SEO Director

Publicis Group; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Life Assurance

>Private Medical cover

Reflection Days

Shared Parental Leave

Job summary

Digitas, part of Publicis Groupe, is seeking an SEO Director to lead major search programmes for global brands, shaping strategic direction, building trusted client partnerships, and guiding teams delivering SEO and AI-driven solutions.

Collaborate with teams across Content, PR, Social, Analytics, and technology to drive measurable business impact, growth opportunities, and innovative approaches in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading SEO strategies for large brands, agency/consultancy background preferred.
• Strong knowledge of technical SEO, content strategy, and AI-powered search.
• Proven ability to lead and develop teams and coach talent.
• Excellent client relationship skills and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly.
• Commercial acumen with ability to identify growth opportunities and contribute to revenue.
• Collaborative, strategic mindset with ability to balance long-term vision with delivery.
• Curious and adaptable in a fast-evolving digital environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic direction and performance of major SEO accounts, ensuring alignment with client objectives and KPIs.
• Develop and oversee SEO, AI Search, GEO, and AEO strategies for visibility and discoverability.
• Build trusted client relationships as a senior strategic advisor and identify growth opportunities.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of SEO professionals to deliver high-quality work.
• Drive innovation across AI, automation, and emerging technologies to improve outcomes.
• Collaborate with Content, PR, Social, Analytics, and other teams to deliver integrated search programmes.
• Support business development by contributing strategic expertise to pitches and proposals.

Skills

SEO strategy leadership

Technical SEO

Team leadership

Client relationship management

Commercial awareness

Strategic thinking

Adaptability

Job description

Company description

At Digitas, we harness the power of connection to make positive impact everyday. We have a relentless focus on creating connections to help our clients’ businesses grow, connecting diverse people, ideas and expertise in innovative and exciting ways.

We are making positive impact with our amazing clients, through our capabilities in Consulting, Products & Platforms, Customer Engagement and Digital Media.

Part of Publicis Groupe, and a Leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Global Marketing Agencies, we’re proud to work with some of the world’s leading brands.

Digitas. Experience the power of connection.

Our Commitment Digitas is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of society and does not discriminate on grounds of race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Overview

SEO Director

We are hiring an SEO Director to lead some of the most ambitious search programmes in the market, helping global brands maximise visibility, drive growth, and stay ahead in an evolving search landscape. This is a highly influential leadership role where you'll shape strategic direction, build trusted client partnerships, and guide teams delivering outstanding SEO and AI-driven search solutions. Working alongside talented specialists across media, content, analytics, PR, and technology, you'll play a key role in delivering measurable business impact for clients while helping to evolve the future of search.

Responsibilities

What you'll be doing:

• Lead the strategic direction and performance of major SEO accounts, ensuring work delivers against client objectives, commercial goals, and agreed KPIs.
• Develop and oversee SEO, AI Search, GEO, and AEO strategies that strengthen visibility, authority, and discoverability across evolving search experiences.
• Build strong client relationships as a senior strategic advisor, providing guidance, identifying opportunities, and supporting long-term growth.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of SEO professionals, creating an environment where people can grow, collaborate, and deliver their best work.
• Drive innovation by identifying new opportunities across AI, automation, integrated search, and emerging technologies that improve client outcomes.
• Partner with teams across Content, PR, Social, Commerce, Analytics, PPC, and Client Services to deliver connected, insight-led search programmes.
• Support business development activities by contributing strategic expertise to pitches, proposals, and client growth opportunities.

Qualifications

Skills we're looking for:

• Significant experience developing and leading SEO strategies for large brands, ideally within an agency or consultancy environment.
• Deep expertise across technical SEO, content strategy, search performance analysis, and the evolving AI-powered search landscape.
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with experience coaching, mentoring, and supporting team development.
• Proven ability to build trusted client relationships and communicate complex ideas clearly to a range of stakeholders.
• Commercial awareness with experience identifying growth opportunities, developing business cases, and contributing to revenue growth.
• A collaborative and strategic approach, with the ability to balance long-term vision and day- to-day delivery.
• Curiosity, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous learning in a rapidly evolving digital environment.

Additional information

Digitasoffers a wide range of benefits to support our employees. Full details are shared when you join, but highlights include core benefits such as Pension, Life Assurance, and Private Medical cover, alongside enhanced policies like Reflection Days and Shared Parental Leave. You’ll also have access to a range of additional initiatives, including:

Please check out thePublicis Career Pagewhich showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAG’s (Employee Action Groups).

Publicis Groupe works primarily from the office or our clients' office four days per week.

At Digitas, we are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion or belief, disability, age, citizenship, relationship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic.

We are committed to providing a fair, accessible, and inclusive recruitment process. If you have any access needs - for example, related to disability, neurodivergence, or a health condition - please let us know. We’ll work with you to ensure the process works for you. Sharing this information will never impact your application.

Guided by our values, we listen with empathy, uplift each other, take responsibility, and embrace change - building a culture where everyone feels seen, respected, and genuinely included.

#LI-ER