Job Description for the Assistant Director for Online Communications and Web Design position. Review job description, requirements, and qualifications. Apply or register interest for the position.

Title: Assistant Director for Online Communications and Web Design

Position Type: Staff Full-Time

Days Per Week: Monday - Friday

Hours Per Week: 40

VP Area: University Communications

Department: Online Communications

Position Summary

The Assistant Director for Online Communications and Web Design plays a key role in creating accessible, engaging web experiences for Elon University. This position collaborates with campus partners to design visually effective, user-focused websites using WordPress, and provides creative leadership for the university’s overall web design system. The role emphasizes visual consistency, accessibility, and thoughtful content presentation to support both new site creation and ongoing digital enhancements. Key areas of responsibility include page-level layout design, site-wide visual direction, CMS development collaboration, campus partner support, accessibility leadership, and quality assurance. (Please note, this is not a full-time remote position.)

Benefits of Working at Elon

As an Elon University employee, you’ll join an internationally acclaimed university with a commitment to fostering a thriving community. Ranked among the most innovative, creative and best-run universities in the nation, Elon’s personal approach to education extends to employees, whose growth, professional development and success is a hallmark of our training and advancement opportunities.

Elon University’s home is the charming town of Elon, North Carolina, a small, friendly community located a short distance from the beach and the mountains, and among the vibrant cities of Greensboro, Raleigh and Durham. In addition to the beautiful canopy of historic oak trees iconic to our campus, you’ll find boundless opportunities for family-friendly recreation, cultural events and outdoor activities. Hiking, water sports, fine dining and entertainment are just a few of the many happenings in the Elon area, making the region one of the nation’s premier travel destinations.

Employees at Elon enjoy a generous and comprehensive benefits package that includes:

28 annual days off, including holidays and vacation.

Immediate tuition remission for undergraduate courses

Tuition remission for approved graduate-level courses after 12 months of employment.

Retirement plan with an 8 percent contribution from the university.

Immediate eligibility for health, dental and vision insurance, along with free acute care and lab services at our onsite Health & Wellness Clinic.

Free use of campus fitness facilities.

Free admission to musical and theater performances, guest speakers, religious and ethnic observances, recitals, art exhibitions, entertainment and our Division I Phoenix athletics.

Eligibility for tuition remission at Elon for spouses, qualifying domestic partners and dependents begins at two years of service. After two years of employment, eligibility begins for participation in the Tuition Exchange, a national scholarship exchange program that enables dependents to enroll in nationally recognized partner colleges and universities.

Elon values and celebrates the diverse backgrounds, cultures, experiences and perspectives of our community members. As an equal opportunity employer, Elon’s principles of diversity extend to race and gender identity, age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, and other aspects of one’s identity. At Elon, our employees respect human differences, passion for lifelong learning, emphasis on personal integrity and an ethic of service.

Minimum Required Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Communications, Computer Information Systems, or a closely related field. A minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible professional experience in web design, front-end development, or related digital communications work is required.

An equivalent combination of education and directly relevant professional experience will be considered. Candidates without a bachelor’s degree must demonstrate substantial experience in web design, WordPress site creation, and digital accessibility practices, with a proven ability to produce accessible, visually effective, and user-centered websites that align with organizational brand and identity guidelines.

An up-to-date portfolio showcasing recent web design and development work is required. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate examples of responsive design, WordPress site implementation, and projects reflecting adherence to accessibility standards and brand guidelines.

Job Duties

• Lead the design and implementation of content-driven web experiences in WordPress. Develop, document, and implement reusable layout patterns that support clarity, accessibility, and brand consistency. Guide departments in presenting their content through thoughtful design and layout decisions. Provide visual direction for new block-based features and contribute to best practices for digital content presentation. Collaborate with content strategy colleagues to ensure design choices support effective communication goals. 
• Provide creative leadership for the visual design of Elon’s website. Guide the evolution of digital design standards, including layout systems, typography, color, and overall visual language. Lead or contribute to large-scale redesign efforts as needed, ensuring the university’s web presence remains modern, accessible, and aligned with institutional goals. Collaborate closely with the Director of Creative Services and the Marketing Communications team to maintain consistency with Elon’s brand identity and support a cohesive, forward-looking digital experience. 
• Collaborate with the Associate Director for Online Communications and Web Development to shape the evolution of Elon’s content management system. Contribute to the planning and design of new interface components, layout options, and user-facing features that enhance usability, accessibility, and visual consistency. Provide mockups, prototypes, or design specifications to support development efforts. This partnership plays a key role in advancing the university’s digital infrastructure and ensuring a cohesive, user-centered web experience.
• Support campus partners in maintaining high-quality, accessible, and brand-aligned web content. Respond to requests and questions submitted via web@elon.edu and other communication channels. Assist with layout adjustments, content formatting, and adherence to design and accessibility standards.
• Ensure ongoing accessibility of digital content through testing and visual remediation. Use tools such as Dubbot, WAVE, axe DevTools, and color contrast checkers to identify and correct issues in alignment with WCAG standards. Promote inclusive design practices across all supported sites.
• Contribute to quality assurance and design evaluation processes for new CMS features and tools. Assess usability, functionality, and visual consistency across browsers and devices to ensure a seamless user experience. Help maintain design integrity as the university’s web platform evolves.

Special Instructions to Applicants: All applicants are required to submit a portfolio of their work for consideration. A link to an up-to-date portfolio website should be included in either the resume or cover letter. If a printed or PDF version of a portfolio is preferred, please attach the portfolio to your resume as a single combined file.

For each website project included in your portfolio, please clearly indicate your specific involvement. For example, did you design and build the entire website? Did you create the design in a visual tool such as Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD and hand it off to a developer? Were you responsible for front-end development only, working from an existing design? Did you play a role in accessibility testing or content strategy? Providing this context helps us accurately assess your skills, experience, and how you collaborate within a team environment.

Applications submitted without a portfolio will not be considered complete. If a portfolio is not included, we may contact you to request one; however, priority will be given to candidates who provide all required materials at the time of application.