AEO Specialist/Lead (AI / Answer Engine Optimization) - Contract
USA (Remote)
Posted 2 days ago
Job Description
Description
This is an Independent contractor (1099) role; hours flexible between 25–40/week based on workload, with more hours expected during initial ramp-up and major roadmap pushes.
Thorne is the #1 brand across all monitored AI platforms and a leading voice in AI search for the supplement and clinical-nutrition category. AEO (AI/Answer Engine Optimization) continues to be a key objective for 2027. We're hiring an AEO Specialist/Lead to own the execution layer of that program: living in the AI-visibility data every day, translating it into clear insight and priorities, and quarterbacking the cross-functional work — content, site/product, PR and affiliate, and dev — required to defend and extend Thorne's lead.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Monitor Thorne's AI visibility, share of voice, average position, sentiment, and citation performance daily in Profound.
- Flag competitive movement and emerging negative sources before they erode rankings or sentiment.
- Distill Profound data into clear, actionable insights and recurring readouts for the VP of Growth and broader stakeholders.
- Own and maintain the AEO/AI-visibility roadmap, translating Croud's strategic recommendations into a prioritized, resourced execution plan.
- Partner with Croud on quarterly strategy, topic prioritization (Defend / Grow / Repair / Build), and measurement — this person helps define the strategy, not just execute it.
- Relentlessly prioritize the backlog based on business impact, competitive pressure, and available resourcing.
- Project-manage AEO initiatives across every key channel + channel owner: content/blog, site/ecommerce, and PR / media affiliate.
- Partner directly with Product and Dev to scope, prioritize, and track AEO-related tickets (crawlability, structured data, PDP fixes) through a backlog with significant competing demand.
- Apply the repeatable citation model across owned and editorial (for credible third-party validation)
- Bring a builder's instinct to the role — spot manual, repetitive AEO work (data pulls, competitive tracking, content briefs) and use AI tools or lightweight automation to remove it.
- Where there's appetite, extend that same AI-native approach to other growth marketing workflows across the broader team.
WHAT YOU NEED
- 3–5+ years in a technical or analytical marketing role (SEO, growth, content ops, or similar) — or a clear track record of being AI-native even without traditional tenure.
- Hands-on SEO experience and a working understanding of how SEO and AEO/GEO overlap and diverge.
- Comfort working in AI-visibility or analytics platforms (Profound or similar); able to turn raw data into a clear narrative and prioritized action plan.
- Demonstrated project management / quarterback experience — able to rally and hold accountable stakeholders across content, product, dev, PR, and agency partners without formal authority over them.
- Comfortable operating in a complex environment with a dev backlog and competing priorities; prioritizes relentlessly.
- Genuine enthusiasm for AI tools and workflows, with interest in applying them to scale marketing execution.
- Experience with digital PR or earned-media citation building.
- Familiarity with ecommerce PDP/PLP optimization.
- Prior experience managing an SEO/content agency relationship (agency- or client-side).
- DTC, health, wellness, or CPG category experience.
About Thorne
Thorne
We’re a team of dreamers, scientists, doctors, and health enthusiasts – all working toward the same goal – helping every individual discover and achieve their best possible health. We do it by creating innovative health solutions and by owning every process, from R&D to product delivery and customer service. We intend to defy expectations of good health through home testing technology, dietary and lifestyle education, and superior nutritional products. From its early beginnings, Thorne has grown from just being a practitioner-trusted brand to one of the fastest growing D-to-C health product providers in the industry – earning trusted partnerships with UFC, MLB, NBA, and NFL athletes, as well as multiple U.S. National Teams along the way. Through our products and services, our passionate, talented staff, collaboration with a variety of innovative and expert strategic partners, and an unwavering commitment to integrity, we have evolved into a global health solutions provider – because good health knows no boundaries. The key to our success is a user-centric approach that always puts the individual at the center of our operations. From our distinguished researchers to our elite customer-care team, every individual at Thorne has a first-hand opportunity to make a difference. We are always looking for new ways to innovate, and there is plenty of room for you to leave your mark here. If you’re an individual that embraces challenge, fosters innovation, and desires to make a difference in the world – then join us.
Salaries
Posted range
$90/hr – $130/hr
Taken straight from the job posting.
