Manager of Web Strategy - Kamloops, Canada - Thompson Rivers University

Description

DUTIES

The Manager of Web Strategy is a senior member of the institutional Marketing and Communications team. The Manager of Web Strategy works closely with the Director of Marketing and other Marketing and Communications (Marcom) lead as the University's principal Web architect in the strategic development of an outstanding online presence that increases the reputation and profile for TRU and creates an effective tool for prospective and current students.

The position helps create and lead the translation of TRU's marketing and communication strategies and priorities into a credible, engaging and highly motivating presence in all online channels, most importantly, the institutional website. As such, the Manager of Web Strategy is responsible for the development and continuous improvement of all website features including content, information architecture, data collection and analysis, and web design.

Effective collaboration with other areas is core to the position. On an ongoing basis, the Manager of Web Strategy must evaluate and work with other TRU departments to optimize, improve and update their web presence on both a proactive and a responsive basis. He or she must keep abreast of, communicate and inspire consistent integration of web development and marketing best practices, trends and leading-edge innovations in all TRU online properties – including social media – as appropriate for the university.

The Manager of Web Strategy leads the development and implementation of strategies to ensure that the university and its departments effectively leverage the resources and capabilities of the web to enable and enhance recruitment and retention efforts of the University. In concert with this effort, the role provides sound leadership and advice to ensure that policies and practices promote consistently high-quality content, design and navigation to support the vision, mission and image of TRU to its online audiences.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and implement a long-term, evergreen institutional web strategy that aligns with and advances overall institutional priorities and strategies – and that ensures an effective and rewarding web presence for the university and its units among key target audiences, on a sustained basis.
• Hire, train, evaluate, manage and mentor up to four staff in the areas of web development and design, including conducting performance reviews.
• Collaborates with all other Marcom team members, towards supporting and advancing institutional priorities through web and online channels.
• Develop and manage a budget.
• Oversees TRU's top-tier Web presence; collaborates with managers of TRU's departments/faculties/schools to establish a level of consistency that benefits the university as well as the units themselves.
• Acts as the principal web architect for TRU by providing direction for the development and implementation of a web and online presence for the university, key units, campaigns and initiatives.
• Acts as chief advocate for the university's Web authors, and developers by representing their needs to senior management.
• Conducts and organizes hands-on training for members of Marcom team, as well as other unit representatives, in optimizing specific aspects of their web presence including: information architecture, site and landing page design, web content development, and new technologies.
• Collaborates with the Director of Marketing and the Associate Director/Manager of Creative Marketing and Partner Services to optimize Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM), including paid search, user digital media research, and site analytics, mobile, social media display, and other/new digital media strategies and tactics.
• Seek, evaluate, recommend, engage and work with external vendors/partners as appropriate.
• Monitor and analyze overall web and digital marketing performance to identify, prioritize and execute appropriately on opportunities for improvement in market effectiveness.
• Chair the Web Working Group, a committee of web developers, web designers and content creators at TRU.
• Author and maintain best practices documentation for web development and online communications for TRU and work with the broader mar-comm team to support adherence, campus-wide.
• Keep abreast of current digital practices, pedagogy, and the use of web content management systems. Keeps abreast of advances in computing technology that may affect the use of digital technology at the university. Advises administration of possible initiatives that would benefit the university's digital presence.

REPORTS TO
Associate Vice-President, Marketing and Communications

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS

• Bachelor's degree in appropriate specialization such as information systems, marketing, management, public relations, or related field, with 5 to 7 years' experience in information technology, web development and /or marketing and communications.
• Recent experience in directing the development, architecture and implementation of web design and functionalities within a complex, multi-unit institutional environment.
• Experience communicating and presenting major changes, best practices, and recommendations to senior management.
• Experience defining the overall site layout and organization from functional, informational, and navigational perspectives with an emphasis on overall user experience.
• Skills researching and implementing leading-edge Web strategies; and executing content improvements with a focus on customer usability.
• Skills to create and enhance site design, layout, navigation, and content for a highly relevant and usable experience.
• Experience monitoring results and refinement of marketing formulas in response to analytics.
• Technical command should include:
  • Extensive experience working with content management systems including Wordpress and Drupal;
  • Experience working with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SQL, PHP and XML;
  • High level of Adobe Photoshop competency;
  • Demonstrable knowledge of responsive web design
  • Demonstrable understanding of programming languages / concepts / practices and other standard web tools;
  • Demonstrable understanding of data driven web environments
  • Knowledge of web scripting languages and trends in mobile devices.
  • Knowledge of accessibility web standards;
  • Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite and SharePoint
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, strong business acumen, interpersonal skills, ability to lead and integrate web strategies with an overall university mar-comm plan.
• Familiarity with the complexities of web communications in a post-secondary academic environment, with specific knowledge of TRU's culture, protocols, governance processes and stakeholder groups a define asset.
• Knowledge of budget planning and management, project management, presentations and training, organizational development and change management.
• Demonstrable experience in managing and working with a unionized work-force.