Penn State Job Catalog

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Strategic Communications - Web Strategy

The Web Strategy Manager works within the University's Office of Strategic Communications and leads the central web and digital strategy function responsible for the University's public-facing digital presence; oversees the technical and delivery strategy, enablement, governance, user experience, design systems, and accessibility of the University's web and digital ecosystem, ensuring digital experiences are accessible, intuitive, and aligned with institutional priorities and brand standards; leads a cross-functional team responsible for translating institutional strategy into high-quality web experiences across approved platforms, while establishing frameworks, tools, and governance that support distributed web contributors across colleges, campuses, and units; works closely with University leadership, marketing and communications partners, IT teams, and distributed content creators to drive the development of a unified digital ecosystem; continuously improves performance through analytics, user research, and emerging digital best practices.

• Establish and lead the vision, priorities, and roadmap for the University's central web and digital strategy function
• Align web and digital experience strategies with institutional goals, marketing initiatives, and the needs of colleges, campuses, institutes, and administrative units
• Lead the development and management of a unified digital ecosystem that supports the University brand and delivers consistent, high-quality user experiences across websites and platforms
• Provide strategic counsel and digital leadership to stakeholders and represent the web strategy function in cross-unit initiatives and committees
• Monitor trends in higher education, web technology, and digital communications to maintain innovation and best practices
• Oversee web governance, enablement, technical strategy, performance standards, and user experience frameworks across the University's web ecosystem
• Lead the creation, adoption, and maintenance of a shared design system, including tokens, components, templates, and frameworks used across digital properties
• Establish and maintain standards related to accessibility, SEO, metadata, editorial quality, and design system usage across distributed sites
• Guide integrations with enterprise platforms, CRM systems, and third-party tools to ensure seamless and scalable digital experiences
• Manage vendor relationships and digital resource procurement for web initiatives
• Ensure effective information architecture, navigation systems, and content models that support user journeys and institutional priorities
• Guide the creation of wireframes, prototypes, page templates, and design patterns used across enterprise web platforms
• Support distributed content creators by providing templates, style guidance, page patterns, and design-ready assets
• Drive the adoption and use of analytics and performance measurement tools to support data-driven decision-making
• Lead web audits, usability evaluations, and ongoing optimization efforts to improve user experience and content effectiveness
• Ensure compliance with web accessibility standards, data privacy regulations, and institutional policies
• Lead and manage a team responsible for the University's central web strategy, design, and digital experience operations
• Set annual team priorities and individual performance goals aligned with Strategic Communications and University objectives
• Collaborate closely with marketing strategists, IT teams, digital specialists, and distributed content contributors to ensure alignment between strategy and execution

Level:

– Principal Manager

Base Description:

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

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates awareness of broad issues and management trends. Applies exemplary management principles. Evaluates impact of policy and adjusts accordingly. Ensures appropriate skills are developed and maintained within team/unit. Realigns staff responsibilities to meet desired changes. Provides administrative and policy direction. Develops and articulates broad goals. Fosters collaboration between units. Engages in written and verbal communications that reach a university-wide and/or broad external audience. Develops and implements solutions to highly complex and often controversial problems.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Oversees teams of other supervisors/managers
– Leads a business unit

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Plans, forecasts, develops, and/or approves budgets
– Typically has final signature authority for business unit

Problem Solving:

– Encounters highly varied and complex problems that may have a significant impact on multiple units and/or the University
– Regularly develops creative and/or novel approaches to resolve the most difficult problems
– Creates an environment that encourages imaginative solutions to problems

Independence of Action:

– Work results are not clearly defined and may be frequently changing
– Sets own goals and determines how to accomplish results with few or no guidelines to follow
– Oversees completed work of others and is accountable for unit results
– Delegates advanced tasks to others and provides guidance to team members

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates with both internal and external audiences
– May represent the University externally
– Collaborates closely with team members and other leaders across the University
– Communicates a compelling vision that inspires and motivates others

• Comp Grade – 16
• Minimum – $123,200.00
• MidPoint – $157,100.00
• Maximum – $191,000.00

• Accessibility
• Brand management
• Branding
• Budget Management
• Change Management
• Compliance
• Content management
• Data Analysis
• Data-based decision making
• Policy development
• Risk Management
• Stakeholder management
• Strategic thinking
• User experience
• Vendor management