Content Design Manager Senior

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Content Design Manager Senior

Company: PNC

Location: Washington, DC; Philadelphia, PA; Cleveland, OH; Columbus, OH

Job Type: Full time

Category: Digital Content Strategy & Design

Date Posted: 2026-07-30

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the overarching content vision and strategy for PNC's digital experiences, ensuring alignment with design, product management, and technology leadership.

• Drive the creation of engaging, consistent, and accessible user experiences across diverse digital platforms and devices.

• Mentor and develop a team of content designers, fostering a culture of design thinking and user advocacy.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate writing and content strategy into the digital product development lifecycle, including legal, risk, and compliance reviews.

• Serve as a subject matter expert in content design, applying established best practices to refine and enhance existing digital products.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a senior management position focused on digital content strategy within a large financial institution. The emphasis is on leadership, strategic vision, cross-functional collaboration, and team development, rather than individual contributor content creation. The "Content Design Manager Senior" title, combined with the required experience level and responsibilities, strongly indicates a leadership role with significant strategic input.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive content vision and strategy for digital products, collaborating closely with Product Management, Experience Design, and Technology leaders.

• Oversee the implementation of content guidelines to ensure a consistent and cohesive brand voice, tone, and style across all digital touchpoints.

• Lead creative and holistic thinking for content across various product releases, platforms, and devices, ensuring a unified user experience.

• Drive the creation of a UX content vision with a strategic plan for iterative updates that align with the larger product roadmap.

• Conduct and lead UX content design reviews, providing constructive feedback and guidance on deliverables from junior content designers.

• Mentor and develop content design leaders within the team, fostering their professional growth and contribution to strategic initiatives.

• Advise on the integration of writing and content strategy into the digital product development process, ensuring seamless collaboration with design, product management, and technology stakeholders.

• Partner with research teams to plan, conduct, and analyze user feedback on content and experiences, driving data-informed content decisions.

• Ensure all digital content adheres to legal, risk, and compliance requirements, working closely with relevant departments.

• Champion user needs and advocate for content design best practices throughout the organization, promoting a strong design thinking culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary responsibilities highlight a strategic leadership function, focusing on vision, strategy, team development, and cross-functional alignment. The emphasis on "leading," "overseeing," and "advising" points to a management role responsible for setting direction and mentoring others, rather than direct content creation.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree required. In lieu of a degree, a comparable combination of education, job-specific certification(s), and experience (including military service) may be considered. Experience:

• Typically requires 8+ years of industry experience.

• At least 5 years of prior management experience is typically required.

• 1-2 years of experience working in UX with a foundational understanding of best practices and principles is preferred. Required Skills:

• Strategic Content Vision: Ability to define and articulate a clear content strategy that aligns with business objectives and user needs for digital experiences.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Proven experience in managing and developing a team of content professionals, fostering growth and high performance.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with Product Management, Experience Design, Technology, Legal, Risk, and Compliance teams.

• User-Centric Design: Deep understanding of user experience principles and a strong advocacy for user needs in all content decisions.

• Agile Development Process Understanding: Familiarity with agile methodologies and how content design integrates into iterative development cycles.

• Communication & Influence: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.

• Design Fundamentals: Working knowledge of design fundamentals within a digital space.

• Voice, Tone, and Style Expertise: Passion for language, with a strong command of voice, style, and grammar principles.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working on comprehensive user journeys, including happy paths, sad paths, and error states.

• Experience with agile web development methodologies.

• Proficiency in business requirements documentation (BRD).

• Familiarity with data visualization techniques.

• Knowledge of JavaScript.

• Experience with wireframing and prototyping tools.

• Understanding of IT architecture principles.

• Experience in employee engagement initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Work Experience" section explicitly states "At least 5 years of prior management experience is typically required," solidifying the senior leadership aspect of this role. The preferred skills indicate a need for practical UX and agile experience, which a senior manager would oversee and guide rather than solely perform.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Strategic Vision Case Studies: Examples demonstrating the ability to develop and execute content strategies for complex digital products or initiatives, showcasing impact on user engagement and business goals.

