Director, SEO & AI Search (Hybrid - Marina Del Rey)

What We’re Looking For

GR0 is seeking a strategic and charismatic Director of SEO & AI Search to lead our SEO function into its next evolution. This is a critical leadership role at the intersection of technical SEO, AI-powered innovation, and client experience. We're looking for someone with deep SEO expertise, a builder's mindset, and the ability to lead through influence, someone who thrives in an agency setting, loves working with clients, and brings strong business acumen to every conversation. The ideal candidate is a confident strategist and operator with a passion for AI, a talent for team development, and a proven track record of improving performance, increasing retention, and generating revenue. If you’ve got big ideas and the drive to bring them to life, we want to meet you.

• Lead GR0’s SEO department with a focus on innovation, performance, and retention across a diverse portfolio of D2C clients.
• Build full-funnel strategies grounded in data, user journey insights, and enterprise-level SEO needs from technical audits and content roadmaps to backlinking and digital PR campaigns.
• Manage and develop managers, including interviewing, hiring, performance reviews, compensation recommendations, and professional development planning for SEO talent at all levels.
• Own team P&L, budget forecasts, and resource allocation in collaboration with Finance and Executive Leadership.
• Identify and lead revenue-generating projects and multi-year expansion opportunities across accounts.
• Win over C-suite stakeholders and maintain long-term client satisfaction by quickly building trust, demonstrating results, and proactively evolving SEO strategy to meet business goals.
• Recover at-risk campaigns with speed and creativity, applying advanced SEO knowledge including JavaScript rendering, server logs, international SEO, and cross-platform strategies (e.g., Google, Bing, Amazon, App Stores).
• Build internal systems for knowledge management, QA processes, and training — ensuring consistency and growth across junior to senior SEO levels.
• Support Sales by creating compelling audits, proposals, and presentation materials. Join pitch calls to help close strategic opportunities.
• Stay on top of AI innovations and new tools that enhance SEO impact, reduce costs, or unlock new capabilities. Proactively evaluate and implement tools that drive performance.
• Work cross-functionally with leaders in Creative, Paid Media, Email & SMS, and Content to deliver cohesive omnichannel strategies and cross-sell complementary services.
• Represent the agency externally as a charismatic presenter, subject matter expert, and evangelist of GR0’s SEO methodology.

• Strong leadership with 5+ years of hands-on SEO experience and 2+ years in a people management role, with mandatory agency experience.
• Proven ability to manage managers and lead high-performing SEO teams, including both in-house and offshore contributors.
• Deep SEO expertise spanning technical, content, and off-site disciplines, including recovery and re-optimization of at-risk campaigns.
• Enthusiastic about AI’s role in marketing  from prompt engineering to tool evaluation and excited to lead the department into the future of search.
• Financial acumen with direct experience managing team P&L and influencing profitability.
• A caring, team-first leader who inspires through action, elevates others, and builds trust through transparency and accountability.
• Track record of success cross-selling services, upselling accounts, and expanding enterprise relationships.
• Strong understanding of backlink strategies, content marketing, digital PR, and persona-driven content strategy.
• Comfortable on sales calls and presenting to clients, prospects, and internal stakeholders.

• Experience working with D2C brands and understanding the performance metrics that drive that space.
• Prior success working with offshore talent and managing multi-time-zone workflows.
• Entrepreneurial mindset and a history of launching new initiatives within an agency or startup environment.

• This is a hybrid office position based in Los Angeles, CA. Candidates must be comfortable working onsite with cross-functional leaders and contributing to a highly collaborative environment.

• Stage 1 (Recruiter Screen) - After you submit your application, our talent recruitment team will review and reach out to candidates. During this 30-minute phone call, we’ll discuss your career journey and professional motivators while learning about GR0 overall.
• Stage 2 (Hiring Manager/Leadership Interview) -  In this stage, you’ll be meeting with the Hiring Manager/Leadership to dive deeper into your experience, leadership style, and strategic approach to SEO. Expect a mix of technical and high-level questions focused on how you’ve driven growth, managed teams, and collaborated across departments. It’s also a great opportunity to ask questions about the role, team structure, and GR0’s SEO vision moving forward.
• Stage 3 (Executive Team Interview) - In this stage, you’ll meet with members of our executive team for a conversation centered around culture and team alignment. This is an opportunity for us to get to know you beyond your technical skill set and understand how you would contribute to and thrive within our company culture. Feel free to come with any questions about GR0’s values, vision, and leadership philosophy.
• Stage 4 (Co-Founders Connect) - The last conversation of the interview process is always a chance for you to connect with our CEO and Co-Founder, Kevin Miller, and our President and Co-Founder, Jon Zacharias. This conversation will focus on your long-term vision, alignment with GR0’s mission, and how you see yourself contributing at a strategic level. It’s also a great chance to ask high-level questions about the company’s direction and growth plans.
• Stage 5 (Offer) - If a #GR0mance has brewed, we will make you a competitive offer and hope you’ll accept!

• Shared Financial Success - GR0 believes strongly in equal pay for equal work, and transparency in compensation is one vehicle to achieve that. Total annual compensation for this role is market competitive - $125,000 base plus commission. OTE $170,000 (based on experience).
• A Unique Opportunity to work for a rapidly growing company alongside next-level talent in a respectful, inclusive, diverse, and inspiring environment. #GR0Together
• Health and Family Benefits - GR0 offers comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage options for GR0ers and their families.
• Unlimited PTO - We know that rest is vital to your wellbeing and career success, so we give you the flexibility and trust to take it when you need it.
• Community Impact - GR0 is committed to supporting the communities where we work and live by partnering with local charitable organizations to give back in various ways.

ABOUT US:

Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, GR0 is an award-winning digital marketing agency focused exclusively on igniting organic growth for direct-to-consumer and business-to-business startups and established brands. GR0 empowers these brands to build powerful online brands using a highly technical, best-in-class approach that delivers value and experience to consumers, and engagement and sales for brands.

GR0’s notable awards and achievements include: 

Glassdoor’s “Top CEOs” (2021)

Clutch’s “Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies” (2022)

Comparably’s “Best Places to Work in Los Angeles” (2021, 2022)

Comparably’s “Best Company for Career Growth” (2021)

Built In’s Moxie Women in Tech Awards (2021, 2022)

Great Place to Work (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

DotComm Awards (2023, 2024)

Power Partner's (2024)

At GR0, we put our people above all else. We promote an environment that celebrates diversity, fosters openness, and encourages conversations around what makes us different to further learn from one another. GR0 is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.