Associate Director, Search, GCS

About WPP Media

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. With exceptional talent, trusted data and intelligence, and world-class partnerships – all united by our pioneering agentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity, and deliver transformational growth. 

WPP Media is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, bringing together media, data, and partnerships to deliver creative personalisation at scale. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working.

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3826 - Associate Director, Search, GCS

Role Summary and Impact

About OpenMind : A Leading WPP Media Brand

OpenMind by WPP is an integrated agency model drawing on talent from across WPP. It has been created to accelerate the European transformation for Nestlé’s media function. Core to the solution is the advanced best data and technology capabilities, fuelled by WPP’s investment in AI, to maximise the impact of Nestlé media investment.

Role Summary and Impact

OpenMind oversees Nestle's media activity in Zone Europe. With dozens of countries, +450 team members, and regular new product launches, the account is looking for a ZEUR SEO Lead to provide strong SEO experience and leadership for in-scope Nestle categories, supporting the ZEUR Search Leads. Being above market, the role offers plenty of variety, with an enjoyable balance between driving growth for brands, strategic consultancy and laying the framework for excellence, ensuring we’re delivering change at scale. We have a clear plan to create something special with Nestlé’s SEO and we’d love you to be a part of it.

We have a unique opportunity to raise the bar for SEO across ZEUR, working with some of the biggest brands on the planet eager to showcase their supremacy online. As the SEO Lead in the Above Market Zone team, you’d be leading a group of Search specialists holding authority across the Zone. You will be partnering with brands to ensure they have a clear strategy in place to maximize on the organic opportunity available, which will include working with brands at varied stages of digital maturity. A key part of this role is developing your sizeable supporting team of SEO specialists who will be practically involved at every level, crawling sites, assessing data and developing solutions to achieve SEO success. You will help drive the education of the wider Local Market teams on your approach to ensure the same principles ring true across the region, driving SEO excellence further still. As such, excellent operational team management is essential to ensure all European stakeholders are working in unison towards your strategic vision.

Responsibilities:

• Build operational SEO excellence across ZEUR, managing varied stakeholders to ensure the successful running of a significant total client budget across above-market and in-market teams.
• High-level SEO KPI management and market governance to effectively track performance across Zone.
• Spearhead the delivery of best in-class organic search strategies at a zone level to maximise the SEO performance across Nestle Europe. These strategies then need to be adapted and rolled out for specific business units. It is vital we’re taking advantage of the short-term opportunities for Nestle whilst laying strong foundations for future changes in search.
• Work closely with the ZEUR Nestle Search Leads to ensure the SEO strategic focuses align with those of the specific business units.
• Effective, positive management of a few direct reports and a wider team of SEO specialists.
• Build up a constructive, positive rapport with senior client contacts and third-party enablers including content agencies and development teams.
• A confident presenter with the ability to take what can often be quite complicated SEO concepts, distilling them down into key actions and outcomes for relevant stakeholders.
• Commitment to progressing initiatives focused on driving share of voice and positive consumer experiences on-site.
• Stay up to date on the latest trends in SEO and adapting the strategy accordingly.

Your Knowledge & Abilities

• Impressive track record of delivering multimarket SEO strategies and charting subsequent improved business performance. We view our clients’ businesses as our own and we expect you to as well.
• Experience working with businesses which are made up of multiple business units and the complexity of how those businesses overlap from a search perspective.
• Strong knowledge across all areas of SEO from technical to content and digital PR. Depending on the market and the business units, the best opportunities will vary, as will the subsequent requirements from the SEO team.
• Experience managing and supporting multilayer SEO operations across above market, clusters, and in-market. With the focus on ensuring consistent excellence and delivery of the overall strategy at all levels.
• Ability to demystify SEO to ensure clients and the wider team understand what actions are required to achieve compelling results. An ability to craft and deliver powerful stories.
• Experience leading and developing a talented, multi-faceted team united in a common effort to produce best in class SEO activity as a cohesive, positive unit.
• Exposure to Digital more broadly, engaging with the specialism in a passionate, intellectual capacity.
• Experience with Holistic search and the relationship between SEO and paid media channels is beneficial.
• Experience with a wide range of SEO tools. Experience working with tool partners to drive enhancements to get the most from the tool suites.
• Extensive experience using PowerPoint and delivering presentations to senior stakeholders.
• Calm under pressure and able to always think about the bigger picture.

Life at WPP Media & Benefits

Our passion for shaping the next era of media is powered by our commitment to Be Extraordinary, investing in our employees to inspire transformational creativity. We also Lead Optimistically, firmly believing in and Championing Growth and Development for every individual. This commitment allows WPP Media employees to leverage the extensive global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, build vital professional connections, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising.

We Create an Open environment built on trust and respect, where everyone feels they belong and has opportunities to progress. This inclusive culture is fostered through a variety of employee resource groups and frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our comprehensive benefits package reflects this commitment, including competitive medical, group retirement plans, vision, and dental insurance, significant paid time off, preferential partner discounts, and employee mental health awareness days.

WPP Media is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection in this open and supportive environment. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. Please note that while our philosophy is the same across WPP, benefits may vary by office/country.

Please note this is a UK based role and requires individuals to have the right to work in this location

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