Associate Director of Web and Digital Communications

Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Statement In addition to its commitment to a harassment-free educational and working environment, the College is an equal employment opportunity employer. The College is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees and complies with all applicable state and federal laws on the matter. The College does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including gender, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition or medical leave, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by law. The College also prohibits the harassment of any employee on any of these bases. Location: Claremont, CA Job Posting Title: Associate Director of Web and Digital Communications Job Details and Requirement: BASIC FUNCTION The Associate Director of Web & Digital Communications is responsible for executing digital communication strategies, managing the College’s online presence, and effectively leading a web team. This position will oversee and manage the College’s primary website pages along with other digital communication channels. The Associate Director will lead CMC’s web team in strategic planning for various updates while optimizing content, maintaining aesthetic visual designs, and enhancing functionality, design and architecture of the web and digital communication channels. The position will manage the department’s online properties, including cmc.edu and the WordPress sites for the College’s research institutes. The AD will report to the Director of Branding and Marketing while providing support to the Assistant Vice President, Chief Strategic Communications Officer. The Associate Director (AD) will serve as leading project manager for the digital strategy on all communication initiatives to enhance the College’s distinctive mission, values, and overall student experience. The AD will be a key contact, in consultation with the Director, for CMC academic, programmatic, and administrative departments regarding web design, development, planning, and content production, including branding, newsletters, banner ads, social media and related materials. This includes helping each department or entity identify and deliver effective messages and helping coordinate the content and design of electronic materials. The Associate Director will lead a web team to effectively manage various communication projects surrounding external audiences, prospective students, alumni, and will lead efforts to provide a comprehensive and consistent communication messaging and branding through web and digital marketing channels. This position requires the ability to reasonably guide a team of internal and external resources responsible for development and web server administration. The Associate Director will have an understanding of both business and user-experience optimization to ensure effective communication of institutional objectives. The AD will initiate research to understand user behaviors and preferences, and build user-experience solutions. They will work collaboratively to support a creative environment and foster innovative designs, and be active in the interface development process from conception to implementation. This position requires working knowledge of web development and web server administration; programming languages, including PHP, JavaScript, jQuery, HTML, and CSS; legal requirements, including copyright law and ADA compliance best practices; and management of enterprise content management systems, including current, Drupal, and future Content Management Systems (CMS). DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Reports to the Director of Branding and Marketing and supports the initiatives of the AVP, Chief Strategic Communications Officer and works collaboratively to perform the following essential duties and responsibilities: Communications Project Management and Facilitation: Assist with strategic planning for developing and designing the school’s website, microsites for College research institutes, and email newsletters. Manage various concurrent communication projects; including managing and implementing site maps for the College’s strategic priorities Facilitate project deadlines, oversee web page changes/updates; including sub-domains and microsites. Develop strategies for analytics-based design enhancement of College website to better support admission efforts, advancement and public engagement goals. Oversee the development of implementing integrated user engagement channels, direct communication, social media live links for internal and external audiences. Manage online marketing of cmc.edu, implementing strategies for search engine optimization, improved content structure, meta-tagging, and user behavior and analytics tools. Help manage processes for gathering user input, analytics and behavior trends and creating enhancements based on the data. Make written and visual recommendations to improve website, email, social media. Monitor the site for content quality, links, brand messaging, and compliance with the school’s graphic identity guidelines. Make regular recommendations to CMC departments and business units concerning web content and design. Provide ongoing leadership and guidance to web editors in campus departments concerning content, multimedia, photography, editing, and copyright issues. Identify and respond to staff training needs for CMS development and design. Provide training to staff as needed. Participate in Public Affairs hiring and procurement processes, and manage web staff and interns. Partner with Information and Technology Services on the ADA-EIT Web Compliance initiative, including planning, implementation, training, and follow-up. Web Design & Content Development: Oversee a small team to guide and implement design efforts, web development, and strategic content development of the College’s marketing communication channels. Direct decisions about placement and position of content on the cmc.edu web pages. Oversee College support for institutes/centers, strategic initiatives, department and athletic web pages. Oversee the College’s relationship and contracts with third-party vendors for services including web hosting, web forms, and other Software as a Service (SaaS) applications. Collaborate with campus partners in developing consistent marketing and communications messaging/branding for web pages, micro-sites, newsletters, and other marketing channels. Optimize campus calendars to improve participation and facility utilization for campus events Collaborate with Editorial team and Public Relations on social media engagement and analytics strategy. Performs other essential duties and tasks specific to the position. OTHER ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Regular attendance is an essential function of this