Associate Director, SEO

Other Jobs To Apply

No other job posts for this day.

Description:

We are seeking a seasoned and forward-thinking Associate Director of SEO to join our agency and help shape the future of organic search for a diverse portfolio of clients. This is a senior leadership role within our SEO practice, requiring someone who can seamlessly blend deep technical expertise with strategic vision, people leadership, and cross-functional collaboration.

The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced, full-service advertising agency environment, is passionate about staying ahead of industry trends — including the rapidly evolving role of AI in search — and can inspire both clients and internal teams alike.


Team Leadership & Mentorship

  • Lead, manage, and mentor a team of SEO strategists, specialists, and analysts, fostering a culture of continuous learning and accountability.
  • Set clear performance goals, conduct regular 1:1s, and provide actionable feedback to support team members' professional growth.
  • Serve as an internal SEO authority, elevating the capabilities of the team through training, knowledge sharing, and developing best-practice documentation.
  • Manage workloads and resource allocation across the team to ensure timely, high-quality delivery.

Client Management

  • Own and manage a book of SEO clients independently, acting as the primary point of contact for strategic direction with minimal day-to-day oversight.
  • Build and maintain strong, trust-based client relationships through proactive communication, strategic counsel, and consistent delivery of results.
  • Lead client presentations, quarterly business reviews, and strategic roadmap discussions with confidence and clarity.
  • Identify and develop upsell and growth opportunities within existing client relationships.

Technical & On-Site SEO

  • Provide expert-level technical SEO recommendations, including site architecture, crawlability, indexation, Core Web Vitals, schema markup, and page speed optimization.
  • Conduct comprehensive on-site SEO audits and translate findings into clear, prioritized action plans for both client and development teams.
  • Partner with web developers and UX designers to ensure SEO best practices are integrated from the ground up in site builds, redesigns, and ongoing optimizations.
  • Stay current on search engine algorithm updates and emerging technical SEO trends, adapting strategies accordingly.

AI & Emerging Search Technologies

  • Champion the integration of AI-powered tools and methodologies into agency SEO workflows, including AI-assisted content optimization, automated reporting, predictive analytics, and large language model (LLM) visibility strategies.
  • Monitor the impact of generative AI on search behavior and SERPs (e.g., AI Overviews, SGE) and evolve client strategies to maintain and grow organic visibility.
  • Evaluate and recommend new SEO and AI tools to continuously improve team efficiency and client outcomes.

Cross-Departmental Collaboration

  • Act as the SEO representative in integrated agency workflows, collaborating closely with Content Strategy, UX/CX, Web Design & Development, PR, Paid Media, and other channel leads.
  • Ensure SEO considerations are embedded into website design and development projects from initial discovery through launch.
  • Partner with Content Strategy on editorial calendars, topic authority frameworks, and content briefs optimized for organic search.
  • Coordinate with PR teams on digital PR strategies, link acquisition, and brand mention optimization.
  • Collaborate with Paid Media teams to leverage cross-channel insights and align organic and paid search strategies.

Strategy & Reporting

  • Develop and execute holistic, data-driven SEO strategies aligned to client business goals across a range of industries and business models.
  • Define and track KPIs, delivering clear reporting on organic performance, ROI, and strategic progress.
  • Contribute to agency thought leadership, case studies, and new business pitches as a subject matter expert.
Requirements:

Required Qualifications & Experience

  • 8–10 years of progressive SEO experience, with at least 3 years in a senior or leadership role within an agency environment.
  • Demonstrated experience independently managing a portfolio of clients across various industries and budget sizes.
  • Deep technical SEO proficiency: site audits, log file analysis, crawl management, structured data, JavaScript SEO, Core Web Vitals, and more.
  • Strong on-site SEO expertise: keyword strategy, content optimization, internal linking, information architecture, and user intent analysis.
  • Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop a team of SEO professionals.
  • Experience collaborating in a cross-functional, integrated agency or in-house marketing environment.
  • Hands-on experience with tools such as Google Search Console, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, BrightEdge, Conductor, Looker Studio, and/or similar platforms.
  • Familiarity with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript as they relate to SEO implementation.
  • Strong understanding of how SEO intersects with UX, content, PR, and paid media channels.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex data and strategies to executive-level stakeholders.

Who We Are

Brunner is an integrated marketing communications agency with a fast-paced, creative environment. We value Perseverance, Integrity, Tenacity, Curiosity, and Heart in every aspect of our business, especially our team members. We are good people creating good work. Brunner’s commitment is to its people - fostering growth within (robust training, low attrition, and commitment to diversity), becoming an extension of their client’s teams and maintaining long-term relationships, and creating great marketing programs that achieve business impact for their clients.

Perks

We offer your full traditional benefits including health, dental, vision, a 401k plan, and life insurance. We also offer commuter and transit benefits, as well as an employee wellness benefit for you to enjoy your life outside of work. Add to that unlimited PTO, half day summer Fridays and all the holiday time off you would expect.

Flexible Work Policy

It's simple - work where it's most convenient for you! We recognize that we're a mixed group of people with different priorities in our lives, so we empower our employees to create their ideal working scenario...in-office, at home, or a hybrid of both. Keep in mind you might need to pop into the office for a client meeting here and there, or even an agency-wide meeting.

Environmental Demands

Normal office environment. Ability to sit for extended periods of time including extensive use of PC equipment.

We like everyone, so we are an equal opportunity employer. We do not consider your race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, sex, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or veteran status when deciding to hire you. We just want you to be you.

Back to blog

Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...