Penn State Job Catalog

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Strategic Communications - Web Design

The Strategic Communications Manager - Web Design works within the University's Office of Strategic Communications and provides leadership for the design and development of high-quality, user-centered web experiences across the University's approved digital platforms; translates digital strategy, user needs, content models, and communication objectives into cohesive web experiences; provides direction for visual design execution, information layout, front-end implementation, and digital content development; and ensures that websites are intuitive, accessible, responsive, on-brand, and optimized for user engagement; leads web design projects and initiatives, establishes and maintains design standards and best practices, and provides guidance to distributed content creators and University partners; collaborates with Web Strategists, information technology, marketing and communications teams, and other stakeholders to align web experience execution with strategic goals; uses analytics, user feedback, usability testing, and emerging practices to guide continuous improvement of the University's digital presence.

• Lead the translation of strategic direction, requirements, user needs, and content models into intuitive, accessible, responsive, and engaging website designs
• Establish and maintain web design standards, practices, and processes aligned with the University's design system, brand standards, component libraries, and digital strategy
• Provide creative and design direction for layouts, visual interfaces, interaction patterns, navigation systems, page hierarchies, and user journeys
• Oversee the development of wireframes, page-level designs, prototypes, UI specifications, templates, patterns, and other design resources to guide implementation and ensure consistency across sites
• Direct the conceptualization, creation, and manipulation of digital design elements, including audio, video, still images, animation, text, digital data, and interactive elements, using graphic and multimedia design software
• Provide direction for the writing, organization, structure, and refinement of digital content to support clear communication, discoverability, user intent, and engagement
• Oversee the development and configuration of pages using available components, templates, patterns, and approved web platforms
• Ensure consistent application of content models, metadata standards, taxonomy frameworks, and information architecture principles defined by the digital strategy
• Establish and promote practices that ensure web content and designs adhere to accessibility requirements, including WCAG, SEO best practices, editorial guidelines, plain-language standards, and University brand requirements
• Develop and maintain templates, style guidelines, page patterns, microcopy, design resources, and other tools that support content creators and promote consistent implementation of web standards
• Lead the organization of site structures, navigation systems, content hierarchies, and page-level experiences that support user journeys and strategic goals
• Lead or support usability testing and iterative design improvements based on user feedback, research, analytics, and other performance data
• Partner with Web Strategists to interpret analytics and other insights and apply findings to layout, content, navigation, and user experience enhancements
• Provide direction and oversight for design handoffs, ensuring designs are feasible to implement and accurately translated into final web experiences
• Establish and oversee quality assurance practices to validate functionality, accessibility, responsiveness, performance, content, and visual fidelity prior to and following deployment
• Monitor web experiences and identify opportunities to optimize page performance, responsiveness, accessibility, usability, and visual consistency
• Work closely with Web Strategists, content authors, information technology, and marketing and communications teams to align experience execution with strategy and organizational priorities
• Provide design consultation and guidance to distributed content creators, ensuring adherence to design system standards, accessibility requirements, and web design best practices
• Lead or participate in design reviews, cross-unit web initiatives, and University-wide efforts to establish and improve digital standards and experiences
• Manage multiple web design projects and priorities, establishing project scope, timelines, deliverables, and resource requirements
• Evaluate emerging web design, user experience, accessibility, and digital content practices and recommend improvements to University standards, processes, and tools
• Provide leadership, direction, mentoring, and professional development to web design staff and other employees involved in web experience execution

Level:

– Manager

Base Description:

– Manages direct reports where primary duty is the management of a working unit.

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates proficient ability in work design, project management, financial planning and development of goals for accomplishing unit assignments. Reviews and guides work to ensure conformity to policy and effective approaches. Evaluates employee performance and recommend development opportunities. Demonstrates ability to coach employees. Presents and communicates key university indicatives and connects it to unit contributions. Provides broad guidelines. Develops, evaluates, enhances, and/or implements quality improvement practices. Recommends innovative solutions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Oversees a team (typically 4 or more; no fewer than 2) full
– time direct reports of individual contributors and/or first level supervisors.

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Monitors and tracks department/area budget
– May plan, forecast, and/or assist in developing budgets
– May have final signature authority for specific area

Problem Solving:

– Encounters varied and complex problems
– Helps to develop creative and/or novel approaches to resolve problems that are difficult in nature but within limited scope
– Modifies, adapts, or refines guidelines if necessary to resolve issues or problems

Independence of Action:

– Works independently on complex or strategic assignments
– Uses existing practices and advanced working knowledge to determine appropriate work methods for the team
– Reviews completed work of others for conformity to policy, and effectiveness of approach
– Delegates advanced tasks to others

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates with both internal and external audiences
– Collaborates closely with team members and various areas across the University
– Prepares written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on complex issues and delivers to a broad variety of audiences
– Communicates key university initiatives and how unit’s work contributes to their achievement
– Presents ideas, concepts and instructions in a clear manner, and uses persuasion and negotiation to build consensus and cooperation
– Establishes and maintains networks to facilitate successful communication among units

• Comp Grade – 14
• Minimum – $102,936.00
• MidPoint – $128,688.00
• Maximum – $154,452.00

• Collaboration
• Digital asset management
• Graphic design
• Project Management
• Quality Assurance (QA)
• Search engine optimization strategy
• Stakeholder management
• Strategic Communication
• User experience
• Web Accessibility
• Web analytics
• Web content management
• Web design