Director Search Engine Optimization

Chicago, IL (Hybrid)

$135K/yr – $160K/yrDirector/Executive8+ years expFull time

Posted 6 days ago

Job Summary

Own and lead the holistic SEO and AI search strategy across PESO, guiding client-facing initiatives, cross-discipline collaboration, and scalable practice development.

  • Strategy ownership across technical, content, and off-page SEO plus AI-driven discovery
  • Mentor 1–2 direct reports and shape new business and thought leadership
  • Align client goals to measurable search outcomes and unified agency delivery

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Own holistic SEO and AI search strategy - translating audience insights and search trends into visibility-driving programs across technical SEO, content, off-page authority, and AI-driven discovery (AEO/GEO)
  • Concept and execute full Universal Search strategies across a complete PESO ecosystem - a T-shaped skill set that spans deep SEO expertise and the range to shape creative and content solutions alongside it
  • Serve as the client-facing search leader, building trust through strategic counsel, quality deliverables, and confident presentation
  • Connect Universal Search with Account, Precision Media, Audience Intelligence, Data & AI, and other agency disciplines, aligning strategy, timelines, and resourcing to drive unified client outcomes
  • Lead, mentor, and elevate 1–2 direct reports, growing the team and its skill set as the capability scales
  • Lead practice and capability building, codifying standard operating procedures and templated offerings, and driving innovation as AI search evolves, to make the practice repeatable, consistent, and scalable
  • Play a leading role in new business, shaping search and AI-search points of view, proposals, competitive research, staff planning, and SOWs for pitches
  • Identify audience and search trends (behavioral, demographic, and psychographic) to inform content planning and continuously optimize client performance
  • Measure and report on performance through regular reporting, strategic deliverables (e.g., QBRs), and new business pitches

Requirements

  • ~8–10+ years in SEO, a true player-coach with current hands-on expertise across technical, content, and off-page SEO, and a proven track record leading an SEO practice or team at an agency
  • Working knowledge of how AI and generative platforms are reshaping discovery (AEO/GEO), with an innovation-minded, forward-looking perspective on the future of search
  • Strategic thinker with the ability to translate high-level client goals into actionable, results-driven search strategies across accounts
  • Proven ability to present with authority and credibility in high-visibility settings, including large group and client-facing presentations, on screen and in person
  • Experience working on integrated teams, partnering effectively with media, data, creative, developers, and account teams rather than operating in a channel silo
  • Highly self-motivated, proactive, and detail-oriented; able to operate both independently and as a team player, and delegate when appropriate
  • People leadership experience, with a genuine interest in developing talent and building a capability, not just managing a queue of deliverables
  • Vision, the ability to help define where this space is going and get others (clients and internal teams) aligned around it, even without a fully established playbook
  • Hybrid 3x week onsite
  • Ability to travel 10–15% of the time

Benefits

  • Flexibility – We have a hybrid work environment and a flexible PTO plan that allows teams to take time off when they need it.
  • Competitive Benefits and Salary – Multiple options for health plans based on your and/or your family’s needs, plus a 401(k) match and paid parental leave.
Manifest logo

Manifest

3.9 Glassdoor

At Manifest, we drive growth by starting in the messy middle — where customer consideration widens and momentum is at greatest risk. We focus on shortening that journey to close the gap between brand and performance, turning consideration into preference and driving results that ripple throughout the full funnel.As an independent, integrated agency with roots in content, brand journalism, performance marketing, digital storytelling, creative technology, ecommerce, and consumer brand campaigns, we’ve seen enough to know that through complexity, comes certainty.

Founded in 1981
New York, New York, USA
274 employees (109 in marketing)
59% recommend to a friend
100% CEO approval

Salaries

Posted range

$135K/yr – $160K/yr

Taken straight from the job posting.

See all Manifest salaries

Funding

Last Raise
Convertible Note, 4 years ago

Funding History

  • Aug 2022
    Convertible Note

Traffic Signals

Monthly Visitors
16.6K
Traffic Source Mix
Search
37.6%
Direct
45.3%
Referral
9.2%
Social
6.1%
Paid
1.3%

Headcount Trend

Current headcount: ~275

Recent News

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Director Search Engine Optimization

Manifest · Chicago, IL · Hybrid