Back to jobs
New

Associate Director, SEO Strategy

United States

WHY DEPT®?

We are a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, we create what is next by pioneering ideas, acting fast, and moving further because standing still just is not in our DNA.

We are drawn to people who stay curious, move with intent, and never stop inventing. Our culture runs on three values: better together, relentlessly curious, and get sh*t done. It is how we work, how we grow, and how we make things that matter.

At DEPT®, you will find the freedom to explore, the space to collaborate, and the trust to make a real impact for our clients, for each other, and for the world we are helping to build.

Overview

The Associate Director, SEO Strategy leads the charge in shaping and executing innovative, future-forward SEO programs for mid-market and enterprise clients, bridging traditional organic search with the emerging world of AI-driven discovery. With 7+ years of professional SEO experience, this role combines deep subject-matter expertise, strategic leadership, and people management. The Associate Director is responsible for driving account growth, delivering exceptional performance, and mentoring a team of strategists to execute against best-in-class organic frameworks. In addition, this role will be expected to mentor and manage across varying levels.

This role calls for a leader who is passionate about the future of discoverability, able to bridge traditional SEO excellence with the emerging frontier of AIO (AI Optimization) / Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), all while maintaining a superior understanding of traditional SEO and the critical role it continues to play in performance and strategy.

Core Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

  • Prepare and confidently present advanced Technical SEO, Content, AIO / GEO, and other SEO-adjacent capabilities to internal and external clients. 
  • Own the full strategic direction for multiple mid-market and enterprise SEO clients, ensuring all initiatives ladder up to business outcomes and integrated marketing goals.
  • Proactively identify growth opportunities within content, technical, and authority strategies, ensuring ongoing innovation and measurable improvement across all areas of organic performance.
  • Demonstrate deep technical proficiency across crawling, indexing, rendering, structured data, Core Web Vitals, and JavaScript frameworks.
  • Drive innovation through AI-driven initiatives such as AIO / GEO audits, AI Overview visibility analyses, semantic similarity assessments, passage-level optimization, and synthetic query testing.
  • Translate emerging AI search opportunities and trends into actionable deliverables, training, and measurable KPIs.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with Paid Media, Conversion Rate Optimization, Social, and Content teams to translate opportunities into integrated holistic search strategies that drive unified channel growth.
  • Demonstrate experience in App Store Optimization (ASO), Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), eCommerce, and Local Search (desired).

Client Management & Growth

  • Serve as the senior strategic lead for organic search, driving growth and long-term partnership success.
  • Lead executive-level presentations and quarterly business reviews (QBRs), sharing clear performance stories backed by data and actionable insights.
  • Oversee client communication, expectation management, and escalation resolution with clarity and confidence.
  • Identify and pursue upsell and cross-channel expansion opportunities based on performance insights and business evolution.
  • Ensure all project plans, timelines, and reporting cadences are effectively managed by the account team.

Team Leadership & Mentorship

  • Directly manage a small team of Account Managers and Associates, fostering growth through clear milestones, feedback, and coaching.
  • Conduct regular 1:1s and reviews, providing both strategic guidance and performance development.
  • Support hiring, onboarding, and skill-building within the SEO Strategy team.
  • QA all deliverables produced by direct reports, ensuring strategic depth, data accuracy, and client-readiness.
  • Build team knowledge in AI / GEO Search frameworks, audits, and emerging optimization methods to keep deliverables innovative and future-ready.

Execution & Delivery Excellence

  • Oversee and contribute to core deliverables, including:
    • Technical site audits (responsive, dynamic, JS-rendered)
    • Keyword research, clustering, and persona mapping
    • Reporting and performance forecasting
    • Content gap analysis and optimization strategy
    • Website migration planning and auditing
    • AI Search visibility audits, entity, and schema optimization (for AIO / GEO readiness)
  • Act as the final QA and accountability point for all client deliverables while maintaining the highest standards of quality and consistency.
  • Develop frameworks that scale across clients (templates, dashboards, methodologies).

Thought Leadership & Innovation

  • Stay ahead of search evolution, particularly AI Search, generative results, and multimodal retrieval models.
  • Lead internal education and POVs on AI Search (AIO / GEO) and new optimization frontiers.
  • Support creation of internal documentation, playbooks, and training materials for the wider SEO team.
  • Collaborate with internal Specialization Captains (AI Search, Technical SEO, Holistic Search, Brand Reputation, etc.) to pilot and refine new approaches.
  • Contribute to case studies, blog posts, or conference materials that showcase DEPT’s leadership in AI-driven SEO.

Required Skills & Experience

  • 7+ years of professional SEO experience (agency experience strongly preferred).
  • Proven track record of leading successful enterprise-level SEO strategies.
  • Deep expertise in advanced technical SEO, content, and authority.
  • Curiosity and working knowledge of AI Search / AIO / GEO principles.
  • Experience mentoring and managing small teams or project pods.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills for executive audiences.
  • Strong proficiency in tools such as Google Search Console, GA4, Screaming Frog, Semrush, Ahrefs, Looker Studio, BigQuery, Scrunch, Profound, Otterly, and AirOps.
  • Strong understanding of data storytelling and performance forecasting.
  • Demonstrated ability to collaborate cross-functionally and build consensus.
  • Excellent writing, communication, and organizational skills.

WHAT DO WE OFFER?

We are a collaborative, open-door, best-idea-wins environment that fosters personal and company growth and has fun doing it. Here is a snapshot of our  benefits package:

  • Healthcare, Dental, and Vision coverage
  • 401k plan, plus matching
  • PTO
  • Paid Company Holidays
  • Parental Leave

The anticipated salary range for this position is listed below. Salary is based on a range of factors that include relevant experience, expertise, physical location, and organizational impact. This is based on a 40-hour workweek and leveling. Keep in mind, we're flexible. 

WE SUPPORT YOU BEING YOU: 

DEPT® is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). We believe our work is its best when our people feel safe and free to be themselves. We’re committed to an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment and selection process and workplace, regardless of anyone’s lived experience, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, and genetic information. So tell us about any accommodations you need. It’s totally confidential and only used to make sure you feel fully supported at every step.

DEPT® participates in E-Verify, meaning your Form I-9 information will be sent to the federal government to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S. 

We are a B Corp-certified company passionate about purpose-driven work.  Our hope is that you can feel good about the contributions DEPT® is making to the world and we always have an open door for your ideas in making the world a better place. 

DEPT® is a pioneering technology and marketing services company that creates integrated end-to-end digital experiences for brands such as Google, KFC, Philips, Audi, Twitch, Patagonia, eBay and more. Its team of 2,500+ digital specialists across 30+ locations on 5 continents delivers pioneering work on a global scale with a boutique culture. 

Learn more about DEPT®

 

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION

At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives.

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Apply, and let us decide! Research shows that women and members of underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs when they think they may not meet every requirement, when in fact they do. We believe in giving everyone a fair chance to shine. 

We also encourage you  to reach out to us and discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us.

Want to know more about our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Check out our efforts here.

#LI-Hybrid #LI-Remote

The anticipated salary range for this position is listed below. Salary is based on a range of factors that include relevant experience, expertise, physical location, and organizational impact. This is based on a 40-hour workweek and leveling. Keep in mind, we’re flexible.

US Remote Range

$94,700 - $130,000 USD

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at DEPT®? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Please confirm that you have read and hereby agree and accept the terms of our Privacy Statement.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in DEPT®’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.