Director of Digital Experience & Engagement

The Office of Strategic Communications bears primary responsibility for maintaining and safeguarding the university's public image through strategic marketing, public relations, media relations, news services, publications, executive messaging, and crisis and emergency communications. The office establishes standards for articulating the university's mission, vision, core values, strategic goals, and visual identity; promotes UNCSA performances, events, philanthropic opportunities, and the accomplishments of its students, alumni, faculty, and staff; and maintains the university's principal external communications channels, including the website and institutional social media. Strategic Communications also provides communications counsel, insight, and planning support to the Chancellor and other senior leaders.

The Director of Digital Experience & Engagement is a member of the Strategic Communications leadership team and reports to the Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications. The director is accountable for the overall effectiveness of communications delivered to target audiences through UNCSA's public-facing website and institutional social media. The position leads the integrated communications strategy for both website and social media; establishes governance and standards; directs information architecture, navigation, audience journeys, usability, accessibility, search optimization, and measurement; leads promotional campaigns and the university's Content Creator Program; and supervises staff responsible for publishing, posting, monitoring, and day-to-day social media and website operations.

The director uses audience research, analytics, usability findings, and institutional priorities to improve how prospective students and families, current students, patrons, alumni, donors, media, employees, and the public discover information, understand university messages, take desired actions, and engage with UNCSA. The position ensures that the website and social media work together as an intentional audience journey and collaborates closely with Communications, Recruitment Marketing, Performance Marketing, Advancement, Student Affairs, Information Technologies, the conservatories, and external partners.

Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; occasional evening or weekend work may

be required for major initiatives, events, or urgent communications

* Lead the communications strategy, strategic development, and continuous improvement of the university's public-facing web experience in support of recruitment, reputation, engagement, attendance, and philanthropic goals.

* Establish and maintain website governance, information architecture, navigation, nomenclature, user journey, internal search, page templates, and publishing standards.

* Lead major website redesigns, overhauls, and refreshes; define requirements and acceptance criteria; coordinate internal stakeholders, Information Technologies, and external web partners.

* Direct the intake, prioritization, and supervision of new pages and website sections that support institutional initiatives, campaigns, programs, and major announcements.

* Oversee routine website publishing and content-maintenance work performed by assigned staff and distributed campus contributors, ensuring information is current, accessible, usable, and aligned with university standards.

* Set audience-facing accessibility expectations for digital content and experiences, including conformance with applicable law, university policy, and current WCAG standards; prioritize communications and content remediation and partner with Information Technologies on technical remediation.

* Serve as the functional owner within Strategic Communications for website messaging, engagement, usability, information architecture, navigation, audience journeys, publishing standards, and communications performance. Information Technologies owns backend administration, system configuration and development, security, integrations, infrastructure, and technical troubleshooting, whether performed internally or through a vendor.
2. Social media strategy, promotional content, and engagement - 30%

* Develop and manage the institutional social media strategy, channel portfolio, governance framework, audience plans, campaign calendar, and operating standards for UNCSA's principal accounts.

* Translate institutional priorities into social campaigns that support recruitment, performances, advancement, student success, reputation, and other university initiatives.

* Create campaign concepts, promotional copy, calls to action, content briefs, and platform-appropriate promotional assets; direct assigned staff in scheduling, publishing, monitoring, and community engagement.

* Direct the publication and promotion of feature stories and other editorial content across the website and social media, including promotional framing, calls to action, channel packaging, timing, and distribution.

* Monitor social media trends, platform culture, emerging formats, audience conversations, and current themes; identify timely and appropriate opportunities for UNCSA and adapt channel voice, messaging, and creative approaches accordingly.

* Provide strategy, standards, training, and consultation to conservatory and decentralized social media managers while respecting approved local account ownership and escalation protocols.

* Lead and oversee the university's Content Creator Program, including program strategy, participant recruitment and onboarding, training, campaign and editorial briefs, permissions, operating standards, coordination with campus partners, and measurement of participation and results.

