Sr. Director, Head of SEO

SAP•Bellevue, WA

2d•$142,500 - $327,100•Hybrid

About The Position

The Content Marketing organization within Global Marketing is seeking a Sr. Director, Head of SEO to define and lead the next evolution of our global organic growth strategy. This leader will operate as a senior member of the leadership team, with a mandate to rebuild, scale, and modernize the SEO function in alignment with a rapidly shifting search landscape shaped by AI and LLM-driven experiences. This role is designed for a strategic people leader who can scale both impact and organizational capability. As a Sr. Director-level manager, you will set the vision for the SEO function, align resources to the highest-value opportunities, and ensure your team delivers measurable business outcomes. You will operate with strong enterprise perspective and sound business judgment while empowering your team to execute with clarity and accountability. Success in this role requires building a high-performing organization, influencing senior stakeholders, and positioning SEO as a core, forward-looking growth engine, expanding beyond traditional search into AI-mediated discovery, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). You will directly manage and develop a team of SEO professionals at various career stages. Success in this role will require strong leadership presence, organizational transformation expertise, and a deep understanding of where search is headed—not just where it has been.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive SEO and digital marketing experience, including enterprise or global environments.
3–5+ years of direct people management experience leading high-performing SEO or digital teams.
Demonstrated ability to build, develop, and retain strong teams.
Deep expertise in SEO strategy, technical SEO, content SEO, and AI-influenced search trends.
Proven track record of influencing stakeholders and representing a function at senior levels.
Experience leading vendor relationships and managing high-impact RFP processes.
Strong business acumen and ability to translate strategy into operational execution.
Experience with workforce planning, capacity modeling, and budget management.
Clear, confident communicator who closes the loop and adapts style to audience.
Growth mindset and commitment to continuous learning.

Responsibilities

Define and own the global organic growth strategy, spanning traditional SEO and emerging paradigms including AEO, GEO, and AI-mediated search ecosystems.
Establish a forward-looking roadmap that positions the company to win across search engines, generative AI platforms, and answer-driven interfaces.
Ensure the team is focused on the highest-impact opportunities and delivering measurable results.
Anticipate industry shifts and ensure the organization is ahead of changes in search behavior.
Act as an executive voice of SEO in leadership forums, influencing company-wide decisions and long-term investment.
Directly manage, coach, and grow a high-performing SEO team.
Set clear goals, performance expectations, and development plans for team members.
Hire, develop, and retain top-tier talent to scale the function as business needs evolve.
Foster an inclusive, accountable, and high-ownership team culture, with clear expectations and consistent delivery.
Operate as a hands-on, decisive leader who can step in where needed while empowering the team to execute independently.
Serve as the senior SEO leader across content, digital, web, analytics, and agency partners.
Influence senior stakeholders and drive alignment on priorities, trade-offs, and resourcing.
Ensure SEO and AI-search considerations are embedded early in strategic marketing planning and decision-making processes.
Navigate complex stakeholder environments with confidence, clarity, and strong business judgment.
Advocate for the evolution of the SEO function, security resources and organizational alignment at executive levels.
Establish clear operating rhythms, governance models, and performance management systems across the function.
Hold teams, partners, and vendors accountable to high standards of execution and business outcomes.
Oversee agency and vendor performance to ensure strong ROI.
Use data and insights to continuously refine strategy and team focus.
Drive a culture of ownership, transparency, and continuous improvement.