• Team Leadership & Development: Evidence of leading content design teams, including examples of mentorship, performance management, and fostering team growth.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration Examples: Demonstrations of successful partnerships with product, design, technology, legal, risk, and compliance teams on significant projects.

• Process Improvement Initiatives: Case studies detailing how you've improved content design processes, workflows, or team efficiency, including measurable outcomes.

• User Journey Mapping & Content Solutions: Examples of mapping user journeys and designing content solutions that address user needs, pain points, and business objectives across various scenarios.

Process Documentation:

• Content Strategy Frameworks: Ability to document and present clear frameworks for content strategy development, including research methodologies, content audits, and competitive analysis.

• Content Guidelines & Style Guides: Experience in creating, maintaining, and enforcing comprehensive content guidelines and style guides that ensure brand consistency and accessibility.

• User Feedback Integration: Documentation of processes for incorporating user research findings and feedback into content design iterations and strategy adjustments.

• Agile Content Workflow Integration: Demonstrated processes for integrating content design activities seamlessly into agile development sprints and workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job description doesn't explicitly mandate a portfolio, the "Preferred qualifications" mention "An online portfolio, writing samples or published work." For a senior management role, the portfolio should emphasize strategic impact, leadership, and process improvement rather than just individual writing samples. The portfolio should showcase the candidate's ability to lead strategy, manage teams, and drive measurable results.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $114,500.00 – $202,150.00 per year

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, prescription drug coverage (with Health Savings Account), dental, and vision options.

• Life & Disability Insurance: Employee, spouse/child life insurance, and short-term/long-term disability protection.

• Retirement Savings: 401(k) with PNC match, and a pension plan.

• Investment Opportunities: Stock purchase plan.

• Family Support: Dependent care reimbursement account, back-up child/elder care, adoption, surrogacy, and doula reimbursement.

• Professional Development: Educational assistance, including some fully paid programs.

• Wellness & Time Off: Robust wellness program with financial incentives, paid holidays, maternity/parental leave, occasional absence days, and vacation days (15-25 days depending on career level and years of service).

Working Hours: 40 hours per week (standard full-time).

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is a base salary. The role is also incentive-eligible, with payment based on company, business, and/or individual performance. The extensive benefits package is typical for a large, established financial institution like PNC, offering robust support for employees' well-being and financial future. The specific number of vacation days depends on the employee's career level and years of service.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (Banking)

Company Size: Large (PNC is a major financial services corporation with tens of thousands of employees).

Founded: 1852 (PNC has a long history, indicating stability and established processes).

Team Structure:

• Digital Retail Organization: This role sits within PNC's Retail organization, specifically supporting the Digital team.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role requires close collaboration with Content Designers, Experience Designers, Agile Development Teams, Core Product Team Members, Product Managers, Legal, Risk, and Compliance.

• Management Focus: As a "Manager Senior," the role implies leadership responsibilities, likely overseeing a team of content designers or a specific domain within digital content strategy.

• In-Office Culture: PNC is described as an "in-office company," emphasizing a preference for on-site work and in-person collaboration.

Methodology:

• User-Centric Design: A strong emphasis on understanding and meeting customer needs through digital solutions.

• Agile Development: Integration into agile development processes for iterative product improvement.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Collaboration with research partners to test and gather feedback for content and experiences.

• Risk & Compliance Integration: A critical aspect of working within a financial institution is ensuring adherence to legal, risk, and compliance standards.

Company Website: https://www.pnc.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: PNC's long history and position in the financial services industry suggest a culture that values stability, customer trust, and regulatory compliance. The emphasis on an "in-office" culture indicates a preference for traditional work environments and in-person collaboration, which is crucial for senior leadership roles requiring significant team and stakeholder interaction.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Management / Leadership

This is a senior management role focused on leading the content design strategy for digital products within a large financial institution. It requires significant experience in content design, UX principles, and team leadership. The role involves strategic planning, team development, cross-functional influence, and ensuring content aligns with business objectives, user needs, and regulatory requirements.

Reporting Structure:

• The role reports into leadership within the Digital Retail organization.

