Associate Director of Search Experience

We are a tech-enabled growth firm–at the intersection of marketing, consulting & data intelligence–igniting revenue and brand recognition for leading and emerging companies around the world. As a people-first firm, we value diversity in backgrounds and experiences. We strongly believe our people and culture are key to our success. Our vision is to be recognized as the most valued and respected private growth marketing firm in the world–with a scalable brand, culture and services. Our mission is to power the relentless pursuit of growth and redefine what’s possible through a team of growth-obsessed experts who demand innovation and results - driven by integrity, autonomy, and grit. As a full-service growth marketing firm, we offer best-in-class services including: SEO, Content Marketing, Paid Media, Social Media Marketing, Programmatic + CTV, Public Relations, Influencer Marketing, Email + SMS, Conversion Rate Optimization, Retail Marketing, and Creative. Here at Power Digital, we are hyper-focused on helping brands drive revenue growth and brand recognition, ultimately driving irrefutable value for our clients. At the heart of Power Digital is our proprietary technology, nova, which analyzes businesses through first-party data, simplifying investment planning for marketing and diligence in M&A––putting marketers in a strategic seat at the table––and providing value in unparalleled ways. Managing billions in media, our dynamic team––of consultative marketers, creatives, analysts and technologists––challenge traditional ways of planning and measurement through meticulous testing and data science across each milestone of the customer journey. We support 100% remote, in-office, or hybrid work styles for anyone legally eligible to work in the U.S. A day in the life: As the Associate Director of Search Experience, you are a player-coach leader who owns two things above all else: the people on your pod, and the quality of the work that pod produces. You are the person whose judgment, craft, and consistency has earned the genuine trust of the people you lead. You lead from the front, capable of sitting in a new business pitch or an existing client meeting and speaking to Search Experience strategy directly, while also being capable of stepping into execution when needed and doing it at an exemplary standard. You ask nothing of your team that you wouldn't do yourself. You oversee a pod of search experience professionals, directly managing specialists through senior strategists while providing strategic guidance that drives team growth, retention, and exceptional client outcomes. You are hands‑on in ensuring client satisfaction, serving as the first point of escalation, and contributing to high-level Search Experience strategy spanning SEO, GEO/AEO, and content. Beyond client delivery, you champion the evolution of the Search Experience product offering, staying ahead of AI search behaviors and generative search platform changes and ensuring your pod is fluent and prepared. As an AI‑Native Channel Architect, you treat Claude, Omega, Iris, and the broader Nova ecosystem as core to how the work gets done, automating repetitive analysis so your time goes toward judgment, strategy, and client relationships. You are on the roadmap to Director, using this role to build the people leadership, product judgment, and cross‑functional fluency that role demands. Key Responsibilities Lead and manage a pod of search experience professionals, including 2-4 direct reports from specialist to senior strategist level. Build and maintain individual development plans, coaching cadences, and mentorship for every member of the pod. Own team retention via positive team sentiment and clear paths for growth. Drive performance management using the ARC framework (Activities, Resources, Capabilities). Diagnose underperformance quickly and accurately, deliver timely and direct feedback as well as raise and promotion recommendations. Oversee capacity planning and staffing for search experience pod. Generate innovation and foster team training and development (i.e new product updates, channel knowledge, etc) in conjunction with R&D team. Provide executive-level oversight for client accounts within the pod, including direct, hands‑on support and/or act as an Account Director. Serve as the first point of escalation for client concerns, offering strategic guidance and resolving issues with a solutions‑first mindset. Support high-level strategy development, performance tracking, and internal audit requests to ensure exceptional delivery. Track client churn and churn trends within the pod's book of business, and intervene early where risk signals appear. New Business & Growth Contribute to new business efforts by supporting audits, pitches, and opportunity identification. Develop compelling case studies to highlight team and client successes. Identify and act on key areas of opportunity for service expansions within the book of business. Own product quality for the pod through consistent, accountable QA processes that catch errors before they become client‑facing or revenue‑impacting. Proactively pursue Search Experience channel evolution outside of day‑to‑day client work, including reading industry sources, pursuing certifications, and running informal experiments on GEO/AEO and AI search. Centralize learnings from the pod's tests and share them with the division. Lead knowledge-sharing initiatives and quarterly brainstorms to push the Search Experience product forward. Use Claude, Omega, Iris, and Nova tools daily to automate repetitive search analysis (rank tracking, GEO/AEO visibility monitoring, reporting, QA checks), freeing time for strategic judgment and client relationships. Maintain full working knowledge of the Power Circuit and Nova ecosystem, and drive completion and adoption across the pod. Recruitment & Talent Acquisition Drive team growth by supporting recruitment efforts, conducting interviews, assessing channel-specific skills, and building business cases for new hires. Other applicable or related duties as assigned. Employ AI technologies to enhance and optimize business processes Utilize and leverage Power Digital's Nova ecosystem as it relates to your department Role Requirements 4-5 years of digital marketing experience, 3+ in an agency setting Minimum 5 years of hands‑on experience with search experience execution 3+ years of experience managing a team, including performance management and development planning Strong understanding of search experience’s place in the marketing funnel Working knowledge of organic search, GEO/AEO concepts, AI search behaviors Other skills required: Strong written and verbal communication skills. Self‑motivated with a strong desire to build the team and the product. Strong demonstration of AI usage to optimize workflows. Strong organization and project management skills. Excellent interpersonal skills. Strong work ethic and ability to learn quickly and independently. Interested in a long‑lasting relationship with a growing company. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Organic Search Contribution Margin: 50-60% Average Organic Search Revenue per Employee: $30k +90% Organic Search Pod Retention Retention Rate of Service: 95% Personal Revenue per Employee - $10K RPE 8.8 Average Client NPS Most Important Things (MITs) Effectively manage your pod to create a positive team member experience aligned with company objectives Delivery of a top‑tier product for our clients by our team Own the growth and evolution of the Search Experience product offering, not just its day‑to‑day delivery Oversee the growth and retention of the team and clients Base salary + commission opportunities Robust Medical, Dental, Vision insurance plans with up to 100% employer contribution towards employee monthly premium 401(k) plan - 4% employer contribution matching Unlimited Time Off available on day one Up to 4 hours per quarter for paid Volunteer Time Off (VTO) towards philanthropic endeavors Fully flex work environment: full‑remote, in‑office, or hybrid A one time $100 USD Work From Home (WFH) stipend automatically added to your first paycheck Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 12 observed United States national holidays + 2 mental health recharge days per year Unlimited opportunities for growth & leadership within a rapidly growing firm Ongoing employee development programs for personal and professional growth (Hedgehog and Vital 5s) Quarterly awards including prize money and recognition for outstanding performance Opportunities to be involved in company DEI initiatives Power Digital’s people and culture are at the core of our success, which is why diversity in our team’s backgrounds and experiences are paramount. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and our employees are people with different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds, who strive to make an impact inside and outside of the workplace. Diversity not only includes race and gender identity, but also age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion and many other parts of one’s identity. All of our employees' points of view are key to our success, and inclusion is everyone's responsibility. Please be aware of fictitious job openings, consulting engagements, solicitations, or employment offers from suspicious sources. These engagements may be an attempt to obtain private information, or to induce you to pay a fee for services related to recruitment or training. Power Digital does NOT charge any application, processing, or training fee at any stage of the recruitment or hiring process. All genuine job openings will be posted on our careers page at #J-18808-Ljbffr Power Digital Marketing