Manager, Web Platforms and Digital Experience

Manages the development, cloud hosting, integration, maintenance, and operation of enterprise websites, web applications, and digital platforms. Serves as a hands-on technical manager, actively providing technical direction and support for web development, CMS platforms, APIs, system integrations, cloud services, security, accessibility, performance, deployments, web analytics, and troubleshooting. Leads the practical application of artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI, large language models (LLMs), AI services, and automation, within web development and digital platforms. Evaluates, prototypes, integrates, and implements AI-enabled web solutions while guiding developers on architecture, coding practices, integrations, testing, and technical problem resolution. Work includes day-to-day technical oversight from development and code/solution reviews through testing, deployment, production support, maintenance, platform reliability, and continuous improvement.

The Web Platforms and Digital Experience Manager oversees the planning, development, and management of websites, web applications, and web services supporting UCSF programs, projects, and institutional initiatives. The role serves as a hands-on technical manager responsible for managing web development, content management systems, cloud hosting, APIs and system integrations, security, accessibility, performance, and platform reliability. Manages the evaluation and implementation of modern web and AI-enabled technologies, including generative AI, large language models (LLMs), AI-assisted development, intelligent search, content workflows, analytics, and automation to improve web development, digital experiences, and operational efficiency. Collaborates with campus departments and stakeholders to ensure web platforms and services meet organizational needs and follow technical, security, accessibility, and digital standards.

Receives broad objectives for managing and advancing UCSF’s web services and determines appropriate technical priorities, implementation approaches, resource allocation, and team assignments to meet organizational goals and timelines. Manages website initiatives, platform enhancements, cloud-hosted services, integrations, AI-enabled capabilities, and production operations while ensuring effective development, testing, deployment, security, and maintenance practices.

Provides direct management and oversight of web and technical staff, including setting priorities, assigning work, providing technical guidance, reviewing technical solutions and deliverables, managing performance, and developing staff capabilities. Balances hands-on technical involvement with people, platform, and operational management to ensure reliable service delivery and effective team performance. Decisions and recommendations impact the security, reliability, accessibility, scalability, and effectiveness of UCSF’s web and digital platforms; ineffective decisions may result in project delays, service disruptions, reduced service quality, security or compliance risks, or increased operational costs.

 

 

Department Overview

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It is the only campus in the 10-campus UC system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences. UCSF is technologically and organizationally complex, with both centralized and departmental IT units providing support for enterprise and specialized services. UCSF IT provides education, research, and health technology services, along with shared infrastructure, security, analytics, application, and customer support services, and is essential to the organization’s ability to support growth, mitigate security risk, and manage, store and share sensitive information. 

 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field,
• Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible experience in web application development, web platform engineering, software engineering or enterprise web architecture, including hands-on technical responsibility for production web systems.
• Minimum 3 years of experience managing or directly supervising software engineers, web developers, or other technical staff, including responsibility for technical direction, performance management, and staff development
• Minimum 2 years of demonstrated professional experience applying AI to web strategy and web development, including evaluation, prototyping, integration, or production implementation of generative AI/LLMs, AI APIs/services, AI-assisted development, intelligent search, content automation, personalization, analytics, accessibility, or related AI-enabled web capabilities.
• Demonstrated experience defining an AI-enabled web strategy or technical roadmap and translating AI use cases into secure, scalable, production web solutions.
• Demonstrated hands-on technical experience with modern web application architecture and development, including front-end and back-end technologies, REST/GraphQL APIs or equivalent integration patterns, authentication/authorization, databases, and enterprise system integrations.
• Demonstrated experience architecting, developing, or operating enterprise CMS and web platforms in cloud or managed hosting environments, including performance, scalability, caching/CDN, security, monitoring, and reliability considerations.
• Demonstrated experience with software engineering and DevSecOps practices including Git-based source control, code review, automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, release management, infrastructure/cloud deployment practices, observability, and production incident troubleshooting.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate AI models, platforms, APIs, and development tools for technical fit, security, privacy, data governance, accessibility, reliability, quality, and responsible use in enterprise web environments.
• Demonstrated knowledge of web security, privacy, accessibility (WCAG), performance optimization, responsive design, usability, and secure software development practices.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex web platform modernization, application development, CMS migration, integration, or cloud transformation initiatives from architecture through production operations.
• Strong technical leadership and communication skills, including the ability to review architecture and engineering designs, mentor developers, communicate technical tradeoffs, and collaborate with security, infrastructure, data, product, communications, and non-technical stakeholders.

