Digital Lead

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• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

Penn State’s Office of Strategic Communications—the University’s central public relations and marketing division—seeks a Digital Lead to serve as a strategic partner and primary liaison to assigned academic and administrative units and research institutes at Penn State. This role will play a critical part in shaping how the University delivers cohesive, high-performing digital experiences at scale and will work closely with assigned areas to align unit and institutional goals with modern digital platforms, governance standards, and marketing technology capabilities.

As a member of the central web and digital team, the successful candidate will serve as a confident strategist, trusted advisor, and strong collaborator who can translate complex digital systems into actionable guidance for senior leaders while helping Penn State advance enterprise-wide digital maturity.

This position offers a hybrid work arrangement that combines remote and on-campus working.

• Strategic Partnership:
  Serve as the primary digital advisor to assigned units within the University, translating priorities into actionable digital strategies
• Issue Resolution and Coordination:
  Act as a first point of contact for digital needs, coordinating with designers, developers, content strategists, and analysts to resolve issues and advance initiatives
• Enterprise Alignment:
  Ensure websites, microsites, and digital tools align with university standards for design, accessibility, CMS usage, and governance while respecting local needs
• Digital Experience Enablement:
  Advise on effective use of Penn State’s Digital Experience Platform (DXP), analytics, personalization, and content systems
• Marketing Technology Integration:
  Partner with CRM and marketing technology teams (e.g., Salesforce, Slate) to support lifecycle engagement, campaign attribution, and performance measurement

The ideal candidate will have:

• A strong understanding of modern digital ecosystems, including CMS platforms, analytics, CRM integration, and personalization
• Demonstrated ability to engage and advise senior stakeholders in complex organizations
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• Experience in higher education, government, or large enterprise environments
• Experience working across decentralized teams or matrixed organizations
• Familiarity with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Slate) and marketing automation tools

• Digital strategy and systems thinking
• Stakeholder partnership and facilitation
• Governance and alignment
• Marketing technology fluency
• Analytics literacy
• Change navigation
• Executive communication

Bachelor's Degree 6+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted. Required

Certifications:

None.

As Penn State’s central public relations and marketing division, the Office of Strategic Communications is a fully integrated, award-winning, best-in-class marketing and public relations team defined by innovative strategy and breakthrough creative driven by measurable goals. We advance the University by strengthening and protecting the institution’s reputation in regional, national and international spheres of influence in ways that serve recruitment,…