Senior Director, Content & Search

Cox Enterprises•Atlanta, GA

4d•$163,400 - $272,300•Hybrid

About The Position

Cox Automotive is seeking a Senior Director, Content & SEO to lead content strategy, content operations, and organic search performance across Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, two of the most trusted consumer brands in the automotive industry. This senior leadership role offers significant executive visibility and influence. The Senior Director will regularly partner with VP-level leaders across Sales, Business Operations, Advertising, Marketing, Product, and Engineering to ensure content investments drive measurable business outcomes. Reporting directly to the AVP, Product & Engineering, this leader will oversee an organization of approximately 50 professionals spanning: Content Strategy, SEO, Editorial Production, Creative Production, Content Operations, Social Media. This role requires a strategic, autonomous leader who can drive organizational transformation, content innovation, audience growth, and business performance during a period of rapid change in digital publishing and AI-driven search.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and 12+ years of experience in digital publishing, content strategy, or content leadership
Master's degree with 10+ years considered
PhD with 7+ years considered
Equivalent combination of education and experience accepted
Minimum 6 years leading large, multi-layered teams
Experience leading content strategy across multiple brands or digital properties
Expertise in SEO, Technical SEO, Content optimization, AI-driven search trends, GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
Deep understanding of consumer digital behavior and changing search patterns
Proven success influencing VP-level and executive stakeholders
Experience leading organizations of 40+ employees across multiple functions
Demonstrated ability to operate independently and lead through ambiguity
Experience managing large-scale content operations producing 1,000+ assets annually
Experience managing content technology ecosystems and enterprise platforms
Experience negotiating and managing enterprise vendor relationships
Experience leading written, visual, video, and social content teams
Strong analytical and business-performance orientation
Experience in highly matrixed organizations
Excellent communication and executive influence skills
Demonstrated success leading organizational transformation and change management initiatives
Practical experience applying AI tools within content production workflows
Experience in automotive, consumer finance, media, or another high-consideration purchase category
Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship. No OPT, CPT, STEM/OPT or visa sponsorship now or in future.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on GEO experience and content optimization for AI-generated search results
Background that includes both content leadership and SEO product management
Experience supporting sponsored content, native advertising, or content monetization programs
Proven track record building or transforming content organizations and operations
Established industry presence, including conference speaking engagements, published thought leadership, and recognized expertise within automotive or digital media sectors

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior content and SEO leader for KBB and Autotrader.
Represent content strategy in executive forums across Sales, Advertising, Marketing, and Business Operations.
Translate content strategy into commercial value and support client-facing sales narratives.
Serve as an external thought leader through industry conferences, publications, and speaking engagements.
Manage OEM relationships, press access, embargo protocols, and industry partnerships.
Lead media and public relations efforts in partnership with Corporate Communications.
Build trusted relationships with executive stakeholders and influence across a highly matrixed organization.
Lead organizational change across a 50-person content organization.
Develop and execute change management plans related to AI-enabled workflows, tool migrations, workflow redesign, organizational restructuring, and brand strategy shifts.
Partner with HR and executive leadership on workforce planning and team evolution.
Coach directors and senior managers to lead change effectively.
Maintain operational continuity while navigating transformation initiatives.
Develop and evolve content strategies for both Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader.
Define publishing priorities, content tiers, and coverage strategies.
Leverage audience insights, search demand, and AI search trends to inform content investments.
Create content strategies that perform across owned platforms, search engines, AI-powered discovery experiences, social channels, and third-party distribution platforms.
Establish and maintain brand voice, editorial standards, and content quality frameworks.
Align content strategy with advertising, marketing, acquisition, and retention goals.
Lead creative strategy across editorial content, photography, video, YouTube, and social media.
Establish production standards, creative excellence, and audience engagement goals.
Drive video and YouTube growth strategies.
Oversee platform-specific social content strategies.
Champion new formats, emerging platforms, and content innovation opportunities.
Build scalable multimedia production workflows while maintaining quality standards.
Oversee a content ecosystem producing more than 2,000 assets annually.
Own end-to-end content operations, including editorial calendars, production workflows, quality assurance processes, and resource planning.
Lead content technology strategy across CMS platforms, SEO tools, AI platforms, analytics systems, and workflow management tools.
Evaluate, select, implement, and optimize content tools and vendors.
Establish operational performance metrics and reporting.
Build scalable processes that support AI-assisted production while maintaining editorial integrity.
Manage enterprise relationships across tools such as Bynder, Monday.com, Adobe, WordPress VIP, and Zapier.
Lead contract negotiations, renewals, SLA management, and cost optimization initiatives.
Identify opportunities to consolidate and improve the overall technology portfolio.
Lead a team of SEO Product Managers supporting both brands.
Own enterprise SEO strategy, including technical SEO, keyword strategy, content optimization, internal linking, and authority building.
Develop and execute Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) initiatives.
Optimize content visibility across AI-powered search experiences, including Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and emerging AI search platforms.
Monitor search ecosystem changes and proactively adapt strategies.
Integrate SEO best practices throughout the content lifecycle.
Partner with Sales to support dealer and OEM business objectives.
Collaborate with Advertising Product on sponsored content and monetization strategies.
Work alongside Marketing and Audience Experience teams on audience growth initiatives.
Partner with Product and Engineering on platform capabilities and AI-driven solutions.
Establish scalable decision-making and engagement frameworks across teams.
Own key performance indicators across both brands, including organic traffic, audience growth, engagement, video performance, conversion metrics, and revenue contribution.
Deliver executive-level reporting and performance insights.
Identify audience monetization and revenue-growth opportunities.
Manage budgets, staffing plans, and resource allocation decisions.

Benefits

health care insurance (medical, dental, vision)
retirement planning (401(k))
paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO)
flexible vacation with pay
seven paid holidays
up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually
bereavement leave
time off to vote
jury duty leave
volunteer time off
military leave
parental leave