Senior Director, Web Experience, Digital Strategy

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic vision, digital experience design, and operational management of WWF-US's web presence, including worldwildlife.org and associated digital properties.
• Oversee the web experience strategy, user experience design, digital discoverability, and web performance.
• Serve as the primary strategic owner of WWF's relationship with its external development partner.
• Define and drive the long-term strategic vision for WWF's organizational website worldwildlife.org.
• Set 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.
• Anticipate and respond to shifts in the digital landscape, translating trends in AI, search, and audience behavior into actionable strategies.
• Establish a culture of analytics, experimentation, and continuous improvement grounded in robust data and user research.
• Manage contracts, service level agreements, development prioritization, and budget stewardship to ensure maximum value from external partnerships.
• Oversee the design, user experience, and operational health of worldwildlife.org, ensuring accessibility, performance, security, and compliance with applicable legal standards.
• Guide the organization's approach to technical SEO, structured data, and metadata strategy to maximize organic discoverability and search performance.
• Collaborate with Integrated Marketing, Development, Programs/Goals, and Communications teams to ensure the website meets acquisition, fundraising, and engagement goals.

Qualifications

• 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.

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in web strategy and digital experience design, with a strong focus on user experience, technical SEO, and data-driven performance frameworks. Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage external partnerships to achieve organizational goals.