties.

The Program Development SME serves as the primary subject matter expert in AI & Machine Learning and works in close partnership with an assigned learning experience designer (LXD), program lead, and other UC Davis support team members. The SME will collaborate closely with the LXD to ensure instructional quality, alignment with learning outcomes, and adherence to UC Davis instructional standards.

The targeted domain for this UC Davis Professional Program is AI & Machine Learning.

• Collaborate actively and professionally with a learning experience designer throughout the full program development lifecycle, including planning the project, establishing timelines, and delivering agreed-upon milestones.
• Design the overall curriculum structure for a technical AI and Machine Learning bootcamp, including defining learning objectives, sequencing instructional content, and articulating program-level outcomes in the syllabus.
• Develop detailed curriculum components, including module outlines, learning activities, assessments, and applied project requirements aligned with industry standards in AI and machine learning.
• Curate and align existing online learning content from third-party platforms (e.g., Coursera or similar providers) to support defined program learning objectives.
• Develop hands-on learning activities using real-world datasets, including coding exercises and labs reflecting end-to-end machine learning workflows.
• Design the parameters, scope, and learning objectives for a real-world, project-based experiential learning component, delivered in partnership with a third-party experiential learning provider (e.g., Riipen or similar platforms).
• Contribute subject-matter expertise to ensure program content reflects current and emerging practices in artificial intelligence, machine learning, mathematical concepts, and related technologies.
• Participate in structured review cycles and incorporate feedback from UC Davis stakeholders to refine and improve program content.
• Deliver agreed-upon development artifacts, which may include content maps, curriculum outlines, assessment frameworks, rubrics, project briefs, and supporting instructional materials.

The resulting program will represent approximately 250–300 hours of structured learning, plus significant time for hands-on labs, applied project work, and portfolio development using real-world datasets, delivered over an approximately 3–6 month period, depending on final program design.

This role is focused on the design and development of a technical AI and Machine Learning bootcamp and does not include instructional delivery, facilitation, mentoring, or learner support during program delivery. Instructional delivery will be handled by a separately contracted instructor. The same individual may be considered for both roles under separate agreements.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data science, machine learning, engineering, statistics, or a closely related field (or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience), plus five or more years of professional experience developing, deploying, or working with AI and machine learning systems.
• Proficiency in core AI/ML tools and programming environments, such as Python, Jupyter Notebooks, and common frameworks (e.g., scikit-learn, Tensor Flow, PyTorch), as well as experience working with real-world datasets.
• Demonstrated experience with the end-to-end machine learning workflow, including data preprocessing, model development, evaluation, and basic deployment concepts.
• At least 2 years of experience as a trainer, instructor, teacher, lecturer, or facilitator, including experience teaching…