Job Description

Statement of Duties:

The Director of Digital Services will be responsible for ensuring that somervillema.gov, City microsites, and related digital tools are accurate, useful, secure, and accessible and provide the highest-quality public-facing digital access to the City of Somerville. This is multi-pronged position that both supports strong content development and user experience functions (plain language standards, information architecture, resident journey mapping) as well as engineering functions (web and tool design, development, and maintenance).

The Director will:

• Lead web development scoping, planning, and technical web architecture for all related projects;
• Collect and analyze data on online content usage, identify gaps and opportunities, and coordinate improvements and new pages, features, and digital tools (chatbots, service portals, interactive forms, etc.);
• Work across City departments to lead efforts to create, expand, and continuously refine online and digital content;
• Spur digital innovation through the development, customization, and management of relevant online or digital tools in collaboration with departments citywide;
• Refine development standards and processes;
• Manage a small development and content team as well as hosting partners and third-party developers (contractors) to ensure technical quality, product quality, and efficient use of resources;
• Perform code reviews on all internal and external code;
• Stay up to date on changing web and app design, technology, and security, and identify, evaluate, and implement new technology that is beneficial to the digital goals of the City;
• Perform root cause analysis on product and process deficiencies, and define and implement changes;
• Regularly communicate with Communications and Community Engagement leadership and team members to discuss direction, strategy, and priorities.

This is a permanent full-time position.

Essential Functions:

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

• Manage direct reports, contractors, and third-party developers – Lead full and part-time staff (2.5 FTEs) in undertaking projects and delivering daily services. Evaluate performance of staff, provide support and coaching to improve performance and efficacy.
• Audit and maintain accessibility compliance – Ensure compliance with evolving federal accessibility requirements. Use a variety of Section 508 and WCAG compliance testing tools to assess and monitor site accessibility. Meet all federal and state compliance standards and deadlines. Set and meet targets for strategic remediation of any issues, achieve these goals through changes to site codebase and content as needed. Train content contributors on accessibility requirements and best practices.
• Develop pages and microsites – Create static and dynamic pages using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Oversee creation of web apps and digital tools – Coordinate with vendors, volunteers, and City staff to create, launch, and maintain tools such as data portals, service portals, community discussion tools, apps, etc.
• Navigate and assist in governing and implementing evolving approaches to the use of AI tools – The City is not currently deploying AI tools for web or other digital public interfaces, and the Director will be at the cusp of AI policy development for the City. With administration leadership, help establish policies around AI-generated content; use of AI-driven analytics for content optimization, generation, and translation; evaluation and deployment of AI-assisted chatbots or virtual assistants for resident services.
• Deliver and maintain excellent site search functionality – Assess how large language models interact with city content and navigate the shift toward AI-powered search (residents increasingly finding content through AI overviews rather than traditional search), and strategies for ensuring city content remains findable and accurate in that environment.
• Ensure proper privacy and data governance – Maintain best practices for resident data privacy, cookie consent management, analytics platform compliance, and alignment with evolving state/federal data privacy frameworks.
• Support of multilingual web content – In collaboration with SomerViva Office of Immigrant Affairs (SOIA), strategize and execute on ways to deliver multilingual web content, including community-specific landing pages, custom program pages, and sitewide translation features.
• Usability testing – Conduct usability testing sessions through in-person activities (e.g., card-sorting and eye-tracking) and remote surveys (e.g., ‘purpose of visit’ questionnaires to gauge success rate and satisfaction). Analyze outcomes and effect changes to address user pain points.
• Oversight of website security and performance – Monitor core web vitals including loading performance, interactivity, visual page stability, website uptime and availability, and site search performance. Hold vendors to account regarding service level agreement obligations. Stay current on security and performance best practices. Coordinate with the City’s Information Technology (IT) Department and web services vendors to ensure that zero-day vulnerability patches, server upgrades etc. are applied immediately, and that all website content and databases are properly maintained. Administer user accounts and security privileges.
• Service procurement and contracting – Work with the Procurement Department to solicit traditional bids, evaluate proposals, and contract with vendors, as well as oversee SaaS-first government technology acquistion: evaluate subscription platforms, manage vendor relationships, and avoid lock-in.
• Documentation, policymaking, and training – Develop wiki/repository of documentation and training materials, including walkthrough videos, infographics, procedures, policies, checklists, and articles. Maintain a secure (but decentralized) database of account credentials. Make all account credentials available to the Communications Director and Deputy Director. Make select account privileges available to other staff members as needed.
• Emergency information delivery – Develop protocols in coordination with Emergency Management, Communications, and Public Safety to ensure capacity for delivery of urgent information during any and all City emergencies – and implement all protocols during emergency response.
• Equity-centered design – Commitment to or demonstrated experience with equity-centered design or serving diverse communities.
• Collaboration with other municipalities – Engage with digital content teams from other municipalities and governments to innovate on new tools, best practices, and the efficient, accessible sharing of information.