• The Content Design Manager Senior will likely manage a team of content designers and report to a Director or VP level executive overseeing digital design or product.

• Close collaboration with Product Managers, Experience Designers, and Technology leads is expected. Operations Impact:

• Customer Experience Enhancement: Directly impacts the quality, clarity, and effectiveness of digital customer interactions, driving user satisfaction and trust.

• Product Adoption & Engagement: Well-designed content can improve user understanding and adoption of digital products, leading to increased engagement and achievement of financial goals.

• Brand Consistency & Trust: Ensures a consistent and reliable brand voice across digital channels, reinforcing PNC's reputation and trustworthiness.

• Risk Mitigation: By ensuring content is compliant and accurate, the role helps mitigate legal and regulatory risks for the organization.

• Team Development & Capability Building: Grows the internal capabilities of the content design function, enabling the organization to deliver more sophisticated and user-friendly digital solutions.

Growth Opportunities:

• Director/VP Level Roles: Potential progression to Director of Content Design, Head of Digital Experience, or similar senior leadership positions overseeing broader design or product functions.

• Specialization in Financial Services UX: Deepening expertise in UX for the financial services industry, becoming a recognized leader in this specialized domain.

• Strategic Leadership: Opportunity to take on more strategic responsibilities, influencing the broader digital transformation and customer experience strategy at PNC.

• Cross-Departmental Leadership: Potential to move into leadership roles in related areas such as Product Management, Marketing, or Customer Experience strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Manager Senior" title, combined with 8+ years of industry experience and 5+ years of management experience, firmly places this role in a senior leadership bracket. The growth opportunities reflect typical career paths for individuals in such positions within large corporations.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Primarily on-site within PNC corporate offices. PNC emphasizes an "in-office company" culture.

Office Location(s): Washington, DC (PNC Place), Philadelphia, PA, Cleveland, OH, Columbus, OH. These are major metropolitan areas with significant PNC presence.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Expect a dynamic work environment that fosters collaboration among design, product, and technology teams. This likely includes shared workspaces, team rooms, and regular cross-functional meetings.

• Access to Tools & Technology: As a large financial institution, PNC will provide access to standard enterprise software, collaboration tools, and potentially specialized UX/content design software and platforms.

• Team Interaction: Frequent interaction with direct reports, peers, and senior leadership will be a key aspect of the role. Opportunities for in-person brainstorming, reviews, and strategic discussions.

• Professional Setting: A corporate office environment typical of a major financial institution, focusing on professionalism and adherence to company standards.

Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour work week. While the role is on-site, the nature of management and potential for urgent project needs may require flexibility beyond standard hours, though this is not explicitly stated as a requirement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "PNC is an in-office company" is a critical factor. This indicates a strong preference for on-site work, and candidates should expect to work from one of the specified office locations. The "Workspace Context" is inferred based on typical large corporate office environments and the nature of a management role in digital product development.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely with an HR representative or recruiter to assess basic qualifications, experience, and alignment with company culture.

• Hiring Manager Interview: In-depth discussion about experience, leadership style, strategic thinking, and specific examples related to content design and team management.

• Team/Peer Interviews: Meetings with other content designers, experience designers, and product managers to assess collaboration style, technical understanding, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review: Presentation and discussion of the candidate's portfolio, focusing on strategic impact, leadership examples, and process improvements.

• Senior Leadership Interview: May involve interviews with Directors or VPs to discuss strategic vision and leadership capabilities.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Strategic Impact: Focus on how your leadership and strategy have driven measurable business and user outcomes, not just individual design contributions.

• Showcase Leadership & Mentorship: Include examples of how you've built, managed, and developed teams. Demonstrate your approach to mentoring and fostering talent.

• Demonstrate Cross-Functional Collaboration: Present case studies that clearly illustrate your ability to work effectively with diverse teams (product, engineering, legal, risk).

• Detail Process Improvements: Showcase your ability to identify and implement process efficiencies, workflow optimizations, and best practices within content design.

• Address Financial Services Context: If possible, include examples relevant to the financial services industry, demonstrating an understanding of its unique challenges (e.g., regulation, trust, complex products).

