SEO Business Director

Company Description

With a history that dates back over 80 years,
Starcom is a global communications planning and media leader. We are an agency still grounded in our founding principle that people are at the centre of all we do. Each day, we apply this belief to harness the transformative power of data and technology to inspire and move people and business forward. With more than 7,000 employees in over 100 offices around the world, we are the flagship Publicis Media agency that uses our ‘Power of One’ business model, with teams that span multiple disciplines across clients such as Aldi, P&G, Primark, Samsung, Stellantis, and Visa.

We place a huge focus on our People, and have driven flagship D&I and L&D programmes within Publicis Media; our goal is to help every individual reach their fullest potential, and we encourage everyone to make “Brave Plays” in how they approach their work and their own career development. As a result, we have an exceptionally energised and committed talent base, all of us proud of our welcoming and supportive culture, as evidenced by our recognition as one of Campaign’s Best Places to Work for five years in a row,
Media Week's Agency of the Year 2025 and one of the Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025.

We are hiring an SEO Business Director to lead the evolution of AI-driven search and shape how brands are discovered in an increasingly intelligent digital landscape. This is a high-impact leadership role where strategy meets innovation—working with senior clients to redefine SEO through AI, data, and emerging platforms. You’ll play a central role in scaling capabilities, influencing commercial growth, and guiding teams towards forward-thinking solutions.

If you’re passionate about where search is heading and want to build what comes next, this is your opportunity.

• Lead strategic client partnerships, acting as the senior point of contact for AI and LLM-focused SEO programmes
• Design and deliver AI-driven search audits, translating insights into clear, commercially valuable recommendations
• Develop and oversee KPI frameworks that measure visibility, performance, and brand presence in AI-powered environments
• Guide account and delivery teams, setting the strategic direction and ensuring consistent, high-quality execution
• Drive performance reviews and long-term roadmaps, grounded in data and emerging AI search behaviours
• Collaborate with SEO, data, and innovation teams to advance best practices and evolve the agency’s AI-search approach
• Identify growth opportunities across accounts, supporting expansion through strategic consultancy and innovation

• Proven experience in senior SEO or digital strategy roles, ideally within an agency environment
• Hands-on experience with AI, LLM, or generative search audits and analysis
• Strong understanding of how large language models influence discovery, content visibility, and user experience
• Confidence working with data frameworks and defining KPIs in emerging, non-traditional search ecosystems
• Ability to explore, assess, and engage with new tools and technology providers to strengthen capability
• Clear and confident communicator, able to explain complex concepts to a range of stakeholders
• Collaborative mindset with a curiosity for innovation and a passion for shaping the future of search

What are we looking for?

Starcom offers a wide range of benefits to support our employees. Full details are shared when you join, but highlights include core benefits such as Pension, Life Assurance, and Private Medical cover, alongside enhanced policies like Reflection Days and Shared Parental Leave. You’ll also have access to a range of additional initiatives, including:

Please check out the Publicis Career Page which showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAGs (Employee Action Groups).

Publicis Groupe works primarily from the office or our clients' office four days per week.

At Starcom, we are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion or belief, disability, age, citizenship, relationship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic.

We are committed to providing a fair, accessible, and inclusive recruitment process. If you have any access needs – for example, related to disability, neurodivergence, or a health condition – please let us know. We’ll work with you to ensure the process works for you. Sharing this information will never impact your application.

Guided by our values, we listen with empathy, uplift each other, take responsibility, and embrace change – building a culture where everyone feels seen, respected, and genuinely included.

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