Sr. Director, Web Experience and Digital Strategy

World Wildlife Fund, Inc.•Washington, DC

1d•$159,400 - $229,200•Remote

About The Position

Lead the strategic vision, digital experience design, and operational management of WWF-US's web presence, including worldwildlife.org and associated digital properties. The Senior Director will oversee the web experience strategy, user experience design, digital discoverability, and web performance — and serve as the primary strategic owner of WWF's relationship with its external development partner. This role will shape how WWF shows up digitally across search, AI-powered platforms, and emerging discovery channels. Partners with the Director, Digital Content; the VP, Digital Platforms; and leaders across Integrated Marketing, Conservation, and Development to advance WWF's digital strategy, audience engagement, and fundraising goals. Translates organizational priorities into a coherent, measurable web experience strategy and ensures the website consistently reflects WWF's brand, values, and mission.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience required; master's degree or other relevant graduate degree in digital strategy, user experience, communications, or a related field preferred.
Minimum of 12 years of progressive experience in web strategy, digital experience, or related fields, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role. A relevant graduate degree may substitute for up to two (2) years of the required experience.
Demonstrated experience translating organizational strategy into digital experience outcomes, with a track record of leading large-scale web initiatives from vision through execution.
Deep understanding of the evolving digital discoverability landscape, including SEO, technical SEO, AEO, GEO, and how AI-powered platforms surface and present web content.
Conceptual understanding of the end-to-end web development ecosystem, including domains and hosting, version control (e.g., Git/GitHub), and deployment pipelines. Ability to make informed strategic decisions, guide cross-functional teams, and engage effectively with engineering partners in these areas, without requiring hands-on implementation expertise.
Fluency in web analytics platforms (Google Analytics 4 or equivalent) and experience building data-driven performance frameworks that connect web metrics to organizational goals; working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and modern front-end principles; experience with CMS architectures (Wagtail or similar Python/Django-based CMS a plus); proficiency with UX/UI design tools (Figma or equivalent) and familiarity with design systems, accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA or higher), user research methods, and usability testing.
Significant experience managing external development agencies or vendors, including contract negotiation, SLA management, roadmap governance, and budget stewardship.
Strong budget management skills, with experience managing multi-year budgets across internal teams and vendor relationships.
Familiarity with project management platforms (Airtable, Basecamp, Jira, or equivalent) and agile/iterative development methodologies.
Exceptional strategic communication skills, with the ability to translate technical complexity for non-technical audiences and organizational strategy for technical teams.
Demonstrated ability to build and sustain collaborative relationships across functions, levels, and disciplines in a complex organizational environment.
Strong leadership presence, with experience influencing and building organizational alignment around digital priorities.
Ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously, making sound decisions under ambiguity and in fast-paced environments.
Committed to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams.
Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values: COURAGE, INTEGRITY, RESPECT, COLLABORATION.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree or other relevant graduate degree in digital strategy, user experience, communications, or a related field preferred.
Experience with Wagtail or similar Python/Django-based CMS a plus.
Proficiency with UX/UI design tools (Figma or equivalent) and familiarity with design systems, accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA or higher), user research methods, and usability testing.

Responsibilities

Define and drive the long-term strategic vision for WWF's organizational website worldwildlife.org, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, audience needs, and fundraising goals.
Setting standards for user experience, interaction design, information architecture, and web performance across all digital touchpoints.
Lead the evolution of WWF's web presence into emerging discoverability channels, including AI-powered search, answer engine optimization (AEO), generative engine optimization (GEO), and large language model (LLM) discoverability.
Anticipate and respond to shifts in the digital landscape, translating trends in AI, search, and audience behavior into actionable strategies and platform investments.
Champion an evidence-based approach to web strategy — establishing a culture of analytics, experimentation, and continuous improvement grounded in robust data and user research.
Serve as the primary strategic owner of WWF's relationship with its external development partner (currently Torchbox), including oversight of the business as usual development work, one-off project work, support and development agreement, roadmap prioritization, and performance accountability.
Lead vendor governance: manage contracts, service level agreements, development prioritization, and budget stewardship to ensure the organization receives maximum value from external partnerships.
Evaluate, recommend, and onboard additional vendors and technology partners as needed to advance web strategy and platform capabilities.
Oversee the design, user experience, and operational health of worldwildlife.org, built on Wagtail CMS, ensuring accessibility, performance, security, and compliance with applicable legal standards.
Lead the web design system and ensure consistent application of brand standards, accessibility requirements (WCAG), and mobile-first responsive design across the site.
Guide the organization's approach to technical SEO, structured data, and metadata strategy to maximize organic discoverability and search performance.
Oversee web analytics infrastructure and reporting, ensuring web strategy, updates, and investments are grounded in user data and organizational performance metrics.
Partner with the Digital Content team to ensure the web experience and content strategy operate as an integrated system — from information architecture to content workflows to discoverability.
Collaborate with Integrated Marketing, Development, Programs/Goals, and Communications teams to ensure the website meets acquisition, fundraising, and engagement goals.
Provide thought leadership and serve as an organizational resource on digital experience strategy, emerging platforms, and the evolving role of the web within a multi-channel digital ecosystem.
Lead CMS training and adoption across editorial and content teams, enabling staff across the organization to contribute effectively to the web.
Manage, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of web professionals, fostering a culture of strategic thinking, craft, and continuous learning.
Model and reinforce a team culture aligned with WWF's values and the web team's vision: collaborative, curious, impact-driven, and deeply committed to inclusion.
Lead workforce planning and talent development in partnership with the VP, Digital Platforms, to ensure the team has the skills and capacity needed to execute the web strategy.
Perform other duties as assigned.