Penn State Job Catalog

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

Level:

– Intermediate Professional

Base Description:

– Completes activities, tasks, and/or projects of a functional nature.

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates ability to perform intermediate tasks in defined skill areas. Demonstrates intermediate knowledge of internal procedures. Works under general supervision, performing assignments that may be varied and sometimes difficult. Supports team decisions and follows through with team responsibilities. Interprets and communicates information clearly and accurately. Demonstrates intermediate problem–solving skills.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– May serve as direct supervisor for part–time, student, and/or temporary workers or volunteers

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– May validate and pay invoices

Problem Solving:

– Encounters generally routine problems; occasionally faces more complex and/or varied problems
– Typically follows recommended course of action and procedures to resolve problems
– Applies knowledge of larger unit goals, priorities, and related procedures in determining course of action

Independence of Action:

– Work is generally monitored by supervisor
– Detailed instructions and procedures are generally provided
– Uses available guidelines to make appropriate adaptations to routine situations and refers other situations to supervisor

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates internally within working unit and/or the University
– May communicate with external audiences
– Collaborates closely with team members
– Interprets and communicates information, ideas and instructions clearly and accurately both verbally and in written materials intended for distribution

• Comp Grade – 11
• Minimum – $72,300.00
• MidPoint – $90,312.00
• Maximum – $108,444.00

• 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