Penn State Job Catalog

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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
• May supervise staff members, including hiring, development, and performance management

Level:

– Supervisor

Base Description:

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

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates appropriate knowledge to perform own work; spends majority of time on tasks related to own job responsibilities. Demonstrates baseline planning, organizing, directing, and facilitating skills. Reviews completed work of others to verify accuracy and quality. Follows recommended approaches to assigned work. Supervises assigned staff and coordinates routine work activities. Monitors employee interactions and facilitates a productive working environment. Communicates instructions and policies in a consistent, effective and timely manner. Identifies and addresses concerns appropriately. Makes recommendations for possible solutions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

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

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– May validate and pay invoices
– May monitor/track budgets for specific area and/or grant(s)

Problem Solving:

– Encounters generally routine problems with progressively more complex and/or varied problems
– Typically follows standard operating procedures to resolve problems
– May apply specialized knowledge and skills to resolve complex and/or varied problems
– Applies proven and tries new approaches when solving problems

Independence of Action:

– Works with minimal supervision on difficult work assignments, conferring with manager on unusual matters
– Follows precedents and procedures
– Organizes work of direct reports and may set priorities within general guidelines established by manager
– Reviews the work of others to verify accuracy, quality, and conformance to required procedures and special instructions

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 and accurately both verbally and in written materials

• Comp Grade – 12
• Minimum – $81,312.00
• MidPoint – $101,664.00
• Maximum – $122,016.00

• Accessibility
• Change Management
• Content creation
• Content management
• Data Analysis
• Design strategy
• Digital Marketing
• Information governance
• Leading Through Change
• Quality Assurance (QA)
• Stakeholder management
• User experience
• Web Strategy