Jobs That Make a Difference: Director of Content Development

At Cengage Group, our mission-driven culture creates jobs that make a difference in the lives of learners. Working here means having a direct impact by helping students around the world discover the power and joy of learning. From Account Executives to Quality Assurance Managers, our people help give learners the choice in how, where and what they learn.

We spoke with Shirelle P., Director of Content Development for Gale, Cengage Group’s library research business, about why she is passionate about developing educational content for learners, educators, and communities.

 

 

How does your role and the work you do help students and learners?

As the Director of Content Development, my organization is a customer-focused, market-driven group of content professionals. Our main objective is to create and provide high-quality content and instructional materials for our databases and eBooks, catering to K12, public, and state consortia customers. I work closely with various internal and external stakeholders to ensure high quality content and instructional materials are ingested into our digital products to provide learning solutions that impact students in a positive way.

What is something you're proud of that has impacted learners?

Educational content provides students and teachers with a world of imagination through factual information that is needed to learn and grow, leading to a brighter future. I am immensely satisfied with the content my team provides for our customers. Over the past few years, we have collaborated with our vendor partners to develop exceptional content for our customers, including topic overviews, lesson plans, assessments, topic trees, experiments, curricular sidebars, and new content sets, to name a few. Our Gale In Context product suite is well-known and highly regarded in the K12 market, impacting the lives of millions of students globally. It feels very rewarding to know that the content we develop contributes to positive learning outcomes, helping students achieve their educational goals.

What motivated you to work at Cengage Group and in edtech?

I have always loved the education industry. In college, I focused on identifying a career path that would allow me to utilize my writing, communications, research, and analytical skills. While attending a job fair in college, I stopped at the Gale table and was amazed at the work the team was focusing on in the public, academic, and K12 markets. I immediately realized this was the perfect organization for me. At Gale, a part of Cengage Group, I have held several roles in the content organization that have allowed me to lead efforts that change the lives of students. Therefore, I come to work daily with the knowledge that my projects have a lasting impact on the future of others. It serves as a constant reminder that obtaining a good education is the key to unlocking limitless possibilities for students.

Based on your experience, what is the strongest element of Cengage Group’s culture?

The culture at Cengage Group is inspiring, as we have a diverse, equitable and inclusive working environment that respects differences, which allows everyone to bring their authentic selves to work. There are seven Employee Resource Groups that staff can join, including: Mosaic, PRIDE, Women in Technology, Green, Mental Health Alliance, Disabilities & Chronic Illness Coalition, and Parents & Caregivers. The ERGs are a fantastic way to interface with colleagues who have common interests. Outside of ERGs, the various business units within Cengage Group create fun activities, provide flexible working environments, and support causes that are important to employees. Colleagues also celebrate and embrace the distinct cultures of our workforce, which creates an enjoyable employee experience, as we drive and bolster diversity together.

What has kept you at Cengage for your entire career?

I have stayed at Cengage Group because I love what I do. I enjoy a challenge, and I yearn to make a difference. Working here has allowed me to meet my professional goals, share my knowledge, develop my skills and ‘Embrace the Unknown’  (a core tenet of our ethos). I often tell my team that no two workdays are the same, and that excites me! I feel empowered to problem-solve, brainstorm, collaborate, and search for creative solutions, allowing me to push my boundaries. My colleagues are another reason for my long tenure at Cengage Group, as I have engaged with several intelligent, thought leaders who have positively impacted my life forever.

Why is continuous learning important?

My parents always instilled in me to “never stop learning.” Throughout my career at Cengage Group, I have emphasized professional development and growth to my team, and I have actively made it a mission to educate myself about all areas of the organization and industry. Therefore, I have consistently explored company job shadowing and mentoring opportunities, taken in-person and online courses, worked on numerous corporate initiatives, encouraged knowledge exchange, driven change, participated in the Mosaic ERG, and challenged myself to reach higher in everything that I do. Education is important, not only for our customers, but for my own personal growth as well.

Learn More:

Cengage Group employees make an impact and change the world. Here, transparency and collaboration are core values. We provide challenging careers, competitive benefits, a strong technology focus and a great team of co-workers and customers.

To learn more and apply for an open role, visit the careers section of our website.