Managing Director of SEO

The Managing Director of SEO serves as a leader responsible for advancing the performance, innovation, and long-term growth of the Search Engine Optimization department at 829 Studios. This role operates at the intersection of strategy, operations, and client leadership, ensuring the department delivers measurable business impact while continuing to evolve its capabilities.

As a key member of the agency’s senior leadership team, this individual provides executive sponsorship across priority client relationships, aligns organic search strategy to broader business objectives, and partners closely with existing SEO leadership to scale and strengthen the department. This role is designed to complement a strong and established team, bringing additional senior leadership to expand strategic capabilities, unlock new growth opportunities, and accelerate the agency’s position in modern search, including AI Search Optimization (AIO) and emerging discovery platforms.

A successful candidate brings a proven ability to lead at scale, influence executive stakeholders, and translate complex search strategies into clear, business-driven outcomes.

What You'll Do

• Team Leadership & Management
  • Partner with SEO leadership to ensure department objectives, strategy, and culture align with the company’s strategic goals.
  • Work closely with the Director of SEO and leadership team to support team structure, retention, and growth.
  • Provide senior-level mentorship and guidance to Directors, Associate Directors, and subject matter experts.
• P&L Management
  • Support department financial performance in partnership with SEO leadership, contributing to contribution margin, net revenue retention, client retention, and revenue growth goals.
  • Collaborate with company leadership and finance to evaluate performance and identify opportunities for growth and efficiency.
• Strategic Innovation & Growth
  • Lead and advance the agency’s capabilities in AI Search Optimization (AIO) and modern discovery, introducing new frameworks, experimentation, and scalable approaches that extend beyond the current team’s scope.
  • Support the productization of SEO and AIO services, developing scalable offerings and internal learning resources.
  • Leverage external channels to showcase and promote thought leadership and subject matter expertise.
• Executive Sponsorship
  • Provide senior strategic guidance and executive-level support for key accounts, partnering with existing account leadership to elevate strategy and navigate complex challenges.
  • Participate in new business strategy, pitching, and development for key agency opportunities.
• Own Department Net Revenue Retention
  • Partner with SEO leadership to maintain target client retention across service lines while identifying opportunities to expand monthly recurring revenue.
• Client Services
  • Act as a senior escalation point for complex client challenges, working alongside account and department leadership to support resolution and long-term success.
  • Collaborate closely with Client Services to identify and address at-risk clients.
• Team Leadership and Development
  • Support daily team operations helping ensure optimal team utilization, strong delivery, and ongoing professional development.
• Process Improvement
  • Identify and introduce opportunities to enhance departmental processes, training resources, and scalable SEO/AIO frameworks.
• Quality Assurance
  • Ensure SEO outputs meet standards for accuracy, consistency, and compliance. Conduct quality checks on strategies, technical audits, reporting, and client deliverables.
• Retain and Grow Talent
  • Implement department structures and development programs that retain and grow key talent in associate, mid-level, and senior management roles.
• HR & Staffing
  • Support leadership in developing team structures and growth paths that retain and elevate key talent across all levels.
  • Oversee hiring, staffing, payroll, HR-related responsibilities for the SEO department.
• Interdepartmental Collaboration
  • Foster collaboration across teams including Paid Media, Content, Design, and Development. Act as a technical and strategic leader within the department and across the organization.
• Mentorship & Leadership Development
  • Collaborate closely with key team members, fostering their professional growth by enhancing their strategic thinking, technical SEO expertise, and leadership skills.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with other department leaders to ensure alignment across marketing channels and to integrate SEO insights into broader marketing strategies.
• Innovation & Modern Search Leadership
  • The Managing Director of SEO will work closely with the Director of SEO and broader leadership team, focusing on advancing strategic capabilities, driving innovation, and supporting department growth.
  • Primary areas of focus include AI Search Optimization (AIO), emerging search technologies, product development, and high-level strategic support across key accounts and new business.

• Proven experience in experimentation, innovation and testing within AIO/GEO.
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills, able to explain complex concepts in straightforward terms.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing teams, with a focus on performance management and fostering a collaborative environment.
• Direct experience in SEO with a background in B2B, B2C, and e-commerce environments.
• Deep expertise in traditional SEO disciplines including technical SEO, on-page optimization, site architecture, and authority development.
• Strong understanding of emerging search technologies including AI-driven search engines, generative search experiences, and conversational discovery platforms.
• Experience using leading SEO and analytics platforms such as Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Screaming Frog, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, and similar tools.
• Strong analytical capabilities and ability to translate organic search performance into business impact.
• Experience with tools such as ClickUp, NetSuite, Google Data Studio, PandaDoc, Google Workspace, and HubSpot is a plus.
• 5+ years of Sr. Director-level experience and at least 10+ years of management experience.

At 829 Studios, we boldly embrace diversity, inclusivity, and equal opportunity. Our goal: a team rich in backgrounds, perspectives, and talents. Why? Because inclusivity powers our brilliance and client success. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, religion, creed, color, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, disability, mental illness, age, ancestry, genetic information, military service, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.

829 Studios is a Boston-based integrated digital marketing agency with a mission to propel organizations to unlock their full potential and accomplish their most ambitious goals. We harness the power of logic with magic – a balance of data-driven strategy and brand-focused creative. We partner with diverse organizations across various industries and our client list encompasses venture-backed start-ups, publicly traded companies, non-profits, and more. By committing not only to our growth as a company, but the development of our employees and teams’, we have created a collaborative environment that fosters ingenuity and promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging values within our community. 829 has been recognized as one of the nation’s top agencies by the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies, Adweek 100 Fastest-Growing Digital Agencies, Boston Business Journal's Fast 50 (Massachusetts' 50 Fastest-Growing Private Companies), HubSpot's Top Digital Agencies list, and a we are and employee-certified Great Place to Work.