Director - Website Development and Design

Base Pay $135,000.00 - $140,000.00 / Year

The Director of Website Development & Design is responsible for leading the UX/UI design, development, governance, and accessibility compliance of AKF’s primary website and microsites, ensuring that patients, caregivers, donors, advocates, and the general public have clear, accessible, and user centered pathways to the information and services they need. This role advances the American Kidney Fund’s mission to fight kidney disease and improve the lives of people living with it by delivering high quality digital experiences that strengthen trust, engagement, and impact. Reporting to the Senior Director of Digital Marketing, this position plays a critical role in shaping AKF’s digital ecosystem and leading a major website rebuild, redesign, and future maintenance.

The Director of Website Development & Design oversees UX/UI strategy, front end development, CMS architecture, and digital accessibility, including leadership of a full website rebuild, and AI informed strategy. This position develops and executes digital strategies that support organizational goals, working closely with colleagues across communications, fundraising, programs, and IT to ensure alignment, operational excellence, and measurable results.

Additionally, the role provides technical, analytical, and strategic expertise to guide decision making and continuous improvement across AKF’s digital platforms. As a senior contributor within the Office of Communications and Marketing, the Director of Website Development & Design strengthens organizational impact through collaboration, innovation, and mission driven digital leadership.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Website Strategy & Architecture (50%)

Lead AKF’s website backend maintenance, defining long term digital architecture, and ensuring a modern, accessible, high performing platform.

• Lead full website rebuild from discovery through launch and post launch optimization
• Define site architecture, CMS strategy, content models, and governance
• Ensure smooth content migration, SEO equity preservation, and data integrity
• Partner with cross functional teams to ensure organizational needs are met
• Manage external vendors and agencies, including scopes, timelines, and deliverables

Development, Design & Technical Management (30%)

Leads front end development, CMS management, technical oversight, and team/vendor supervision.

• Oversee front end design and development using responsive, mobile first principles
• Manage CMS configuration, theming, modules, updates, and publishing workflows
• Supervise and mentor staff or contractors contributing to web projects
• Maintain technical documentation, style guides, and governance policies
• Ensure website security, scalability, and performance in partnership with IT

AI Enabled Strategy & Accessibility (15%)

Ensures AKF’s digital content is discoverable, inclusive, and optimized for both traditional search engines and emerging AI driven discovery tools.

• Implement AI informed content practices, including structured data and semantic SEO
• Ensure compliance with WCAG and ADA standards across all digital properties
• Champion accessibility and usability through documentation, training, and quality standards
• Optimize content for machine readability and generative search environments
• Execute SEO and GEO strategies in partnership with the Director of SEO

Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

• Additional responsibilities as determined by the supervisor or OCM leadership.

The salary range displayed is for a successful candidate hired in the DMV area. The salary range may be adjusted to reflect cost of living factors for candidates living outside of this location.

Employee benefits:

• Culture: We ensure our team knows how much they are valued, as demonstrated by our Quality Work Environment (QWE) Task Force and employee-led recognition and social events throughout the year.
• Compressed work week: Start the weekend early with shorter workdays on Fridays—closing at 3 p.m. from Labor Day to Memorial Day and 2 p.m. in the summer.
• Flexibility: Employees work from home most of the time with 1-4 days a month in the office.
• Clear expectations: You’ll know what you need to do to succeed; annual raises and bonuses for all employees are based on your performance.
• Location: Convenient location and a short walk to the popular Pike and Rose shopping center
• Parking:Arrive and leave work comfortably, thanks to an underground parking garage whose cost is paid for by AKF. Metro subsidies are provided for those who do not drive.
• Dress code: Business casual through the week and casual on Fridays.

AKF offers a hybrid work schedule with employees working in the office 1-4 days per month and telework the rest of the time.

Requirements

Preferred

• Experience in a nonprofit, healthcare, education, advocacy, or mission driven organization
• Familiarity with: Large scale CMS implementations and content migration
• Fundraising platforms, donation tools, or CRM integrations
• Analytics platforms and search performance tools

COMPETENCIES

• Strategic thinking
• Analytical decision making
• Project management
• Technical leadership
• Communication and collaboration
• Creativity and innovation
• Digital accessibility expertise