 

 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in computer science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Software Engineering, or a closely related technical field or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience and training.
• AI Certifications
• Experience with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), vector search/databases, semantic search, prompt engineering, AI evaluation/observability, model gateways, or agentic workflows in web applications.
• Experience with major cloud AI platforms and services (for example Azure AI, AWS AI/Bedrock, Google Cloud Vertex AI, or comparable enterprise AI services).
• Experience managing enterprise or large-scale institutional web platforms in higher education, healthcare, research, or another regulated environment.
• Experience managing technology vendors, contracts, cloud consumption, licensing, and service agreements for web or AI platforms.
• Familiarity with IT service management frameworks (e.g., ITIL) and enterprise architecture or technology governance practices.

% 

of time

Essential Function (Yes/No)

  

Key Responsibilities

(To be completed by Supervisor)

25

YesManage UCSF Web Services and Platforms: Oversee the planning, architecture, development, implementation, and lifecycle management of enterprise web platforms and web applications. Lead engineering decisions across modern front-end and back-end technologies, CMS platforms, APIs, integrations, cloud services, databases, caching/CDN, security, performance, accessibility, testing, CI/CD, observability, and production operations. Establish and enforce software engineering, architecture, code quality, documentation, and DevSecOps standards. 

20

Yes 

 

Lead Web Content Strategy and Governance: Establish and maintain web content standards, information architecture, editorial guidelines, and governance processes to ensure consistent, high-quality digital communications across UCSF websites. Establishes programming standards and program documentation requirements. Develop proposals to improve or streamline processes and procedures, in conjunction with industry best practices. Define and implement AI driven solutions for UCSF web platforms and digital experiences. Lead hands-on evaluation, prototyping, architecture, integration, and production adoption of generative AI/LLMs, AI APIs and services, AI-assisted development, intelligent search, content automation, personalization, analytics, accessibility, and other AI-enabled web capabilities. Ensure AI solutions meet requirements for security, privacy, data governance, accessibility, reliability, evaluation, monitoring, and responsible use.

 

15

Yes 

 

Engineering Delivery and Platform Modernization: Lead technical delivery of web applications, new site launches, redesigns, CMS upgrades/migrations, platform modernization, and cloud or hosting improvements. Translate product and business requirements into technical roadmaps, architecture, engineering plans, estimates, delivery milestones, and operational support models. Identify and remove technical debt and improve scalability, maintainability, developer experience, and release velocity.

 

10

YesStakeholder Collaboration and Consulting: Partner with campus and health departments, communications teams, and IT groups to identify web needs, provide strategic guidance, and support the development and improvement of departmental websites. Develop and document service expectations and responsibilities, including drafting Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) or similar agreements when appropriate.

10

YesWeb Architecture, Integrations and Operations: Design and oversee integrations among web platforms, enterprise systems, identity services, APIs, data sources, search platforms, analytics, and third-party services. Ensure resilient and secure operations through monitoring, incident response, capacity planning, performance engineering, disaster recovery, and service management practices.

7

YesAI-Enabled Web Experience, Analytics and Optimization: Use analytics, experimentation, user feedback, search data, and AI-enabled analysis to improve digital experience, content effectiveness, accessibility, discoverability, and web performance. Establish measurable technical and experience outcomes and use data to prioritize platform improvements.

8

YesStaff Leadership and Development: Manage, mentor, and develop software engineers and web technical staff. Provide architecture and code-review guidance, set engineering expectations, assign technical work, manage performance, build AI and modern web engineering capability, and foster disciplined software development practices.

3

YesBudget and Resource Coordination: Assist with planning and monitoring technology budgets, cloud/platform costs, vendor services, licensing, contracts, and resource allocations. Evaluate vendors and technologies based on architecture fit, security, interoperability, scalability, total cost of ownership, and AI capabilities.

2

Yes

 

Policy, Standards and Campus Engagement: Participate in campus committees and working groups related to web architecture, AI governance, accessibility, security, digital experience, and technology standards; recommend improvements to policies, technical standards, and procedures.

 

100%

 (To update total %, enter the amount of time in whole numbers (without the % symbol - e.g., 15, 20) then highlight the total sum (e.g., 1%) at the bottom of the column and press F9. The total sum should add up to 100%.)