Your digital platform is only as strong as the team behind it. This week, we share ideas about how higher ed institutions can structure a procurement and content management team to ensure success with a CMS or digital experience platform across strategy, operations, and delivery.
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How to build a procurement and content team for your next CMS/DXP rollout

Digital marketing Governance Higher education challenges Tips & advice

Why the right team matters more than ever

Higher education has moved beyond “going digital.” 
Now, it’s about delivering a seamless experience across devices, departments, and especially student journeys.

When you're rolling out a new CMS or digital experience platform (DXP) for your higher education institution, success hinges on more than choosing the right tool.

You need the right team, now more than ever in the age of AI.

These projects are complex; they involve vendor negotiations, data integrations, cross-campus collaboration, and high expectations for usability and compliance.

A purpose-built team with members who cover procurement, content strategy, IT, governance, and user experience can make the difference between a higher ed website that merely functions and one that drives real impact for prospective students.

And research backs this up: university and colleges that lead in digital transformation prioritize governance and collaboration alongside technology.

And as public institutions face rising demands for procurement transparency and agility, the need for specialist expertise grows.

Who needs to be on the team?

There’s no one-size-fits-all org chart, but there are key roles that show up in every successful higher ed digital project we’ve worked with.

Executive sponsor (VP, CIO, or similar)

They champion the project, secure resources, and ensure alignment with institutional goals. Their involvement signals that the project matters at the highest levels.

Procurement specialist

This person navigates vendor selection, contracts, and compliance. They understand tech procurement in a higher ed setting and help ensure your RFP process is both robust and efficient.

Digital strategist

They connect the dots between stakeholder needs and platform capabilities. Think of them as the translator between students, faculty, IT, and content creators—focused on outcomes like engagement and personalization.

Content manager or lead

A strong CMS or DXP still needs great content. This role builds the content strategy, manages distributed contributors, and ensures brand and accessibility standards are met.

Technical lead

Integration is everything—student records, CRMs, learning platforms, SSO. The technical lead ensures your platform plays nicely with the rest of your ecosystem.

Change management specialist

New platforms often mean new ways of working. This role supports adoption through training, communications, and stakeholder engagement.

Legal and compliance advisor

From FERPA to GDPR to accessibility law, there’s a lot to stay on top of. Legal oversight helps you mitigate risk and ensures your contracts and content practices meet regulatory standards.

Data or analytics specialist

They define KPIs, track user behavior, and surface insights that drive ongoing improvements—essential for showing ROI and optimizing performance.

How to build your team (step by step)

Here’s how to bring the right people together and set them up for success:

  1. Define your scope and goals
    Start with clarity. Are you replacing a CMS/DXP or launching one? Enhancing personalization? Clear goals help define the skills and roles you'll need.
  2. Conduct a skills gap analysis
    Look at your current staff. Where are the strengths—and where are the gaps? You may need to hire, reassign, or bring in external partners, depending on your internal capacity.
  3. Set a clear structure
    Define roles, reporting lines, and responsibilities. Know who owns vendor decisions, who manages content workflows, and who’s tracking adoption.
  4. Build bridges across departments
    These projects touch IT, marketing, academics, admissions, and more. Use shared tools, stakeholder meetings, and governance groups to align and stay connected.
  5. Prioritize training and upskilling
    Your platform is only as good as the people using it. Train content editors, support contributors, and encourage professional development. Certifications and workshops go a long way.
  6. Use agile methods
    Don’t aim for a perfect big launch; iterative delivery works better. Run sprints, gather feedback, and continuously refine the platform and process.
  7. Set metrics and track success
    Pick meaningful KPIs: content freshness, user engagement, platform uptime, stakeholder satisfaction. Link them to your institutional goals—like application conversion, retention, or brand lift.

Best practices to keep the team effective

Once your team is in place, focus on a few guiding principles:

  • Communicate early and often: Regular updates keep everyone aligned and invested.
  • Keep users front and center: Always ask: how will this impact students, faculty, and staff?
  • Think beyond launch: Success is about sustainability. Keep iterating, training, and evolving.
  • Balance budget with value: Cost control is important—but so is scalability and long-term success.
  • Engage broadly: Faculty, students, even alumni can offer insights that shape a better digital experience.

Your team is your transformation engine

Your CMS or DXP isn’t just another tech tool—it’s the foundation for digital engagement at your institution. And the team you build around it will determine whether it thrives or flounders.

Getting the right mix of people from procurement, content, technical, and strategic talent, will let you not just manage a process, but actually build digital capacity for the future.

What are the roles already in place at your university? And where are the gaps you’ll need to fill for your next digital rollout?