Associate Director, SEO Specialists

Accountabilities:

In this role, you will oversee the SEO Specialist team’s day-to-day operations, maintain high delivery standards, and ensure that technical SEO work supports broader client and business objectives. Key responsibilities include:

• Lead and manage SEO Specialists and Lead SEO Specialists, overseeing workload distribution, staffing, prioritization, quality assurance, and delivery timelines.

• Manage incoming SEO requests from internal teams, ensuring tasks are properly assessed, prioritized, and assigned.

• Oversee pre-launch SEO activities for website projects, including technical setup, migration checklists, redirect mapping, and information architecture reviews.

• Coordinate pre-launch SEO work with Web, Development, UX, and Project Management teams to ensure accurate and timely delivery.

• Lead SEO audits across the department, from scoping and resource allocation to execution and final quality review.

• Support sales and new business activities by providing SEO audits, technical scoping, and expertise for client pitches, RFPs, and proposals.

• Manage signed SEO service engagements from kickoff through delivery, ensuring scope, resources, timelines, and quality expectations are met.

• Partner with the Director of SEO Operations to forecast capacity, plan staffing requirements, manage escalations, and align priorities.

• Establish and maintain standard operating procedures and quality assurance processes across specialist work, website launches, audits, and pre-sales engagements.

• Act as the escalation point for complex technical SEO challenges and high-priority issues.

• Collaborate with SEO Strategists, Content, UX, Development, Sales, and Media teams to align execution with campaign objectives and business goals.

• Report on team capacity, task throughput, website launch readiness, audit pipelines, pre-sales activity, and service delivery progress.

• Identify process gaps and implement improvements to strengthen workflows, efficiency, and output quality.

• Support recruitment, onboarding, mentoring, and professional development for the SEO Specialist team, working with team leads to develop talent.

• Keep the team informed about search trends, algorithm updates, AI-powered search behaviors, and evolving technical SEO best practices.

• Coordinate short-term SEO projects with internal teams and Sales, including project scoping, client communication, and project management when needed.

• Oversee the internal link-building service, managing team resources and maintaining partner databases.

• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Requirements:

The successful candidate will combine substantial SEO expertise with proven people-management experience, operational discipline, and the ability to collaborate effectively across departments. The following qualifications and skills are expected:

• 5–7+ years of SEO experience, with demonstrated expertise in technical SEO, SEO audits, pre-launch optimization, website migrations, and pre-sales support.

• Proven experience managing teams, including team leads or other managers, with the ability to oversee daily operations and maintain performance at scale.

• Strong understanding of the full SEO lifecycle, including strategy, execution, quality assurance, reporting, and continuous refinement.

• Demonstrated success collaborating with Sales or New Business teams on pitches, proposals, technical scoping, and client opportunities.

• Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, competing priorities, deadlines, and cross-functional stakeholders.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with confidence representing SEO expertise in client-facing and pre-sales discussions.

• High proficiency with SEO and analytics tools, including Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, Botify or DeepCrawl, SEOClarity or BrightEdge, and comparable platforms.

• Advanced spreadsheet skills, including formula creation, data manipulation, and trend analysis.

• Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and common content management systems such as WordPress, Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce.

• Experience collaborating with Development, UX, and Project Management teams on website launches and migrations.

• Strong organizational, analytical, mentoring, and problem-solving skills, with a commitment to technical quality and process improvement.

• Must be located in the United States.

• Employment visa sponsorship or transfer of existing sponsorship is not available at this time.

Benefits:

The role offers a remote-first working environment and a benefits package designed to support employees’ professional development, well-being, and long-term growth.

• Salary: $85,000–$105,000.

• Health insurance: Healthcare coverage to support employee well-being.

• Retirement savings: 401(k) and retirement savings options.

• Paid time off: Generous paid time off.

• Flexible scheduling: Flexibility to help balance professional and personal commitments.

• Remote-first culture: Fully remote position for candidates based in the United States.

• Professional development: Opportunities to develop skills and advance professionally.

• Employee referral program: Referral opportunities as part of the employee benefits package.

• Growth and development: A supportive environment focused on career progression, learning, and meaningful contributions.