Senior Manager, SEO & Discoverability

Sun Life; Kitchener; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Sun Life is seeking a national lead for their organic search strategy to enhance discoverability in a digital-first environment. This role emphasizes strategic leadership in SEO across platforms, focusing on collaboration, AI enhancements, and a strong impact on company growth. Join our award-winning team and contribute to a trusted workplace recognized for growth and support.

Benefits

Recognition as a Most Trusted Executive team by Great Place to Work Canada

Opportunity for short-term assignments across the organization

Collaborative team environment

Charitable giving programs

Care Days and Sick Days for well-being

Qualifications

• Experience in large, complex environments and strong track record of driving growth through SEO.
• Deep understanding of E-E-A-T and YMYL principles.
• Experience integrating SEO with digital strategies and managing team capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the national SEO strategy and optimization for digital platforms.
• Shape AI-powered search strategies and oversee technical SEO initiatives.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment of SEO with business objectives.

Skills

SEO strategy development

Technical SEO audits

Structured data implementation

Site architecture planning

Content hierarchy design

Keyword clustering

Answer Engine Optimization

Natural language optimization

Landing page optimization

SEO tooling governance

Measurement strategy design

Cross-functional collaboration

Mobile responsiveness evaluation

AI-generated content assessment

SEO education development

Education

5–7 years of progressive SEO leadership experience

Expertise in technical SEO

Experience with SEO tools like AHREFs

Tools

AHREFs

SEMJI

Google Search Console

Adobe Analytics

Job description

You're the national lead for Sun Life’s organic search strategy, owning the future of discoverability in an AI-first, intent-driven world. This role isn't about maintaining the status quo. You’ll define how Canadians find and engage with Sun Life across platforms while helping shape how our digital ecosystem supports business growth.

Reporting into the Director of Content, you'll lead strategy, execution, tooling, and education for SEO, AI search visibility, and site-level optimization. You’ll be a trusted advisor to cross-functional teams by translating complex SEO into business impact, building internal capabilities, and aligning efforts across content, brand, paid media, campaign, and client experience programs.

We’re looking for a collaborative, strategic leader who brings both depth in SEO and strength in influence, someone who leads with clarity, builds strong partnerships, and can future-proof Sun Life’s discoverability strategy in a rapidly evolving environment.

Preferred skills

• SEO strategy development for enterprise and regulated websites
• Technical SEO audits (crawlability, indexation, page speed, Core Web Vitals)
• Structured data implementation (schema markup for FAQ, How-To, Q&A)
• Site architecture planning, including URL strategy, taxonomy, and interlinking
• Content hierarchy design for discoverability and client journey alignment
• Keyword clustering and pillar-page strategy development
• Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) for platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity
• Natural language and voice search optimization
• Landing page optimization informed by audience segmentation and search behaviour
• Implementation and governance of SEO tooling (e.g., AHREFs, SEMJI)
• Creation of scalable content briefing systems tied to SEO insights
• Integration of SEO into omnichannel campaign planning and execution
• Measurement strategy design, including Share of Voice and AI visibility KPIs
• Cross-functional collaboration with content, public web, analytics, and marketing teams
• Evaluate mobile responsiveness and performance indicators to support discoverability across devices
• Explore and assess AI-generated content models for visibility in AI search environments
• Development and delivery of SEO education and enablement programs across teams

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of progressive SEO leadership experience in large, complex, or regulated environments
• Proven track record of driving measurable growth through organic search and discoverability strategies
• Deep expertise in technical SEO, structured data, and AI-informed search practices
• Demonstrated experience developing enterprise SEO strategies aligned to business goals and client needs
• Strong understanding of E-E-A-T and YMYL content principles within compliance-heavy sectors
• Experience integrating SEO with content marketing, paid media, analytics, and digital strategy
• Comfortable presenting to and influencing executives, with the ability to translate SEO into business impact
• Skilled in SEO and analytics tools such as AHREFs, SEMJI, Google Search Console, and Adobe Analytics
• Experience managing direct reports and scaling SEO capabilities through coaching and enablement
• Familiarity with CMS platforms (preferably AEM), accessibility standards, and content governance processes
• Nice to have : Experience in financial services, insurance, or other high-trust industries

Responsibilities

• Lead the national SEO and discoverability strategy across Sun Life’s digital ecosystem
• Shape and evolve Sun Life’s approach to AI-powered search and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
• Define and oversee technical SEO strategy in collaboration with developers, Public Web, and AEM teams
• Establish site-wide optimization frameworks, including structured data, content hierarchy, and taxonomy
• Represent SEO and discoverability considerations in governance forums for site redesigns, content launches, and homepage updates
• Drive discoverability through landing page strategy, internal linking, and entity-based SEO
• Integrate SEO insights into content planning, campaign development, and audience segmentation
• Ensure SEO programs meet compliance requirements and Sun Life’s YMYL obligations for content quality and integrity
• Define and track performance metrics, including Share of Voice, AI snippet eligibility, and mid-funnel engagement
• Lead the implementation and governance of SEO tools (e.g., AHREFs, SEMJI), ensuring scalable use across teams
• Develop education programs and enablement resources to upskill internal partners on modern SEO practices
• Collaborate with analytics, brand, paid media, and content teams to align SEO with business objectives
• Manage and mentor direct reports, fostering strategic growth and future-ready capability within the team

What’s in it for you?

• We’re proud to be recognized as a company with a 2024 Most Trusted Executive team by Great Place to Work Canada
• Access to short-term assignments or ‘Gigs’ across the organization, to help you develop new skills and connections.
• A collaborative and interactive team environment
• Charitable giving through our You Give, We Give program lets you give back to your community – and in many cases, we’ll match your contributions.
• Care Days available for self-care or care of others (i.e., family or others you may support) and Sick Days to support your well-being.