Associate Director, Digital Experience

Role Description

This role drives the execution and optimization of user-first digital experiences across the prospective student journey. Sitting within UX, this role operationalizes experience strategy, ensures alignment across Enrollment, AI-driven initiatives, and digital products, and continuously improves performance through data and insights.

This role partners closely with Marketing Automation, IT/Product, Enrollment, and Data teams, supporting and influencing product and experience outcomes without owning product build or campaign execution. This role operates within the experience strategy and frameworks defined by UX leadership.

Essential Functions:

• Enrollment, Innovation & Experience Strategy Execution:
  • Partner with Enrollment, Marketing, and Product teams to identify and recommend new products and experience opportunities based on Journey and User Insights and competitive audits.
  • Translate business needs into user-first experience concepts.
  • Map, optimize, and operationalize end-to-end journeys across Web, CRM, and Enrollment touchpoints.
  • Partner on integrating user journeys for New Digital Product launches and measuring performance and user journeys for ongoing optimization.
  • Lead Cross Functional work sessions for ideation and alignment on Digital Experiences.
  • Support AI and innovation initiatives by ensuring experiences are user-centered and measurable.
• Journey Intelligence & Personalization:
  • Develop a deep understanding of end-to-end user journeys across web, CRM, and enrollment touchpoints.
  • Identify friction points, drop-offs, and experience gaps.
  • Conduct biannual Competitive and Technology Audits.
  • Partner on Personalization Roadmaps and explore partners. Translate insights into Personalization strategies ensuring alignment with user behavior, lifecycle stage, and business goals.
  • Partner with UX leader on Digital Product reporting for User KPI’s ensuring building reporting and metrics.
• Research & Insight-Driven Experience:
  • Leverage UX research and behavioral insights to inform experience and product decisions.
  • Translate insights into experience improvements.
  • Provide recommendations for new product features or enhancements.
  • Ensure all product, pilot, and AI initiatives are grounded in real user needs and behaviors.
• Cross-Functional Experience Leadership:
  • Act as a connector across UX, Data, Marketing Automation, Enrollment, and IT/Product teams.
  • Ensure alignment between experience strategy, product development, and marketing execution.
  • Provide experience and performance input into prioritization discussions, in partnership with UX leadership, product, and marketing owners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in design, human-computer interaction, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in digital experience, product strategy, personalization, or innovation roles.
• Proven experience partnering closely with CRM and marketing automation teams.
• Demonstrated experience driving personalization and experience intelligence.

Requirements

• Strong experience and performance orientation, with the ability to define KPIs and work with GA4 and behavioral analytics.
• Solid foundation in human-centered design, journey mapping, and experience strategy.
• Demonstrated ability to operationalize experience strategy.
• Experience partnering with CRM, marketing automation, and data teams.
• Familiarity with experimentation and optimization frameworks.
• Working knowledge of accessibility (WCAG), responsive design principles, and content structure.
• Experience collaborating within design systems and shared UX frameworks.
• Exposure to or experience supporting AI-driven or personalization-based experiences.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and influence skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Benefits

• Comprehensive well-being benefits for you and your family.
• Salary/pay rate commensurate with experience.

Company Description

National University is committed to maintaining a high-quality workforce representative of the populations we serve. National University employs more than 4,500 faculty and staff and serves over 45,000 students. We are united in our mission to meet the global education demands of the 21st Century and are dedicated to creating a supportive academic and work environment.

National University (NU) is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant per applicable federal, state, and local laws.