Web Design Specialist
The Web Design Specialist at the Ohio Department of Education will play a critical role in supporting Each Child, Our Future, Ohio’s five-year strategic plan. The Web Design Specialist will execute the Department’s comprehensive web strategy that—in concert with other efforts—advances the vision that each child is challenged to discover and learn, prepared to pursue a fulfilling post-high school path and empowered to become a resilient, lifelong learner who contributes to society.
Serving within the Department’s Office of Communications and Outreach, the Web Design Specialist will work with a team of creative communications professionals to harness the web’s power in support of the strategies, principles and goals of Each Child, Our Future. Responsibilities include the evaluation of the Department’s digital engagement strategy; creation and planning of visual concepts for design and creation of online communications; and development of new ideas, content, features and functionality for the agency’s websites.
The Web Design Specialist reports directly to the Visual Communications Manager. The position will work closely with other members of the Communications office, all levels of Department of Education staff and external partners including other state agencies as well as education, civic and philanthropic organizations. This teamwork approach will ensure the agency’s websites complement and amplify efforts involving social media, earned media, webinars and other communications platforms to reach numerous statewide audiences with key messages.
Major Responsibilities and Duties:
Creates and maintains digital content on all key Ohio Department of Education (ODE) websites:
- Executes ODE’s comprehensive web strategy.
- Ensures end products’ compliance with ODE branding and accessibility standards.
- Assists in the evaluation of the digital engagement strategy.
- Develops and plans visual concept for design and creation of on-line communications for ODE's external and internal audiences for access on agency's internet and/or intranet (e.g., news releases; educational opportunities; information material; fact sheets; seminar announcements) utilizing HTML, JavaScript and CSS.
- Serves on appropriate committees related to communications, digital strategy and public relations representing the agency and its interests.
- Assists in the development of new ideas, content, features and functionality.
- Collaborates with other offices throughout the agency and outside vendors to ensure website accessibility compliance.
Develops and plans ODE’s Content Management System (CMS):
- Develops and provides training for ODE staff (i.e., content coordinators) to post and manage content on the website using the CMS.
- Creates new pages and posts videos.
- Creates and rotates display banners on homepage.
- Places other content and links on the homepage.
- Establishes engagement benchmarks, tracks performance, reports findings and recommends enhancements.
- Utilizes SiteImprove to inform business decisions concerning content management and sharing.
Performs other related duties as assigned:
- Participates as a member of the creative team in meetings.
- Uses team-based problem- solving for decisions and activities that affect the Office of Communications.
- Assists with the development and maintenance of office and agency policies and procedures about communications.
Minimum Qualifications:
Completion of undergraduate core program in visual communications with emphasis on graphic design/industrial design and/or fine arts; 24 months training or 24 months experience in website/web page creation, design and/or development.
OR completion of associate core program in graphic visual communication technology or multimedia production technology; 36 months training or 36 months experience in website/web page creation, design and/or development.
OR 36 months training or 36 months experience in electronic graphic design; 12 months experience with hyper-text markup language for website/web page design and/or development.