Director of SEO, AEO, and GEO for a PE-backed Online Printing Conglomerate

Our client is a private equity–backed company composed of 10+ brands. They're a trusted online leader in custom manufactured marketing and branding materials that help small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) drive growth. They have an incredible culture, a rockstar leadership team, and an all-hands-on-deck philosophy with an emphasis on teamwork. They are seeking a Director of SEO, AEO, and GEO to lead the strategy and execution of organic search, generative engine optimization (GEO), and answer engine optimization (AEO) across the company's growing e-commerce portfolio. This is a strategic, highly visible role for a leader who has driven measurable results in the emerging GEO/AI search space. The Director will bring a stronger technical SEO foundation than the function has historically had, partnering closely and confidently with engineering and technology teams to solve complex, high-impact issues. Reporting to the CMO, this person will set strategic direction across the brand portfolio while leading and coaching an established team that executes the day-to-day work.

This is primarily a remote role, but candidates must be comfortable working Pacific Time hours, and afternoon (PST) availability is required. Our client has a preference for LA-based candidates who can report to the office in Sherman Oaks a few times per month, but candidates based anywhere in the United States can be considered depending on willingness to work PST hours.

Responsibilities:
- Own and drive SEO, AEO, and GEO strategy across the company's 10+ e-commerce brands, with GEO/AI-search visibility as the top strategic priority
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of managers and contractors executing the day-to-day SEO, content, and technical work across the portfolio
- Partner closely with engineering and technology teams to identify and resolve technical SEO issues, including site architecture, crawlability, indexation, structured data, and Core Web Vitals
- Build and execute a scalable GEO/AEO roadmap that positions brand content for visibility within AI-generated search results (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, and similar platforms)
- Direct content strategy across the brand portfolio, ensuring content is optimized for both traditional search and AI-driven discovery without requiring a fully custom approach for every brand
- Oversee and help expand an influencer marketing program, along with online community and reputation efforts that support organic discovery and brand trust
- Own online reputation strategy across reviews, forums, and AI-generated brand mentions, monitoring sentiment and building proactive trust and authority signals
- Build reporting frameworks that connect SEO/GEO activity to traffic and business outcomes, and present strategy and performance to executive leadership
- Use directional and often incomplete data to guide strategy, monitor competitors, and continuously test and refine SEO/GEO approaches
- Develop sustainable, white-hat approaches to organic visibility and brand authority, without relying on aggressive link-building tactics
- Partner cross-functionally with product, engineering, content, and paid media teams to align organic strategy with broader business goals

Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree, required; additional education or certifications in SEO/GEO/AI a plus
- 8-10+ years of progressive SEO experience, with at least 3 years in a team/people leadership role (experience leading offshore, remote, or distributed teams is a huge plus)
- Ability to work Pacific Time hours, particularly with availability in the afternoon
- Demonstrated, results-backed success with GEO/AI search, able to speak to specific strategies deployed and outcomes achieved rather than just familiarity with the concepts
- Strong technical SEO foundation, with comfort directing technical and engineering teams on architecture, crawlability, structured data, and related issues
- Experience leading content strategy and directing a mid-to-junior level team on execution and priorities
- Strong analytical and data-driven mindset, comfortable drawing conclusions from directional or incomplete data
- E-commerce SEO experience strongly preferred; multi-brand or multi-site experience is a plus but not required
- Understanding of how brand reputation, authority, and online trust signals contribute to organic and AI-driven discovery

Compensation: Targeting a base salary of $130-$165k (DOE), plus bonus