Associate Director, Web Engineering and Technology Innovation

Compensation Range:

Position Summary

With minimal supervision, the Associate Director of Web Development & Technology Innovation leads NU’s web engineering and development team. This role ensures the university’s websites and digital platforms are reliable, scalable, and aligned with accessibility and performance standards. The Associate Director fosters a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement, while introducing new frameworks, QA practices, and integration capabilities. In addition to maintaining WordPress as a core platform, this leader advances innovations in areas such as AI-driven features, DAM (Digital Asset Management), and UX enhancements to support the student journey.

Essential Functions:

Team Leadership & Engineering Oversight

• Lead and develop a high-performing web engineering team, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and excellence.
• Define and enforce development standards and engineering best practices that enable scale and operational efficiency.
• Provide strategic technical direction for WordPress multisite architecture, custom development, and complex system integrations.
• Collaborate with UX, Marketing, and IT leadership to align technical capabilities with institutional priorities and digital experience goals.

Website Development & Engineering

• Oversee the design, development, and maintenance of NU’s websites and web applications.
• Ensure platforms are mobile-responsive, accessible (WCAG 2.x), and optimized for SEO, speed, and overall performance.
• Partner with UX to build and integrate new features like tuition calculators, program comparison tools, and guided pathways that improve the prospective student journey.
• Direct troubleshooting and resolution of complex technical issues to maintain site stability and uptime.

Quality Assurance & Reliability

• Establish a robust QA framework that’s embedded in every stage of development and release.
• Define and track KPIs for uptime, performance, accessibility compliance, and error reduction.
• Implement structured testing and deployment practices to ensure every launch is stable, secure, and error-free.

Integration & Systems Architecture

• Oversee integrations between NU’s websites and key platforms (e.g., Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Viant.ai, Wrench.ai, Lightcast).
• Champion the use of APIs, microservices, and modular architectures to enable scalability, flexibility, and secure data flow.
• Ensure seamless interoperability across marketing, academic, and IT systems to support personalized, data-driven experiences.

Digital and Technical Innovation

• Lead the exploration and piloting of next-generation tools such as AI-assisted content and UX solutions, personalization engines, and advanced DAM platforms.
• Partner with UX, Marketing, and IT to identify experience gaps and apply innovative web solutions that address real user and institutional needs.
• Evaluate emerging frameworks, platforms, and technologies to modernize NU’s web ecosystem and keep it ahead of industry trends.

Requirements

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• Seven (7) years of experience in web development, engineering, or DevOps, including WordPress multisite management.
• Demonstrated experience leading technical teams in a web engineering environment.
• Proven track record managing QA, integrations, and scalable web platforms.

Competencies/Technical/Functional Skills:

Leadership & Strategic Skills

• Team Leadership: Ability to inspire, mentor, and grow a high-performing engineering team.
• Collaboration: Skilled at working with UX, Marketing, Analytics, and IT to align technical and business needs.
• Problem-Solving: Strong troubleshooting and debugging skills with focus on reliability and scalability.
• Communication: Ability to clearly explain technical solutions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Technical Skills

• Expertise in WordPress multisite architecture, plugin/theme development, and system administration.
• Proficiency in PHP, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, MySQL, Git, and modern frameworks (React, Angular, Node.js).
• Strong knowledge of APIs, microservices, and systems integration.
• Familiarity with DAM solutions and MarTech/AdTech platforms (Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Viant.ai, Wrench.ai, Lightcast).
• Knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG 2.x), SEO, and performance optimization.
• Ability to evaluate, test, and integrate emerging web technologies (including AI-assisted features).

Travel: Travel seldom required

Location: Remote, USA

Candidate receiving offers will be offered a salary/pay rate commensurate with experience that vary based on a candidate’s qualifications, skills, and competencies. Absent exceptional circumstances, candidates will be offered a salary within this range for this position. The minimum salary will be offered based on the minimum exemption threshold based on state of residency. Base pay is one component of National University’s total rewards package, as we are dedicated to supporting the needs of the “whole you” with our holistic approach to employee benefits by offering comprehensive well-being benefits for you and your family. For full details about our benefit plan offerings, please visit benefits.nu.edu. For Part-time benefits, please click here.

National University is committed to maintaining a high-quality workforce representative of the populations we serve. National University employs more than 4,500 faculty and staff and serves over 45,000 students. We are united in our mission to meet the global education demands of the 21st Century and are dedicated to creating a supportive academic and work environment that allows students, faculty and staff to develop their interests and talents while experiencing a sense of community. With programs available both online and at our many campus locations, National University is a leader in creating innovative solutions to education and meeting the needs of our student population, including adult learners and working professionals.

National University (NU) is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant per applicable federal, state and local laws. At NU, a mix of highly talented, innovative and creative people come together to make the impact of a lifetime for each of our student learners. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment, education, and admission at National University.