Web & UX Specialist

Position Summary and Qualifications:
The Web & UX Specialist is a hands-on UX designer embedded within the University's web team, with responsibility for front-end experience design and reusable component systems. Reporting to the Director of Web Experience, this role focuses on front-end UX design, design systems and close collaboration with development partners to deliver user-centered, high-performing web experiences across Saint Joseph's University's digital properties.

The role combines web, design, and research capabilities, with a strong emphasis on design-to-development collaboration, designing for CMS platforms (primarily Drupal), making analytics-informed UX decisions, and optimizing higher-education enrollment journeys.

The Specialist is experienced with modern design software used for ideating, prototyping, managing, and evolving user experiences across a web ecosystem. The role contributes directly to establishing and maintaining a scalable design system that supports long-term consistency, accessibility, and efficiency.

This role partners closely with project managers, front- and back-end developers, analysts, and marketing and content teams across the University. The Specialist will, at times, work directly with web code and digital assets and should have working familiarity with production web workflows and implementation processes.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

UX Design & Design Systems

• Design and deliver UX solutions - page layouts, templates, interactive components - for web initiatives, from early ideation through development handoff.
• Create high-fidelity designs, prototypes, and interaction models.
• Produce production-ready design specifications for development.
• Build and maintain shared component libraries.
• Implement and maintain shared components, tokens, and reusable patterns that support efficient front-end development.
• Proactively contribute to the evolution of a centralized SJU web design system, ensuring scalability across CMS templates and digital properties.
• Translate user needs, research findings, and analytics insights into clear, compelling design solutions.

Design / Development Collaboration

• Partner closely with front-end and back-end developers during:
  • Early concepting and feasibility discussions
  • Project definition, scoping and feasibility discussions
  • Design reviews
  • Design-to-development handoff
• Work directly within CMS environments (Drupal primarily) and with front-end code to implement, validate and refine design execution.
• Prepare clear design documentation, specifications, and annotations to support efficient implementation.
• Maintain familiarity with front-end technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and CMS theming constraints to design with realism and intent.

UX Research & Analytics (Design-Driven)

• Plan and conduct UX research activities (usability testing, interviews, heuristic reviews) in support of active design work.
• Translate research findings into concrete design recommendations, prototypes, and system updates, and prepare findings and recommendations for internal stakeholders.
• Incorporate research findings directly into design updates and live web enhancements.
• Create and maintain user journey maps for key audiences (prospective undergraduate and graduate students).
• Use analytics and performance data (GA4 and related tools) as inputs to inform design decisions.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Collaborate with marketing, communications, analytics, enrollment, academic and registrar stakeholders to ensure experiences align with user needs and institutional goals.
• Ensure consistency and cohesion across Saint Joseph's web properties through design guidance and system adoption.

Minimum Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor's degree in UX Design, Web Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Marketing, Communications, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in UX design, web design, or a hybrid UX/web role.
• Demonstrated expertise in modern collaborative design tools, including advanced use of component libraries, variants, variables, and developer handoff workflows.
• Strong understanding of UX principles, interaction design, and accessibility best practices (WCAG).
• Experience working with content management systems (Drupal preferred).
• Comfort authoring and discussing front-end code (HTML/CSS/JS).
• Ability to collaborate effectively with developers, analysts, and non-design stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to articulate design rationale.

Preferred

• Advanced training or certifications in UX, Marketing, or related fields.
• Experience designing within or contributing to a formal design system.
• Familiarity with higher-education enrollment or marketing journeys.
• Experience with Google Analytics 4 and UX research tools (UserTesting, Hotjar, etc.).
• Exposure to marketing automation platforms and CRM systems (Slate preferred).
• Working knowledge of SEO considerations as they relate to UX and content structure.

Physical Requirements and/or Unusual Work Hours:

• Although not normal practice, some off-hours work may be required for site refreshes/updates.
• Candidates must be available to work from the Hawk Hill campus with an opportunity to work a hybrid schedule.

Estimated Pay Range

The estimated pay range for this position is $60,000-$62,6000 annually. The offered salary will be commensurate with work experience and educational background.

Saint Joseph's University is a private, Catholic, Jesuit institution and we expect members of our community to be knowledgeable about - and to make a positive contribution to - our mission. Saint Joseph's University is an equal opportunity employer that seeks to recruit, develop and retain a talented and diverse workforce. The University is committed to the diversity of its faculty and staff so that our students, our disciplines and our community as a whole can benefit from the multiple perspectives it offers. The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. EOE

Saint Joseph's University prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in its programs and activities, including admission and employment, in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The Title IX Coordinator is responsible for overseeing compliance with Title IX and other civil rights laws and regulations. To contact the Title IX Coordinator, e-mail [email protected] , visit Campion Student Center suite 243, or call 610-660-1145. To learn more about the University's Title IX policies, the process for filing a report or formal complaint of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, or other form of sexual misconduct, and the University's response to reports and/or formal complaints, please visit . Inquiries may also be directed to the Federal agency responsible for enforcing Title IX, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights .

Applicant Information & Disclosures

Please review this article of important information pertaining (but not limited) to: Background checks, the Form I-9, Equal Opportunity Employment (EOE), and Title IX.

Pay Transparency & Benefits Overview

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