Chris Johnson
Higher-Education Front-End Development Leader
Hey, CCJ!
I lead front-end development for large-scale higher-education websites, setting technical direction, standards, and priorities. I translate design intent and institutional goals into maintainable, accessible systems that teams can actually run long-term.
Currently a development team leader at Carnegie Higher Ed, focused on building systems that scale and outlast redesigns.
Creative vision, technical execution. Built for higher education.
I’m a front-end development leader with 9+ years of experience delivering large-scale web platforms in higher education. My work sits at the intersection of design, engineering, and institutional strategy, with a focus on building systems that are accessible and sustainable long after launch.
I specialize in higher-ed marketing and communications, supporting enrollment outcomes through accessible architecture, clear content patterns, and CMS-friendly implementations. I set front-end strategy across teams, align technical decisions with business goals, and ensure solutions scale across institutions, platforms, and timelines.
My background includes enterprise CMS implementations, cross-functional collaboration, Slate and iModules integrations, event calendaring, faculty directories, news ecosystems, and the operational realities of managing complex sites over time.
Higher ed, broadly.
I’ve contributed to front-end development, CMS implementation, and platform strategy across research universities, regional publics, and community colleges. My focus is on building systems that scale beyond a single launch and remain maintainable over time.
What I Do
Team Leadership & Development Operations
I lead front-end teams with a focus on consistency, sustainability, and risk reduction. This includes setting standards and workflows, evaluating platform feasibility, guiding tooling decisions, and actively protecting teams from scope creep and technical debt.
Front-end Development
I design and oversee front-end systems focused on accessibility, performance, longevity, and platform compatibility. My work emphasizes semantic HTML, scalable CSS, resilient JavaScript, and front-end structures that support SEO, accessibility, and modern content extraction by AI-powered search tools.
Content Management Systems
I build front-end systems that respect CMS constraints while balancing editor autonomy with institutional consistency. I have deep experience with higher-ed platforms including Modern Campus, Terminalfour, and Cascade, as well as WordPress, Drupal, and Sitecore.
UX Design & Back-end Collaboration
I collaborate closely with designers and back-end developers to ensure front-end implementations reflect design intent while remaining technically feasible within CMS and platform constraints.
From Project to Process
In agency environments, I lead front-end work across multiple institutions, timelines, and CMS ecosystems. I emphasize clear planning, execution, and client education around accessibility, platform limitations, and sustainable web practices, with a focus on repeatable processes rather than one-off builds.
Enrollment-Focused Development
My in-house work has focused on building high-visibility digital experiences that support enrollment, marketing, and institutional storytelling through accessible, durable front-end systems.
Documentation & Organization
My background in technical writing allows me to produce clear, structured documentation that teams actually use. This includes specification documents and CMS build notes that reduce implementation errors, speed up handoff, and create shared understanding across teams.
Web Insights
How do you build websites that last beyond the next redesign? I dig into front-end development strategies that improve accessibility, maintain brand consistency, and save future developers (including yourself) from technical debt headaches.
March 2024 - Present
Asst. Director, Front-End Development
- Lead front-end development across approximately $1M in annual project work, owning scope, budgets, QA, and delivery outcomes in alignment with revenue goals and client expectations.
- Manage front-end developers, providing direction, feedback, and skill development/innovation opportunities. Plan team resourcing and workloads to optimize productivity and delivery timelines.
- Implement and oversee developer subcontracting agreements totaling approximately $100K annually.
- Define and coordinate front-end to CMS handoff strategy with commercial CMS vendors (Modern Campus, TerminalFour, Hannon Hill), ensuring technical clarity, authoring usability, and long-term maintainability; serve as a primary client contact.
- Design and refine front-end, CMS, and QA delivery processes; advise teams and clients on technical architecture, accessibility standards, and implementation feasibility.
July 2023 - March 2024
Web Implementations Manager
- Translated design intent into enforceable functional specifications and documentation—including template inventories, motion guidelines, and technical requirements—balancing UX goals with CMS constraints and accessibility requirements.
- Coordinated with internal teams, clients, and CMS vendors for seamless integration, content migration, training, and technical support; served as a liaison for support requests and new feature development.
- Managed handoffs between front-end and back-end teams, ensuring clear communication of project specifications and technical requirements.
- Conducted comprehensive QA testing across design concepts, front-end code, and CMS implementations to validate functionality and excellent UX.
March 2022 - July 2023
Product Manager
- Managed internal and client expectations for website features and functionality, intaking design concepts to evaluate scope, UX best practices, CMS compatibility, and development feasibility.
- Developed functional specifications and design documentation while facilitating collaboration across strategists, designers, developers, and commercial CMS vendors (WordPress, Drupal).
- Defined non-functional requirements (accessibility, browser/device support, performance, UX constraints) and used them to guide design decisions and development tradeoffs.
2019 - March 2022
Senior Front-End Web Developer
- Developed and designed marquee, high-profile, WCAG 2.0 Level AA-compliant websites for the University, including three award-winning annual reports, a new Provost website, a brand campaign microsite, and the University's 125th Anniversary website.
- Led large-scale CMS migration of 500+ program pages to a new Sitecore environment, ensuring WCAG compliance and functional continuity through close collaboration with project and product managers.
- Managed two Web Support Specialists to provide web development support to administrative and academic units.
2019 - 2021
UX Designer & Developer
Pennsylvania Department of Education
- Designed and developed HTML/CSS/JS/TypeScript to deliver accessible user interfaces for the Pennsylvania Education Resource Center, including a proprietary "Used It" feature for school administrators to track research.
- Delivered pixel-accurate implementations with custom transitions and micro-interactions while coordinating with ADA accessibility vendors and hosting platforms.
2016 - 2019
Front-End Web Developer
- Developed WCAG 2.0 Level AA-compliant websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, including the University's 125th Anniversary website and a new Athletics website.
- Collaborated with the University's 17 colleges to maintain existing web presences and design new digital infrastructures within Sitecore CMS.
- Governed web standards, accessibility, and editorial guidelines across a decentralized ecosystem.
2016
Technical Writing, BA
University of Delaware
Cum Laude
Internship Experiences
- Technical Communications Intern — University of Delaware, IT Communication Group (2014–2016)
- Social Media Content Manager — University of Delaware, Office of Communication and Marketing (2014)
- Graphic and Web Design Intern — University of Delaware, Residence Life & Housing (2013)
2014
Study Abroad — Expository Writing
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
University of Otago, New Zealand
Get In Touch
Whether you have a question, a suggestion, or just want to say hello, this is where you can find me: