Associate Director, SEO Content - Media - US Remote - Contractor

About the role

Please note, this is a talent pool position, not a live role. If you would like to be considered for any future Principal Motion Design positions at DEPT®, please submit an application and we will be in touch when a suitable opportunity arises.

The Role

The Associate Director of SEO & GEO Content is a short term need for 2-3 months for 30 hours per week. The ideal consultant is responsible for leading content strategy, production, and account performance across a portfolio of medium to large accounts.

This person will set the strategic direction for complex SEO and GEO content programs, connecting audience needs, search demand, generative search behavior, and business priorities.

This is also a hands-on content role. Depending on client needs, account structure, and team capacity, the Associate Director may directly develop content strategies, create briefs, write and edit content, review AI-assisted drafts, and lead final quality assurance. They should be comfortable moving between executive-level strategy and detailed content production without losing sight of either.

Associate Directors are expected to identify opportunities and risks across their accounts, strengthen the quality and consistency of the team's work, and help clients understand how content contributes to visibility, authority, consideration, and business growth.

What You'll Do

• Strategic Account Leadership: Lead SEO and GEO content strategy across a portfolio of medium to large accounts, connecting client objectives, audience needs, competitive opportunities, and performance data to clear priorities and measurable outcomes.
• SEO & GEO Strategy: Use keyword and prompt research, citation analysis, audience insights, and competitive findings to strengthen brand visibility and authority across traditional and generative search.
• Content Production and Editorial Leadership: Develop strategies, roadmaps, briefs, outlines, and recommendations, while writing, editing, and optimizing content as needed. Guide work from ideation through final QA, maintaining high standards for accuracy, clarity, brand alignment, user experience, and SEO/GEO performance.
• AI-Assisted Content Development: Apply AI tools across research, briefing, drafting, editing, and quality assurance while maintaining human oversight of factual accuracy, source quality, originality, brand voice, and subject-matter expertise.
• Team and Capability Development: Manage and mentor Content Strategists while improving the frameworks, workflows, templates, and editorial standards that support high-quality content production at scale.
• Integrated Collaboration: Partner with technical SEO, analytics, design, development, digital PR, paid media, project management, and account teams to deliver connected strategies and address complex client needs.
• Account and Business Growth: Identify opportunities to expand existing accounts and contribute to pitches, proposals, scopes, staffing plans, and capabilities presentations. Stay current on changes in search, AI platforms, content discovery, and audience behavior, translating developments into practical recommendations for clients and internal teams.

What You Bring

• A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in content strategy, SEO, digital content, editorial strategy, or a related discipline
• Experience leading complex content programs across multiple medium to large client accounts, preferably within an agency environment
• Demonstrated expertise in developing content strategies that connect search demand, audience needs, brand positioning, and business objectives
• Strong knowledge of SEO fundamentals, including search intent, keyword research, content architecture, internal linking, on-page optimization, and organic performance analysis
• A working understanding of GEO, generative search platforms, AI citations, prompt tracking, answer visibility, and how these areas connect to broader content strategy
• Experience managing, mentoring, or developing content strategists, writers, and editors
• Strong executive communication skills, with the ability to make complex concepts clear, relevant, and actionable for senior stakeholders
• Proven ability to assess account performance, identify strategic risks and opportunities, and guide teams toward the appropriate response
• Strong editorial judgment and the ability to evaluate content for quality, usefulness, accuracy, search intent, brand alignment, and strategic value
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams, including SEO, analytics, account management, project management, design, development, and digital PR
• Commercial awareness and experience identifying account growth opportunities, contributing to scopes, or supporting new-business development
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills, with the ability to oversee multiple accounts and workstreams while maintaining attention to quality
• Comfort working through ambiguity and developing practical approaches in areas where platforms, tools, and measurement standards continue to evolve
• Curiosity, adaptability, and a desire to challenge established thinking while remaining focused on client and audience needs.

What Do We Offer?

This project is for 30 hours weekly. The hourly range for this project is $65- $85 USD.:

We Support You Being You

We believe our work is its best when our people feel safe and free to be themselves. We're committed to an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment and selection process and workplace, regardless of anyone's identity, background, beliefs, lifestyle or disabilities. So tell us about any accommodations you need. It's totally confidential and only used to make sure you feel fully supported at every step.

We are a B Corp-certified company passionate about purpose-driven work. Our hope is that you can feel good about the contributions DEPT® is making to the world and we always have an open door for your ideas in making the world a better place.

DEPT® is a Growth Invention company built to help the world's most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, our 4,000+ specialists deliver growth invention across Brand & Media, Experience, Commerce, CRM, and Technology & Data. We're 50|50 tech and marketing, partner-led, and first to move. Clients include Google, Lufthansa, Coach, eBay, and OpenAI.

Learn more about DEPT®

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

• We also encourage you to reach out to us and discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us.
• Want to know more about our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Check out our efforts here.

#LI-Remote

• The anticipated salary range for this position is listed below.
• Salary is based on a range of factors that include relevant experience, expertise, physical location, and organizational impact.
• This is based on a 40-hour workweek and leveling.
• Keep in mind, we're flexible.

US Remote Range $65—$85 USD