• Prepare for Questions on Vision & Strategy: Be ready to articulate your vision for content design within a large financial institution and how you would execute it.

Challenge Preparation:

• Candidates may be asked to analyze a sample digital experience and propose content strategy improvements, or discuss how they would approach a specific content challenge within PNC's digital ecosystem.

• Be prepared to discuss your leadership philosophy, how you handle difficult team dynamics or stakeholder conflicts, and your approach to driving change in a large organization.

• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, especially when discussing strategic decisions and process improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the senior management level and the emphasis on strategy and leadership, the interview process will likely be rigorous. A strong portfolio that demonstrates strategic impact and leadership is crucial, not just individual design skills. The "Application Window" suggests a short posting period, indicating a potentially urgent need.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools (Inferred based on role and industry):

• Content Management Systems (CMS): Experience with enterprise-level CMS platforms for managing and publishing digital content.

• Collaboration Platforms: Tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Workspace for team communication and project collaboration.

• Project Management Software: Jira, Asana, Trello, or similar tools for managing workflows, sprints, and project timelines, especially within an agile environment.

• Design & Prototyping Tools: While not a primary designer, familiarity with tools like Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or Axure is beneficial for understanding the design process and reviewing deliverables.

• Content Strategy & Auditing Tools: Tools for content inventory, audits, and analysis (e.g., Contentful, GatherContent, or custom solutions).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or similar tools to track content performance, user behavior, and conversion rates.

• User Feedback Platforms: Tools for collecting and analyzing user feedback (e.g., surveys, in-app feedback tools, usability testing platforms).

• Data Visualization Tools: Tableau, Power BI, or similar for creating dashboards and reports to communicate content performance to stakeholders.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Familiarity with CRM systems like Salesforce (though less direct for this role, understanding data flow is helpful).

• Marketing Automation Platforms: Experience with platforms for content distribution and user engagement, though this might be more on the marketing side.

• Accessibility Tools: Knowledge of tools and standards for ensuring digital content accessibility (e.g., WCAG guidelines, accessibility checkers).

📝 Enhancement Note: Specific tools are not listed, but a senior manager in digital content strategy at a large bank would be expected to have experience with enterprise-grade platforms and a strong understanding of how various tools integrate to support the content lifecycle and user experience. The emphasis is on understanding the ecosystem and guiding its use.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focused: Prioritizing customer needs and satisfaction in all digital experiences and content decisions. This is a core stated value for PNC employees.

• Managing Risk: A fundamental expectation in the financial industry; ensuring all content and digital experiences adhere to strict regulatory, legal, and risk management frameworks.

• Integrity & Trust: Upholding the highest ethical standards and fostering trust with customers through clear, accurate, and reliable content.

• Inclusivity: Promoting diverse teams and inclusive workplaces, ensuring content is accessible and resonates with a broad audience.

• Collaboration: Valuing teamwork and effective partnerships across departments to achieve common goals.

• Innovation & Iteration: Encouraging creative problem-solving and a willingness to adapt and improve digital content and strategies based on feedback and performance data.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: A highly collaborative style, working closely with Product, Design, Technology, Legal, Risk, and Compliance teams.

• Mentorship & Guidance: A supportive and developmental approach to leading the content design team, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

• Data-Informed Dialogue: Engaging in discussions and decision-making based on user research, performance metrics, and market insights.

• Strategic Alignment: Focusing discussions on how content strategy supports broader business objectives and enhances the customer journey.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "PNC Employees" and "People Managers" sections in the job description provide explicit insight into the company's cultural values. These should be integrated into the response to show how the role aligns with PNC's core principles.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Complex Regulations: Ensuring content is compliant with stringent financial industry regulations while remaining user-friendly and engaging.

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Managing diverse expectations from various departments (Product, Legal, Risk, Marketing, Technology) and aligning them with a cohesive content strategy.

• Driving Change in a Large Organization: Implementing new strategies, processes, or technologies within a large, established financial institution can be slow and require significant influence.

