External Operations Manager Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

POSITION SUMMARY:

 The American Council on Education (ACE) is the major coordinating body for the nation's colleges and universities. ACE is a membership organization that mobilizes the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practices. With a diverse base of member institutions, ACE represents nearly 1,700 college and university presidents and executives, serving as the only major higher education association to represent all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting institutions. ACE's mission includes serving 280 minority serving institutions, 25,000 higher education professionals, and 7.7 million students enrolled in colleges and universities. ACE membership extends to all 50 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, and 21 other countries.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, the Web Operations Manager oversees the development, maintenance, optimization, and governance of ACE's web properties, including the organization's primary website, microsites, member-facing platforms, and internal SharePoint environments. This role serves as the primary operational lead for ACE's digital platforms and collaborates closely with Communications, Information Technology Services (ITS), vendors, and stakeholders across the organization to ensure a high-quality, accessible, and user-centered digital experience. The Web Operations Manager  is responsible for establishing efficient workflows, maintaining web standards, supporting digital initiatives, and driving continuous improvement across ACE's web ecosystem. The ideal candidate is a hands-on web operations professional who enjoys balancing strategic projects with day-to-day execution, stakeholder collaboration, digital innovation, and user experience enhancement.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES OR TASKS: 

• Manage the day-to-day maintenance, functionality, and optimization of ACE's website, SharePoint environments, member-facing platforms, and related web properties.

• Lead the development, launch, maintenance, and continuous improvement of webpages supporting ACE programs, events, initiatives, publications, and organizational priorities.

• Design, build, and manage event websites, microsites, registration experiences, and related digital assets using platforms such as Cvent and other event technologies.

• Serve as ACE's primary SharePoint administrator and subject matter expert, overseeing the development, governance, maintenance, and enhancement of internal SharePoint sites and intranet resources.

• Maintain content quality, information architecture, navigation, and user experience across all digital properties.

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to identify opportunities to improve website usability, accessibility, and overall user experience.

• Lead and coordinate website-related projects from planning through implementation, including timeline management, vendor coordination, user acceptance testing, deployment, and post-launch evaluation.

• Support the planning and execution of ACE's future website migration initiative from SharePoint to WordPress, including content migration oversight, accessibility considerations, stakeholder coordination, and vendor management.

• Troubleshoot website issues, support staff and members with functionality concerns, and ensure reliable performance across web platforms.

• Conduct testing and quality assurance for websites, integrations, and related digital applications.

• Oversee integrations between ACE's digital platforms and related technologies, including CRM, marketing automation, webinar, event management, and community engagement platforms.

• Partner closely with ITS to translate business requirements into technical solutions and ensure alignment between operational and technical priorities.

• Manage web operations budgets, contracts, vendor relationships, and external service providers.

• Serve as a liaison between Communications, CRM users, and ITS to support system enhancements, process improvements, user adoption, and digital platform integration initiatives.

• Maintain brand consistency, accessibility compliance, and user-centered design standards across all web properties.

• Develop and maintain website governance practices, including content ownership, publishing workflows, review schedules, permissions management, and quality standards.

• Monitor website performance and user engagement using Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and other reporting tools, providing recommendations for optimization and continuous improvement.

• Maintain and optimize search visibility through SEO best practices and emerging search technologies, including Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

• Evaluate and recommend new tools, technologies, and AI-enabled solutions that improve efficiency, user experience, content discoverability, and digital operations.

• Ensure compliance with accessibility standards, including Section 508 and WCAG guidelines where applicable.

• Maintain and update privacy policies and digital compliance documentation across ACE web properties.

• Establish workflows and processes that enable efficient execution of web requests and digital initiatives.

• Collaborate regularly with Communications, ITS, program staff, and organizational stakeholders to gather requirements, align priorities, and communicate project status.

• Train and support content contributors throughout the organization, promoting adherence to governance standards, accessibility requirements, and web best practices.

• Foster a collaborative, service-oriented approach that positions the Web Operations team as a responsive and trusted organizational partner.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS: 

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and professional experience.

• Five (5) or more years of professional experience managing websites, digital platforms, intranets, or related web operations.

• Experience working with SharePoint and content management systems (CMS).

• Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Google Analytics, and web accessibility best practices sufficient to build, modify, troubleshoot, and maintain webpages and digital content.

• Experience creating, publishing, maintaining, and optimizing digital content and user experiences.

• Strong project management, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Experience managing multiple priorities, stakeholders, and projects simultaneously.

• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across departments and teams.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with WordPress administration and website management.

• Experience working with customer relationship management (CRM) platforms such as Microsoft Dynamics or similar systems.

• Experience managing website redesigns, platform migrations, vendor relationships, or other cross-functional digital projects.

• Experience within higher education, nonprofit, association, government, research, or mission-driven organizations.

• Familiarity with SEO, AEO, GEO, and AI-assisted content or workflow tools.

• Experience applying UX/UI best practices to improve website usability and engagement.

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL EFFORT: