Associate Director, Search Engine Optimization

Company Description

Digitas is the Networked Experience Agency, built on the vision that we create magnetic experiences that earn the right for brands to exist in human networks. Today, and tomorrow. We deliver Networked Experiences by leveraging comprehensive data, technology, creative, media and strategy capabilities. Digitas delivers ambitious outcomes via unique solutions that include Creative Experiences, Integrated Media, Addressable Relationships, Social Marketing and Total Commerce. Celebrated by AdAge as Data and Insights Agency of the Year, U.S Campaign’s Brand Experience Agency of the Year, Media Network of the Year and celebrated by Forrester and Gartner, Digitas serves the world’s leading brands through a global network comprised of more than 5,500 employees across over 65 offices in 43 countries.

The Digitas culture is made up of fearless, inventive and generous Unicorns of all kinds.

Overview

As Associate Director, you will own the strategy to grow organic commerce for brands looking to drive reach and conversion across retailers in the changing consumer landscape.  Strategies will be based on organic discoverability and conversion principles across priority retail marketplaces (Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc.) and brand-owned sites for Organic Commerce projects and scopes. You’ll lead a team, set priorities, and turn search/retail insights into scalable improvements to listings, PDP/PLP content, and AI‑agent visibility. You’ll assist in the strategic narrative and usage of data, tools & tech for keyword strategy creation, listing optimizations, and digital shelf performance reporting with an emphasis on Retail SEO, content, product detail page & AI/LLM optimizations.

Job Responsibilities

• Set the vision, KPIs, and roadmap; prioritize categories/SKUs for impact.
• Understand the role AI/LLM play within the retailer ecosystem and support in agency vision around best practices as these continue to evolve
• Elevate agent readiness (Rufus, Sparky, AI search) and ensure compliant, high‑quality listings.
• Oversee digital shelf health and triage (rank/share, eligibility/suppressions, price/stock).
• Align with Retail Media, Commerce and SEO leaders on identified tests and rollouts; manage partners and tools.
• Deliver executive reporting that ties SEO actions to revenue and share of shelf.
• Lead and develop managers/analysts; establish standards and operating rhythms.
• Lead SEO copywriting efforts to support visibility across SERP, PDPs and AI assistants 
• SEO optimizations based on changing trends and retailer algorithms 
• SEO deployment across retailers (vendor central) or syndication partners (salsify) 
• Vet and champion owned and 3P data, tech and tools for insights, writing and deployment
• Oversight and accountability for the development of strategy, implementation & measurement (monthly/quarterly reporting)

Qualifications

• 7–10 years SEO experience, including 3+ in marketplaces, with proven revenue and share‑of‑shelf impact.
• Strong cross‑functional leadership and program management (teams, budgets, vendors).
• Working knowledge of core platforms/data (Amazon/Walmart portals, Brand Analytics/SQP, Profitero/Helium 10; SEMrush/BrightEdge; GSC/GA4).
• Solid grasp of listing/PDP‑PLP best practices and evolving AI assistant behaviors.
• Excellent executive communication: able to set priorities, forecast impact, and drive decisions.

Additional Information