Recommended Minimum Qualifications:

Education and Experience: Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as computer science, information technology, communications, digital media, public administration, or a related discipline, plus at least five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in digital services, web development, or a closely related technical field. Relevant experience should demonstrate a track record of leading complex technical projects, managing staff or contractors, and delivering high-quality digital products or services. Experience working in or with government, public-sector organizations, or mission-driven institutions is strongly preferred. An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job will be considered.

Knowledge, Abilities, and Skill

Knowledge: Must have a strong working knowledge of website design and development principles, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript; modern development approaches including JavaScript frameworks, API integrations, and headless CMS architecture; and content management systems including Drupal and WordPress. Must demonstrate AI literacy, including an understanding of how large language models work, how AI-assisted tools are evaluated for reliability and bias, and how to govern their use responsibly in a public-sector context. Must be familiar with web analytics platforms such as GA4 or Matomo; digital accessibility requirements and best practices including Section 508 and current WCAG standards; privacy and data governance frameworks; and plain language and content design principles.

Abilities: Strong project management skills required. Must be a self-starter with excellent time management, organizational skills, and attention to detail, with a proven record of creative problem solving and successful project delivery. Must demonstrate the ability to stay current with and thoughtfully respond to rapid technological change, including developing and revising approaches to emerging tools and practices. Must be skilled at leading cross-functional teams across departments and at building collaborative working relationships with staff at all levels. Must be able to train, mentor, and manage direct reports effectively. Must be able to communicate clearly and diplomatically -- both orally and in writing -- with a wide range of audiences including a diverse general public and elected officials. Comfortable facilitating usability testing sessions, public meetings, and interdepartmental workshop.

Skills: Strong vendor and contract management skills, including familiarity with municipal procurement processes and SaaS evaluation and negotiation. Demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret data -- including web analytics, usability research, and site performance metrics --and translate findings into actionable decisions. Proficiency with accessibility testing tools such as axe, WAVE, or screen reader testing. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to convey technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders such as department heads and elected officials. Exceptional project management skills with the ability to balance multiple concurrent priorities. Budget development and management experience required.

Work Environment:

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Employee schedule may include evening and weekend hours and adjust to meet peak count period demands. Current work is performed following the hybrid model of both remote and onsite work, and this will adapt to the changing conditions of the pandemic.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an

employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills

Minimal physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. There may also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment or photocopy paper (up to 30lbs.). When in the field, more physical skill may be required to accomplish the duties required.

Motor Skills

Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office or presentation equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.

Visual Skills

Visual demands require constantly reading documents and online materials for general understanding and analytical purposes. Position involves extensive use of computer displays/monitors, and requires the ability to interpret colors, patterns, and motions of on-screen interfaces.

Hours: Full-Time, City Hall Hours.
Salary: $110,000 annualized, plus benefits.
FLSA: Exempt
Union: Non-Union
Date Posted: April 1st, 2026

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The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request. Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact the ADA Coordinator at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or ADA@somervillema.gov.

Pre-Employment Requirements for All Employees:

• MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) clearance
• Completion of Conflict-of-Interest Law Education training for municipal employees

of Total Rewards:

• 4 weeks annual vacation for non-union positions. Union positions vary by contract. Please note, police officers are members of the SPEA union. Public Health Nurses are part of Union A (SMEA).
• Medical insurance through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) - 80% of premium costs paid by City
• Dental coverage low and high plans through Cigna
• Vision care through Vision Service Plan (VSP)
• Long term disability through Sun Life
• Group and voluntary life insurance through Boston Mutual
• Health Care and Dependent Care flexible spending through Benefit Strategies
• Deferred compensation plans through a choice of three vendors
• Free, confidential services through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by E4Health
• Annual cancer screening & wellness release
• Somerville Retirement Pension System
• Tuition reimbursement
• MBTA pass program
• FREE Blue Bikes membership
• Eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

Benefits listed are for benefits-eligible positions and the above information is meant to be a general overview of the benefit programs offered by the City of Somerville and not a binding contract.