Penn State Job Catalog

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Strategic Communications - Web Strategy

The Strategic Communications Specialist - Web Strategy works within the University's Office of Strategic Communications to advance the university's web presence as a unified, data-informed ecosystem; ensures that enterprise platforms deliver cohesive, accessible, and high-performing user experiences aligned with institutional goals in enrollment, research, and reputation. Distinct from Web Designers, who focus on interface/UI execution, Web Strategists architect, govern, and optimize the web ecosystem itself, translating institutional priorities into scalable, composable, and compliant web solutions.

• Develop and maintain an enterprise web strategy aligned with institutional priorities, user needs, and brand standards
• Serve as a primary steward of the University's web ecosystem, ensuring consistency, usability, accessibility, and performance across distributed sites
• Identify and evaluate emerging technologies, web experience best practices, and ecosystem enhancements
• Design content models, taxonomies, metadata standards, and CMS structures that integrate with design system components and API-driven architectures
• Establish and enforce governance frameworks covering tone, accessibility (WCAG), SEO (classic and entity-based), taxonomy, metadata, and workflow standards
• Support distributed authors through training, documentation, playbooks, and self-guided learning assets
• Partner with colleges, campuses, and administrative units to align local web initiatives with institutional strategy
• Serve as a bridge between marketing strategy and technical implementation teams (IT, vendors, platform teams)
• Lead web initiatives from discovery and requirements definition through launch, QA, acceptance testing, and continuous optimization; conduct audits, migrations, and quality assessments
• Develop KPIs, analyze web traffic and behavioral patterns, and translate insights into actionable improvements
• Lead usability research, persona development, and journey mapping to inform content and experience decisions
• Conduct business-technology assessments to identify digitization opportunities, evaluate platforms, and recommend investment strategies
• Manage integrations involving API-driven services, data infrastructure layers, marketing automation, personalization, and related systems
• Oversee change management, risk mitigation, and compliance across security, data privacy, and regulatory domains
• Recommend content improvements and web marketing adjustments to increase engagement, satisfaction, and conversions
• Administer and optimize web marketing programs, search campaigns, keyword strategies, and multi-channel promotions
• Produce analytical performance reports for senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders
• Supervise staff members, including hiring, development, and performance management

Level:

– Senior Supervisor

Base Description:

– Supervises direct reports, but primarily completes activities, tasks, and/or projects of a functional nature.

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge to perform own work; spends majority of time on tasks related to own job responsibilities. May demonstrate subject matter expertise. Demonstrates intermediate to advanced planning, organizing, directing, and facilitating skills. Demonstrates the ability to coach assigned employees. Assigns and reviews completed work to verify accuracy, quality, and adherence to professional standards. Trains, coaches, mentors, and motivates staff. Anticipates potential problems, issues, and opportunities; researches and recommends solutions within defined policies. May develop creative recommendations for solving problems.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Typically oversees at least 2 full–time direct reports or equivalent team of part–time and/or student workers (for Professional track, performs work at the Senior Professional level or higher)

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– May validate and pay invoices
– Monitors and tracks budgets for specific area and/or grant(s)
– May assist in planning and forecasting budgets

Problem Solving:

– Encounters moderately complex problems
– Applies general precedents and practices and specialized knowledge and skills to resolve problems
– Understands benefits, limitations and impact of potential solutions
– Anticipates potential problems and recommends possible solutions within general guidelines

Independence of Action:

– Works independently on moderately complex work assignments, reviews progress, and evaluates results
– Organizes work of direct reports and sets team priorities
– Reviews the work of others to verify accuracy, quality, and adherence to professional standards

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates internally within working unit and the University
– Communicates with external audiences for scheduling/coordination
– May communicate with external audiences for business purposes
– Collaborates closely with team members; may interact with other staff outside of area
– Utilizes a communication style that is appropriate for a given situation
– Interprets and communicates information, ideas and instructions clearly, accurately and persuasively both verbally and in written materials intended for distribution

• Comp Grade – 13
• Minimum – $86,300.00
• MidPoint – $107,900.00
• Maximum – $129,500.00