Search Manager - Marketing

Strategic America; West Des Moines (IA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Strategic America is seeking a Search Manager to lead and elevate our agency’s integrated search capability, merging SEO, SEM, local search, and AI-driven trends. You will guide the Search team, shape strategy, and partner across departments to deliver exceptional client results.

You’ll coach and develop staff, set performance KPIs, and champion best practices while collaborating with the Digital Marketing Director to evolve services and pursue new business opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in digital marketing with significant experience in SEO, SEM, or integrated search marketing.
• 2+ years of people leadership or team management experience.
• Experience developing integrated search strategies that drive measurable business outcomes.
• Experience leading client relationships and presenting strategic recommendations to executive-level stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, coaching, performance management, and professional development for the Search team.
• Lead the development and execution of integrated search strategies across SEO and SEM that align with client objectives.
• Monitor team and client performance through KPIs and reporting, identifying optimization opportunities.
• Oversee operational excellence of the Search team, including resource planning, workload balancing, and quality assurance.
• Evaluate SEO, SEM, local search, and emerging technologies; advise on evolving search offerings in partnership with leadership.
• Partner with other teams to ensure integrated marketing strategies and exceptional client experiences.
• Serve as a senior search advisor for clients, supporting strategic planning and executive presentations.
• Develop and maintain agency standards, methodologies, and best practices for search.
• Provide consultation for organic growth and new business opportunities.

Skills

SEO/SEM

Team leadership

Integrated search

Client relationships

Digital marketing

Analytics & KPIs

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Google Ads

Google Analytics

Google Business Profile

Microsoft Ads

Job description

Location: West Des Moines (Hybrid Schedule) or Remote

About SA - Our People

Think of the world’s most talented creative thinkers. Problem-solvers. Strategists. At Strategic America, we don’t bring on anything less. The way we see it, if you’re going to make the best work of your life, you may as well do it with people you like.

At SA, we’ve always been passionate about our employees. Since 2021, we’re alsoemployee owned with participation in an Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP). Employee ownership ensures SA remains independent and allows our talented team members to share in the company’s success. With each year of employment, SAers build equity in the company, becoming fully vested after six years.

Our employee-led, leadership-supported ERGs celebrate the diversity of our team, foster inclusivity and belonging, and create a space to connect to each other. Through connections and understanding, we build a stronger and more dynamic team and help every person reach their personal peak.

About SA – The Company

When you join SA, you join a strategic team (yes, it’s in our name!) who is also wired for action. Authenticity is our focus, and every day we help our clients propel their potential. If you’re ready for a fast-paced environment that challenges you, supports you, and rewards you, then look no further. Our clients rely on us and we rely on each other to go the extra mile, to hold ourselves accountable because we’re better together and we know we can always find the better way.

We strive to create meaning in work and provide more than just a job; a place to belong and grow. As we leap toward our goals that will shape our future, our employee experience is unique. Flexibility, connection, inclusiveness, and collaboration support our well-being and help us be our best. Because when you feel like you belong, work is no longer work – it's personal. We believe better employees lead to better results.

Join us as we transform your career!

About The Role

The Search Manager is responsible for leading and evolving the agency's integrated Search capability, bringing together organic and paid search disciplines to deliver exceptional client outcomes. This role provides strategic leadership for the Search team, develops team members, advances the agency's search offerings, and partners across departments to ensure search is fully integrated into our digital marketing solutions. The Search Manager serves as the agency’s day-to-day subject matter expert across SEO, SEM, local search, and emerging search trends, including AI-driven search experiences. In partnership with the Digital Marketing Director, this role brings forward recommendations, best practices, and service evolution opportunities that help inform the future direction of the agency’s search offering.

As a Search Manager, you will...

• Provide leadership, coaching, performance management, and professional development for the Search team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous learning, and high performance.
• Lead the development and execution of integrated search strategies across SEO and SEM that align with client business objectives and maximize measurable results within the broader digital media strategy.
• Monitor team and client performance through KPIs and reporting, identifying opportunities for optimization and continuous improvement.
• Oversee operational excellence of the Search team, including resource planning, workload balancing, quality assurance, process improvement, and delivery of client work.
• Evaluate SEO, SEM, local search, AI-driven search experiences, and emerging technologies; bring forward recommendations that support the evolution of the agency’s Search capability in partnership with the Digital Marketing Director.
• Partner with other agency teams to ensure integrated marketing strategies and exceptional client experiences.
• Serve as a senior search advisor for clients, supporting strategic planning, business development, executive presentations, and complex client engagements as needed in partnership with the greater digital and client service teams.
• Develop and maintain agency standards, methodologies, documentation, training, and best practices related to SEO, SEM, local search, and search analytics.
• Provide consultation and expertise for organic growth and new business opportunities.

Management Responsibilities

• Manages and mentors others within the search team, including onboarding, goal-setting, coaching and performance feedback.
• Provides day-to-day guidance, prioritization and quality review of team deliverables.
• Identifies development opportunities and supports career growth for direct reports.
• Helps define and prioritize search team work based on agency and client needs, capacity and impact.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required
• 5+ years of progressive experience in digital marketing with significant experience in SEO, SEM, or integrated search marketing.
• 2+ years of people leadership or team management experience.
• Experience developing integrated search strategies that drive measurable business outcomes.
• Experience leading client relationships and presenting strategic recommendations to executive-level stakeholders

Position Requirements

Knowledge

• Advanced knowledge of SEO best practices, technical SEO, local search, and search analytics.
• Advanced knowledge of SEM platforms including Google Ads and Microsoft Ads.
• Strong understanding of AI search trends and the evolving search landscape.
• Familiarity with Google Ads, Google Business Profile, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Search Console, and related digital marketing platforms.

Skills

• Requires strong organizational, problem-solving, analytical, and listening skills.
• Able to work independently as well as collaboratively within all levels of the agency.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach and develop others.
• Professional work ethic and a team player.
• Must demonstrate initiative and proactivity in seeking new opportunities and solutions.
• Strong prioritization and decision-making skills in a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with differing abilities to perform the essential functions. Minimal travel required.

Our Commitment to Inclusivity and Diversity

We are proud to be one of only 25 agencies nationwide, and the first in the Midwest, to earn the 4A’s Workplace Enlightenment Certification, and we couldn’t have done it without our associates, who participated in digital learning sessions on race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, disabilities, and faith. At SA, we are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse environment where people of every background can thrive and feel welcome.

Don’t meet every single requirement for this role? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. Because we are fully committed to our culture of diversity and inclusion, one that reflects the clients we serve and communities we work in, if you’re excited about this role but your qualifications don’t align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Salary Grade (internal pay structure reference) - 12

The Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act requires employers in the state of Colorado to disclose the following information. If the position applied to is not located in Colorado, the following information may not apply. Salary Minimum: $88,066 Salary Maximum: $136,502. Other components of our Total Rewards package are our discretionary bonus plan and employee stock ownership plan, health, dental, and vision insurance coverage, an employee wellness program, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays, volunteer time off and paid time off.