• Maintaining Brand Consistency Across Channels: Ensuring a unified voice and experience across a wide range of digital touchpoints and potentially legacy systems.

• Leading and Developing a Team: Effectively mentoring and managing a team of content professionals, potentially across different locations, while fostering innovation and high performance.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Financial Services UX Expertise: Deepen knowledge in the specific UX challenges and best practices for the financial services industry.

• Strategic Leadership Development: Opportunities to hone strategic planning, business acumen, and executive communication skills.

• Cross-Functional Skill Expansion: Gain broader exposure to product development, agile methodologies, and technology stacks within a large enterprise.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Potential for attending relevant UX, content strategy, and financial services industry conferences and training programs.

• Mentorship Programs: Access to senior leadership mentorship within PNC to guide career progression.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges identified are typical for senior roles in regulated industries, requiring a strategic approach to problem-solving and change management. The growth opportunities are geared towards advancing within senior leadership or specializing in a niche area of digital strategy.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your experience developing a content strategy for a complex digital product. What was your process, and what were the key outcomes?" (Focus on strategic framework, user research, and measurable impact.)

• "How would you ensure content is compliant with financial regulations while remaining user-friendly and engaging?" (Highlight your understanding of risk management and your approach to collaboration with Legal/Risk teams.)

• "Walk us through your approach to mentoring and developing a team of content designers. How do you foster a culture of innovation and excellence?" (Emphasize leadership style, feedback mechanisms, and talent development strategies.)

• "How do you integrate user research and data analytics into your content design process to drive continuous improvement?" (Provide specific examples of using data to inform decisions and iterate on content.)

• "Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders with differing opinions on content strategy. How did you achieve alignment?" (Focus on communication, negotiation, and building consensus.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on what you know about PNC, what do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for digital content strategy here?" (Demonstrate research and understanding of the financial services landscape and PNC's position.)

• "How do you foster an inclusive and accessible digital experience for all users?" (Connect to PNC's stated values and your approach to accessibility standards.)

• "PNC emphasizes an 'in-office' culture. How do you see that impacting your leadership and team collaboration?" (Discuss your experience with on-site team dynamics and fostering collaboration in a physical workspace.)

• "How do you embody PNC's values of 'Customer Focused' and 'Managing Risk' in your day-to-day work and leadership?" (Provide specific examples linking your actions to these core values.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with the "Why": Begin each case study by clearly stating the business problem, user need, and strategic objectives.

• Showcase Your Leadership Role: Clearly articulate your specific contributions as a leader and strategist, not just a doer. Use "I led," "I strategized," "I mentored," etc.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your strategies (e.g., increased conversion rates, improved user satisfaction scores, reduced support inquiries, enhanced brand perception).

• Detail the Process: Explain the methodologies you employed (user research, content audits, agile integration, stakeholder management, risk reviews).

• Highlight Collaboration: Show how you worked with other teams and managed dependencies.

• Address Challenges & Learnings: Be open about challenges faced and what you learned from them. This demonstrates resilience and a growth mindset.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation focuses on strategic thinking, leadership, and the specific context of a regulated financial institution. Candidates should be ready to discuss their experience in terms of impact, process, and collaboration, aligning their answers with PNC's stated values.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Content Design Manager Senior position:

• Submit Your Application: Apply through the official PNC careers portal via the provided URL.

• Tailor Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly highlights your 8+ years of industry experience and at least 5 years of management experience. Use keywords from the job description such as "content strategy," "UX design," "leadership," "agile," "stakeholder management," and "financial services" to optimize for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate a portfolio that showcases your strategic leadership, team management, cross-functional collaboration, and measurable impact on digital products. Focus on case studies that demonstrate your ability to drive content strategy and process improvements in complex environments.

• Research PNC: Understand PNC's mission, values, digital offerings, and its position within the financial services industry. Familiarize yourself with their customer-centric approach and risk management framework.

• Practice Interview Responses: Prepare to answer behavioral and situational questions related to leadership, strategy, problem-solving, and stakeholder management. Practice articulating your portfolio examples clearly and concisely, emphasizing strategic outcomes and learnings.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.