Senior Director, Digital

MILKEN INSTITUTE•Santa Monica, CA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Milken Institute is a globally minded, publicly supported, non-partisan, and nonprofit think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, with offices in Washington, DC, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. For the past three decades, the Milken Institute has served as a catalyst for practical, scalable solutions to global challenges by connecting human, financial, and educational resources to those who need them. Guided by a conviction that the best ideas, under-resourced, cannot succeed, we conduct research and analysis and convene top experts, innovators, and influencers from different backgrounds and competing viewpoints. We leverage this expertise and insight to construct programs and policy initiatives. These activities are designed to help people build meaningful lives, in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities. The Milken Institute’s events and programmatic activities, involve the exchange of ideas with leaders from around the world. The Institute hosts more than 200 events each year, with our annual flagship event, Global Conference, bringing together 4,500+ participants from around the world, featuring more than 900+ speakers throughout 200+ sessions over the course of the event.

Requirements

15+ years of experience in digital strategy, with deep expertise spanning social media leadership, content development, influencer engagement, web strategy, analytics, UX/UI, information architecture, SEO, and conversion optimization.
Demonstrated success leading and scaling social media programs that drive engagement, growth, and institutional impact, ideally within the non-profit, think tank, or public policy sector.
Proven track record delivering enterprise-level web solutions that support organizational goals and integrate effectively with broader digital and social strategies.
Strong understanding of social media platforms, tools, trends, and analytics, with the ability to adapt strategies in rapidly evolving digital and AI-influenced environments.
Experience integrating AI solutions across digital and content workflows, including personalization and optimization.
Significant experience with content management systems (including Drupal) and familiarity with CRM and analytics platforms such as Salesforce, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, GA4, and Looker Studio.
Strong understanding of AI and ML technologies (including NLP, deep learning, and generative AI) and their application to digital engagement.
Ability to lead complex projects and collaborate effectively across diverse, fast-paced teams.
Strong business acumen with the ability to translate technical, social, and AI concepts into measurable business and mission value.
Familiarity with ethical AI principles, digital accessibility, and privacy best practices.
Strategic, goal-oriented, and solutions-driven, with a proven record of delivery and problem-solving.
Excellent communicator and presenter with strong leadership, team management, and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

Lead the Institute’s social media strategy and execution, managing a cross-functional team of two in the development, growth, and optimization of the Institute’s presence across LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Facebook, with a strong focus on engagement, audience growth, and platform innovation.
Oversee the strategic development and management of the Institute’s web ecosystem, leading a cross-functional team of two responsible for the primary Institute website, programmatic microsites, and interactive/community functionalities.
Establish evidence-based, forward-looking social media and web strategies that respond to an AI-driven information environment, elevating the Institute’s voice, relevance, and reach while aligning with organizational goals.
Ensure consistency, quality, and excellence of content, user experience, and brand voice across social and web platforms, collaborating with stakeholders across the Institute to assess needs, dependencies, and cost-effective solutions (this role does not have budget oversight).
Play a hands-on role in managing ongoing digital projects and campaigns across social and web channels, including timelines, milestones, dependencies, and deliverables, using data-driven insights to inform decisions and performance optimization.
Work closely with internal and external web development, social, and technology partners to ensure seamless user experiences, responsiveness to platform changes and feature requests, and continuous improvement of design, functionality, and performance.
Coordinate with legal and technology teams to ensure compliance with data privacy, accessibility standards, and intellectual property requirements across all digital channels.
Monitor and synthesize emerging trends in AI, digital engagement, and social platforms, presenting actionable insights and updates to senior leadership.
Duties as assigned.