Agency : Havas Media Group Job Description : ABOUT HAVAS MARKET: We are Havas Market, part of the Havas Media Network. We believe in in the fusion of commerce and performance to drive limitless performance. We break down barriers between commerce and performance to build cohesive multichannel purchase experiences that powerfully combine tech and human flair. Havas Market expertise spans four core specialist services: paid media (PPC, paid social, shopping international), owned (SEO, CRO, content, creative, localisation), commerce (Amazon, Marketplaces, Retail Media, social commerce) and earned (digital PR, social). We help clients such as Kia, Hyundai, BBC, TOAST and Merrell to: Connect with the human behind the click – we harness human-led planning and technology to create experiences that connect more deeply and drive superior digital performance. Capture meaningful metrics that matter – we focus on meaningful results that drive business impact, not just superficial metrics, ensuring client strategy delivers real commercial success. Combine curious minds and powerful technology – we turn data into actionable insights, all powered and delivered by cutting-edge technology, giving clients a competitive edge in market. THE ROLE: The SEO & GEO Business Director role is a high-profile role, overseeing a team comprising 10+ strategy specialists, across London and Leeds. With capability spanning SEO strategy and Content who sits as part of an integrated offering, integral for delivering against the ‘Limitless Performance’ agency proposition – a new approach we believe uniquely equips us to disrupt the market and drive growth. Reporting into the Head of SEO & GEO, you will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the SEO Strategy and content team to oversee client work where a SEO strategy is in play. You will line manage 2+ SEO Strategy ADs and will be accountable for driving integration across these disciplines, as well as ensuring consistency across locations, to ensure we truly break down established silos in terms of ways of working. You will need to work closely with the HOD to ensure we have a coherent SEO and GEO product that is seamlessly rolled out for all clients into an established channel strategy and activation best practice. As such, you will need to review and enhance our ways of working, delivery mechanisms, oversee annual client strategies, QA processes and playbooks. You will feed into our commercial performance – ensuring the team is effectively delivering against client scopes, working profitably, and driving high client retention through best in class SEO delivery. As part of this, you will have the opportunity to feed into commercial proposals to ensure we’re positioned to maximise profitability across the department. You will lead our relationship with Ledger Bennett, our B2B department to establish and oversee efficient ways of working from the dedicated SEO Pod across their clients. You will likely be required to lead pitches where logical (based on location, client etc.), as well as continue to build your personal PR – both internally and externally – through thought leadership and events. KEY RESPONSBILITIES: Work with the HOD to establish and lead on the implementation of a future facing approach to SEO and GEO – translating a compelling new business proposition into a coherent best practice approach for the team to follow. Own comms across 4 AD’s to enhance ways of working and process to ensure we have a consistent approach to SEO delivery across all parts of the team to break down silos (Strategy, tech, DPR, through to PPC & data). Manage client profitability – ensuring you’re aware of client scopes, burn rates and are proactively communicating issues to the SEO Team, CS/CPT and HOD. Ensuring our SEO team is delivering against an innovative and future facing strategic framework and operationally have consistent roadmaps that drive delivery improvement. Responsible for the quality of output across teams, be the point of escalation to resolve business priorities (i.e. under delivery, SLA’s, commercial objectives). Work with HOD to lead on the construction of new client scopes as appropriate. Actively champion the use of Brand Insights AI with clients and the wider team. Feed into resourcing requirements across the SEO team, ensuring we're maximising capacity across locations while balancing resource costs within target through efficient resource management. Support HOD with new business, and where appropriate, ensure new business opportunities are effectively delivered against to drive growth. Support HOD in the development of new, proprietary product solutions to either drive efficiencies or deliver diversified income streams. Work with ADs and CS/CPT to identify and convert upsells/cross-sells from across the Network. Ensure all functions of the SEO team are meeting the expectations of our clients, being a point of escalation for our Management and Client teams to resolve and improve delivery. Ensure our capabilities are recognised by the industry, ensuring ongoing development of case studies, thought leadership and awards both internally and externally. Champion what it means to operate in a Network culture – enabling people to connect with the agency brand they work within, whether that’s Havas Market, Ledger Bennett etc. Manage the Ledger Bennett SEO Pod, ensuring high quality of work is delivered through efficient resource management and foster a collaborative and functioning team of B2B search experts. Lead training for the SEO team to build a best in class offering at the forefront of industry evolution. Alongside HOD, lead on core elements, i.e. team meetings, socials etc., to ensure the team receives the right communication and transparency into how we’re operating and where we’re going. Proactively drive recruitment priorities with our Talent partners, including offshore resourcing. ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: Significant experience leading large teams within an agency environment. A proven track record of growing revenue across clients and success with new client acquisition. Organisational excellence across SLA’s, best practice, process, and team management. Highly organised, capable of managing and prioritising multiple workstreams. Highly numerate with a functional expertise in BI technology. Demonstrable experience of building high performing teams Ability to motivate and lead a large team. #LI-LM2 Contract Type : Permanent Here at Havas across the group we pride ourselves on being committed to offering equal opportunities to all potential employees and have zero tolerance for discrimination. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants irrespective of age, sex, race, ethnicity, disability and other factors that have no bearing on an individual’s ability to perform their job. If you don't find a suitable opening on our Career Site, don't worry! You can still send your resume to us. Please go to Consider me for Future Openings. About Us Founded in 1835 by Charles-Louis Havas, Havas is one of the world’s largest global communications groups, with more than 23,000 people in over 100 countries sharing one single mission: to make a meaningful difference to brands, businesses, and people. Havas has developed a fully integrated model covering all communications activities. The teams of the three business units, Creative, Media and Health & You, work together with agility and in perfect synergy to offer clients tailor-made, meaningful, innovative and entertainment-oriented solutions that support them in their positive transformation. Life at Havas We take great pride in our Havas family. They bring many unique personalities, perspectives and passions to their work. Collaboration is at the core of how we operate, and Havas Villages are the homes we work in. We encourage our people to take advantage of our many opportunities to learn and grow. Through local agency training sessions, our unique global and development programs, we offer our people endless opportunities to explore. Havas Creative Network At Havas, we believe creativity isn’t just a description of our business, it is part of our agencies’ DNA. We bring together some of the industry’s most creative and accomplished agencies. By combining creative expertise with the strategic and innovative power of our Villages, we can build seamless teams around the individual needs of each of our clients. Havas Media Network We create the best media experience, capitalizing on the most meaningful media to build more meaningful brands. We know how to connect a client with their target audience – in the context of where they are, through the content they pay attention to. We deliver this expertise through the Mx System, our global operating methodology and strategic planning process, that creates value for our clients by turning consumer intelligence into clear growth targets, aligning stakeholders and KPIs, and measuring the impact of media experiences. Havas Health Driven by human purpose and focused on the betterment of humanity through health, Havas Health & You leverages a global collection of experts and individuals to help people everywhere live healthier lives. With a spirit rooted in innovation, creativity, and education, we are dedicated to delivering consistent excellence and groundbreaking work.
