Senior Web Content Specialist

Location: Des Plaines, IL Category: Staff Posted On: Wed Oct 15 2025 Job Description:

Basic Function and Responsibility:
Reporting to the Senior Manager of Digital and Web Strategy, the Senior Web Content Specialist plays a vital role in shaping Oakton College's digital presence. This position oversees the content of the public website, manages the web governance process, and empowers the college community to contribute effectively to the site.
As part of the Marketing and Communications team, the Senior Web Content Specialist ensures that Oakton's website reflects the College's brand and mission, and but serves as an accessible, inclusive, user-friendly, and engaging experience for students, employees, and community members. This role champions web accessibility standards (WCAG compliance) and universal design principles, ensuring all users?regardless of ability?can fully engage with Oakton's digital environment.
The Senior Web Content Specialist supports and implements digital content strategies aligned with the College's strategic priorities, working across departments to tell Oakton's story, connect users to opportunity, and deliver on a modern, student-centered, and accessible web experience.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Develop, deploy, and manage a wide array of college and stakeholder content on Oakton's public website, ensuring timeliness, accuracy, and alignment with brand and accessibility standards.
2. Distill complex information into clear, engaging, and accessible messaging tailored to diverse target audiences.
3. Champion digital accessibility by leading collegewide efforts (in collaboration with the Senior Manager of Digital Strategy), to include the latest in WCAG compliance, PDF remediation, regular accessibility audits, and universal design practices.
4. Train and support content contributors across campus, enforcing governance, accessibility best practices, and inclusive web writing standards.
5. Partner with the web team to monitor and approve changes in Cascade CMS, ensuring both technical accuracy and accessibility compliance.
6. Will lead alongside the Senior Manager of Digital Strategy on the collegewide digital accessibility efforts, including PDF remediation, website accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.2), and ongoing accessibility audits.
7. Conduct routine audits of web content for accuracy, transparency, accessibility, and overall quality; advise stakeholders on improvements.
8. Develop and execute SEO and keyword strategies, balancing search optimization with accessible and inclusive content practices.
9. Collaborate with the Marketing and Communications team to strengthen Oakton's digital presence, ensuring equitable access to information.
10. Create and maintain documentation and deliver training for web editors that highlights both governance and accessibility as shared responsibilities.
11. Manage site templates, architecture, user feedback, bug reports, and requests with a focus on usability and accessibility.
12. Evaluate web analytics and accessibility metrics, providing actionable insights and recommendations to stakeholders.
13. Stay current on industry innovations in web content management, accessibility tools, and digital engagement; recommend enhancements to keep Oakton at the forefront of web best practices.
14. Support emergency messaging on the website, including after-hours.
15. Perform other job-related related duties as assigned.

Supervision Received:
Functional supervision from the Senior Manager of Web and Digital Strategy; administrative supervision from the Director of Marketing.

Supervision Exercised:
None

Job Requirements:

Required Qualifications:
1. Bachelor's in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, English, or related field (or equivalent).
2. 5 years of marketing and communications experience.
3. Excellent interpersonal, communication, listening, organizational, and writing skills.
4. Ability to interact professionally with diverse groups.
5. Demonstrated copywriting ability for multiple mediums.
6. CMS experience.
7. Proofreading/editing expertise and knowledge of AP style.
8. SEO and keyword research experience.
9. Knowledge of ranking factors and algorithms.
10. Leadership and consensus-building ability.
11. Strong analytical and marketing analytics experience.
12. Detail-oriented, creative, and skilled at multi-tasking.
13. Project management knowledge.
14. Understanding of creative and analytical marketing.
15. Knowledge of ADA and WCAG 2.1/ 2.2 requirements.
16. QA/usability testing experience (preferred).

Preferred Qualifications:
1. Master's degree in a related field.
2. 7+ years of experience.
3. Google Analytics certification or equivalent.
4. Understanding of performance marketing and conversions.
5. Basic working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
6. Vendor management experience.
7. Digital asset/project management system experience.
8. Higher education experience.
9. Proven experience with digital accessibility remediation

Physical Demands:
Mobility to move from building to building on-Campus. Work is performed in a general office environment and is sedentary in nature. Little or no exposure to adverse working conditions.

Additional Information:

Salary - $55,942

Schedule - M-F 8:15 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Oakton College is an equal opportunity employer and has a strong commitment to diversity. In that spirit, we seek a broad spectrum of candidates, including minorities, veterans, women and people with disabilities. EOE/AA/M/F/D/V

Oakton is committed to maintaining an environment free from harassment and discrimination for all and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex (gender), sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, and reprisal or any other protected status. Further, Oakton does not discriminate on the basis of sex in any educational, employment, or extracurricular activity.

Out-of-State Employment Defined:

Oakton College's primary location of operation is in the state of Illinois. An "out-of-state employee" is defined as an employee of Oakton College whose primary work location is outside of the state of Illinois. State taxes, employment tax, and worker's compensation provisions vary from state to state and require payroll compliance with these various rules.

Allowable States for Out-of-State Employment:

All employees must maintain their primary residence in Illinois, Indiana, or a reciprocal state with Illinois. Reciprocal states include Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Illinois has tax agreements with these reciprocal states. Employees may have their primary residence in Indiana since Indiana is adjacent to Illinois.