position. Ability to take and follow directions. Ability to work cooperatively with others. Ability to receive and respond appropriately to constructive criticism. Ability to display a positive attitude. Ability to multitask. REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES: Individual must possess knowledge, skills, and ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the position or be able to explain or demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities. Skilled in strong project management skills within a complex fast-paced environment, working under tight resources and deadlines Advanced writing and communications skills, graphic design fluency, and the ability to adapt to changing technologies Ability to communicate the College’s technical requirements, including legal compliance and security safeguards to web developers Ability to oversee marketing branding and re-branding projects; to include website redesign and the development of consistent branding communication efforts. General understanding of database-driven content management systems, such as Drupal and WordPress. Experienced in using web and social media platforms to elevate engagement efforts. Ability to oversee and manage a small team, including knowledge of performance management efforts and personnel management. Ability to oversee web developers working in web programming languages, including PHP, JavaScript, jQuery, HTML, and CSS. Familiarity with graphic design applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Illustrator. Ability to enforce consistent visual branding guidelines Ability to effectively communicate with faculty, staff, and senior administration to ensure that project needs are being met. Ability to understand and clearly communicate resource limitations for various requests that might arise. Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues. Ability to use discretion in setting expectations for faculty and staff. Ability to work under time constraints and competing requests for services, and to set priorities that accurately reflect the relative importance of job responsibilities. Ability to understand an institutional web mission and apply it to policies and work procedures. Ability to plan and manage relevant budgets. Ability to supervise professional and student staff. Ability to communicate effectively with outside vendors. QUALIFICATION STANDARDS EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in computer science, or with significant computer science and/or communications, marketing, or project management coursework. EXPERIENCE: Three to Five years of proven experience in deploying or overseeing website design and development is required. Experience with managing professional staff is preferred. Experience in higher education is preferred. LICENSES: A valid driver’s license or equivalent means of reliable transportation to off-site meetings and events is required. GROOMING AND APPEARANCE: The Claremont Colleges seek to maintain a neat and professional image at all times. HOURS: The regular hours for this position are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Hours may vary due to needs of the College or department. CLASSIFICATION AND STATUS: This is a full-time, 12-month year-round, exempt level, benefits-eligible position. IPEDS Category Job Code: 15-0000 Computer and Mathematical Occupations Physical Requirements: Light (up to 20 lbs.) SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: Supervises project management for web-related tasks, which may include direct supervision of regular professional staff, student interns, or third-party vendors. REPORTS TO: This position reports to the Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications and Marketing and/or the Associate Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications.  BACKGROUND CHECK: The successful candidate will be required to undergo a full consumer background check. Certain positions will require the successful completion of a post-offer physical agility test. Employment is contingent on the satisfactory results of the aforementioned, in addition to compliance with requirements cited in this job description. ADA/OSHA: This job description defines the essential or fundamental job duties of this position. It is assumed that employees hired for this position can perform the essential functions of this job without imposing risk of substantial harm to the health or safety of themselves or others. It may also include marginal functions, generally defined within Title 1 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). DISCLAIMER: This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this position. When duties and responsibilities change and develop, the College will review this job description and make changes of business necessity. Claremont McKenna College hires and promotes individuals on the basis of their qualifications, consistent with applicable state and federal laws, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic characteristic or information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Inquiries may be directed to the Director for Human Resources, 528 N. Mills Avenue, Claremont, California 91711-4015, (909) 621-8490. All applicants must complete and submit an online application to be considered for an open position. Employment is contingent upon new employee providing documents verifying U.S. citizenship or, for aliens, documents verifying legal permission to work in the United States, applicant's acceptability for positions requiring use of a college vehicle is contingent upon a driving record acceptable to the College's automobile liability insurance. Promotion from within is encouraged whenever qualified employees of Claremont McKenna College are available. Interested employees of the College are urged to contact the Office of Human Resources if qualified for any open position. Please do not contact departments directly. Disability Accommodations In compliance with applicable laws ensuring equal opportunities to qualified individuals with a disability, CMC will make reasonable accommodations for the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual (applicant or employee) with a disability if the disability affects the performance of essential job functions, unless the accommodation results in an undue hardship for the College. Employment decisions are based on the merit and not an individual’s disability. An applicant or employee who requires an accommodation should contact the immediate supervisor and the Human Resources Office. If multiple accommodations are identified that do not pose an undue hardship for the College, the selection of an accommodation will be at CMC’s discretion. To request disability accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Human Resources at (909) 621-8490 or hr@cmc.edu for assistance.