Front-end Web Developer and Designer

Advertising Summary: Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine is a premier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond. Accounting for almost half of VCU’s sponsored research, the School of Medicine is internationally recognized for patient care and education. Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity employer.

https://vcujobs.com/why-richmond

Unit: School Of Medicine MBU

Department: Dean's Office - Web & Communications

Duties & Responsibilities:

The VCU School of Medicine is seeking a versatile front-end web developer and designer to join our award-winning web and communications team.

In this role, you will create and maintain visually compelling, accessible websites and other digital products that advance the school’s mission and support our faculty, staff and students. Drawing upon a skill set that is equal parts analytical and creative, this position serves as a vital bridge between content strategy and technical execution.

This role connects strong visual design skills with a solid understanding of front-end technologies and accessibility practices to bridge the gap between content strategy and technical execution. Working in a collaborative environment, you will translate communication goals into efficient digital solutions, both in our web presence as well as other digital products that advance the school's mission and support our faculty, staff, and student population.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate closely with team members to scope, create and maintain accessible websites and digital products that support the School’s mission and initiatives, while adhering to compliance standards and branding guidelines.
• Develop clean, efficient, and maintainable source code for websites and other digital products, using semantic HTML and well-organized CSS to structure and style web projects effectively, ensuring compatibility with various browsers and devices.
• Implement interactive and dynamic features using Javascript or other relevant languages, including animations and user interface enhancements as needed
• Work within the university’s content management system (TerminalFour) to implement page layouts, components and other structured CMS assets.
• Ensure all web content complies with accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG). Perform regular accessibility audits and usability testing to identify and resolve accessibility barriers.
• Use the school’s bulk mail system (ListServ Maestro) to develop, test and troubleshoot email content and templates for broad distribution, ensuring accuracy and compliance across devices, email clients and applications.
• Collaborate with the team to develop, document and maintain design systems and component libraries for web projects to support efficient and consistent high quality web content creation across projects.
• Conduct comprehensive front-end testing and debugging to identify and resolve issues, ensuring a stable and bug-free user experience.
• Assist in the maintenance of 20+ School of Medicine web properties by co-managing the customer service ticketing system and serving as Tier 2 subject matter expert support for colleagues across departments.
• Stay up-to-date with emerging front-end technologies, tools, and trends, and proactively recommend improvements to front-end development processes and team workflows.
• Use professional software such as the Adobe Creative Cloud suite to create, edit, and optimize digital assets for use across websites, email templates, and other digital properties.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in web development or a related field, or equivalent experience
• 2+ years of experience in front-end web development or a similar role
• Strong portfolio demonstrating visual design sensibility and front-end development proficiency
• Proficiency in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and front-end development tools
• Proficiency with the Adobe Creative Suite, especially Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator
• Strong understanding of responsive design principles
• Solid knowledge of web performance optimization best practices
• Experience testing and ensuring cross-browser and cross-device compatibility
• Familiarity with web accessibility standards (WCAG) and practical implementation experience
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Demonstrated commitment to delivering high-quality customer service
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience collaborating with communications or marketing teams (or similarly multi-function teams) to align web development work with strategic goals
• Experience working with content management systems (CMS platforms)
• Experience with additional front-end frameworks, data formats, or programming languages (e.g., Bootstrap, JSON, Python)
• Knowledge of SEO and AIO best practices for modern web development

Salary Range: $55,000-$65,000

Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Restricted Position: No

ORP Eligible: No

Flexible Work Arrangement: Hybrid

University Job Title: 1322B - Communications Specialist Base