Open to opportunities

David McDonagh

@davidmcdonagh

Message

Academic Administration Director and TEFL educator driving ELT program management and LMS-driven change.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I’m looking to lead academic operations and ELT program change—driving curriculum transitions, LMS migrations, and accreditation-ready systems while partnering with faculty to deliver measurable student outcomes.

I’m an Academic Administration Director and TEFL-certified educator with extensive international experience in English Language Teaching (ELT) and program management across Saudi Arabia and Thailand. I specialize in operational leadership for large-scale academic programs, including directing full-cycle administration, academics, and student assessment.

At King Faisal University Preparatory Year Deanship English Program (Al Ahsa), I led a major institutional shift—from a Pearson-based curriculum to the National Geographic Learning (NGL) Pathways series—coordinating curriculum overhaul, new course materials, and external vendor alignment. I also managed platform migrations and digital resource integrations, replacing the previous PEC system with the National Geographic Spark platform and leading LMS deployment across Google Workspace, Moodle, MyEnglishLab, and intranet systems.

I’ve built strong credibility through accreditation and compliance work, directing CEA and NCAAA activities and delivering successful re-accreditation (August 2022) for a further 10 years. I direct academic calendar transitions, grade and reporting processes for 4,000 students taught by a cross-cultural faculty of 120 teachers, and I guide curriculum and assessment projects, including a successful move from in-person to online and then to a permanent hybrid model.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Academic Administration Director

Current

King Faisal University

Sep 2020 - Present (5 years 7 months)

Directed the transition from a Pearson-based curriculum to the National Geographic Learning Pathways series and migrated PEC to the National Geographic Spark platform for 4,000 EAP students supported by 120 cross-cultural teachers. Managed academic calendar conversion to semesters, deployed LMS and intranet systems (Google Workspace, Moodle, MyEnglishLab, KFU Banner/Portal), and led CEA/NCAAA accr

Curriculum Transition Moodle National Geographic Spark Academic Accreditation (CEA NCAAA)Academic Calendar Planning Google Workspace NCAAA

English Teacher & Team Lead

King Faisal University

Aug 2018 - Sep 2020 (2 years 1 month)

Led a team of teachers through 4 nine-week quarters, providing monthly classroom observations and performance reviews while supporting curriculum and assessment operations. Taught EAP and produced weekly student performance reports on Moodle for formative and summative academic results.

EAP Instruction Summative Assessment Classroom Observations Lesson planning

English Teacher & Lead Teacher

National Industrial Training Institute

Mar 2018 - Aug 2018 (5 months)

Led a cohort of 400 trainees with 20 teachers through an academic training segment, teaching ESP to industrial workers from Saudi Aramco and Arkad Engineering and Construction. Delivered lessons using iBooks, iPads, and SmartBoards.

ESP IBooks IPad Learning Smartboard

English Teacher & Coordinator

Chiang Mai University

May 2015 - Mar 2018 (2 years 10 months)

Coordinated and advised curriculum for foreign teachers and supervised curriculum development projects for the Academic Department and Chinese Exchange Programs. Taught part-time General English, EAP, IELTS, TOEIC, and ESP, and supported special projects for university faculties and Thai government ministries.

EAP Instruction IELTS TOEIC Teaching ESP

English Teacher (Vocational)

Chiang Mai Vocational College

Nov 2013 - Sep 2016 (2 years 10 months)

Taught vocational students across five semesters (3 full-time, 2 part-time) covering English Conversation, Writing, Workplace English, Job Application English, and English for Tourism. Organized English camps, judged speaking/demonstration competitions, mentored students (including Rotary Youth Exchange students), and taught part-time General English, EAP, IELTS, TOEIC, and ESP.

English For Tourism Workplace English IELTS TOEIC ESP Instruction Mentoring English Camps And Competitions

English Teacher (Secondary)

Phibunmangsahan School

May 2013 - Sep 2013 (4 months)

Taught English conversation for high-school juniors and seniors at a Thai government secondary education institution. Participated in assemblies, English camps, clubs, school trips, and other extracurricular activities.

Conversation Student Engagement Lesson planning