* Coordinate social media execution during urgent or crisis communications under the direction of the Vice Chancellor or designated crisis-communications lead.
3. Analytics, optimization, and performance management - 20%

* Define key performance indicators and measurement plans for the website, social channels, and digital campaigns; establish baselines and targets tied to institutional objectives.

* Monitor web traffic, search behavior, navigation patterns, conversions, audience growth, engagement, sentiment, and campaign performance using GA4, platform analytics, and other approved tools.

* Conduct or direct usability testing, content audits, accessibility reviews, and user-behavior analysis; translate findings into prioritized improvements to navigation, content presentation, calls to action, and channel strategy.

* Lead search engine optimization and responsible generative-engine optimization practices for university web content, coordinating with editorial and marketing partners on discoverability and content gaps.

* Prepare concise dashboards and recommendations for Strategic Communications leadership and campus partners; use results to adjust strategy, allocate effort, and improve outcomes.
4. Leadership, supervision, and stakeholder partnership - 15%

* Supervise assigned digital staff; set goals, priorities, project scopes, deadlines, quality expectations, and professional-development plans; conduct regular team meetings and performance feedback.

* Build productive relationships with communications, marketing, advancement, enrollment, student affairs, conservatory, information technology, and executive stakeholders; clarify decision rights and resolve competing digital priorities.

* Develop and deliver training for campus web contributors and social media managers on governance, accessibility, content standards, analytics, and effective digital engagement.

* Evaluate emerging platforms, tools, standards, and audience behaviors; recommend changes that improve effectiveness, reduce risk, and support sustainable operations.

* Provide requirements and subject-matter guidance for relevant vendors and systems; coordinate purchasing and contract administration with the department's business manager and other authorized offices.

Bachelor's degree in a discipline related to the area of assignment; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

* Seven or more years of progressively responsible digital communications experience, including at least two years of formal staff supervision.

* Experience leading digital strategy and governance in higher education, the arts, a public institution, or another complex, decentralized organization.

* Experience working within enterprise content management environments; information architecture; usability testing; HTML and CSS; accessibility practices; GA4; SEO; and digital workflow tools.

* Experience planning and evaluating integrated campaigns serving multiple audiences, including prospective students, patrons, alumni, donors, and internal stakeholders.

* Experience supporting urgent, issues-management, or crisis communications across social and web channels.

Expert knowledge of digital communications strategy, social media governance, audience engagement, website communications and publishing, and multichannel campaign practices.

* Strong knowledge of user-centered design, information architecture, navigation and search, conversion paths, accessibility, and content governance.

* Ability to interpret qualitative and quantitative evidence, identify meaningful patterns, set priorities, and communicate actionable recommendations to technical and nontechnical audiences.

* Ability to set standards, guide distributed contributors, build consensus, and exercise sound judgment in a visible, fast-moving institutional environment.

* Strong promotional writing and editing skills for social media, calls to action, campaign messaging, briefs, standards, and executive-ready reports.

* Ability to recognize and interpret social media trends, themes, platform conventions, and cultural context; make timely judgments about when and how UNCSA should participate; and communicate in a voice appropriate to each audience and platform.

* Ability to lead staff, manage complex projects, coordinate vendors, and balance planned work with urgent institutional needs.

* Commitment to accessibility, accuracy, ethical audience practices, brand stewardship, privacy, and continuous improvement.

This is an Exempt Professional Staff ( EPS LEO) position. The application must be completed in full detail (including work history) for your qualifications to be considered. Failure to complete the application process as required by state regulations will result in your application being rejected for the vacancy, and you will not be considered for the position. The UNCSA participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. Final candidates are subject to criminal background checks.

The University of North Carolina School of the Arts provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination, harassment, or retaliation based on race, religion, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, political affiliation, National Guard or veteran status, genetic information, or disability.

EEO Contact Information
Applicants needing assistance with the application process are asked to contact: suttonar@uncsa.edu