VP, Search

Critical Mass•Chicago, IL

5d•$105 - $133

About The Position

As VP of Search, you’ll set the vision and direction for our global Search practice—leading best-in-class SEO, SEM, and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategies across a diverse portfolio of clients and regions. You are the global leader and point of contact for Search within the agency, responsible for practice leadership, quality standards, capability growth, and operational excellence. You’ll translate the evolving search landscape—including AI-powered discovery (AI Overviews, LLMs, and “answer engines”)—into actionable strategies, scalable frameworks, and measurable business outcomes. You balance executive-level client counsel with hands-on strategic depth, while building and sustaining a high-performing global team through strategic talent planning, staffing, and resourcing. You’ll play a pivotal role in expanding our Search services and capabilities and helping our clients achieve top-tier performance. You define what great looks like, ensure we deliver it consistently, and evolve our offering to keep CM at the forefront of the industry. This is a one-year contract opportunity

Requirements

10–15+ years of Search experience, including 5+ years leading high-performing Search teams across multiple accounts.
Experience managing department-level staffing, resourcing and operations.
Strong communication and data storytelling skills (written and verbal), with confidence presenting to executive clients and agency leadership.
Deep expertise in SEO (technical + content + UX + measurement) and experience overseeing SEM strategy or managing large-budget paid search campaigns.
Experience integrating paid and organic search strategies and workflows to reduce costs while maximizing key business outcomes.
Proven track record of driving measurable performance improvements.
Strong organizational and project management skills, with experience leading multiple workstreams, teams, and deadlines simultaneously.
Experience with global brands and international SEO (multi-region, multi-language sites).
Experience managing SEO strategies for large-scale website migrations and redesigns.
Experience with GEO and AI search optimization for both AI Overviews and LLMs (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Mode, etc.).
Experience defining and documenting cross-disciplinary internal processes, playbooks, and best practices to improve search implementation and deliverable quality.
Deep understanding of search algorithms and ranking factors across modern search ecosystems (traditional search, social search & AI search).
Proficiency in 3rd party SEO/SEM tools such as SEMrush, BrightEdge, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, and similar platforms.
Proficiency in analytics and visualization tools such as Google Analytics, Looker Studio (Data Studio), Adobe Analytics, Google Search Console, Tableau, etc.
Experience with GEO/AI search tracking tools such as Profound, BlueFish, BrightEdge AI Catalyst, or similar solutions.
Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions.
Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, large datasets) and experience analyzing and reporting on performance data.
Experience developing and executing search-driven content strategies that improve visibility, traffic, engagement, and conversion.
Experience testing and leveraging AI to improve search workflows, efficiencies, and quality.
A proactive, self-starter attitude and a passion for staying current in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Responsibilities

Practice leadership & operations
Serve as the discipline lead and global point of contact for the Search practice—representing CM’s Search capabilities across agency leadership, cross-functional partners, and the broader Omnicom network.
Define and lead the agency-wide vision for best-in-class SEO, SEM, and GEO—developing strategic POVs, frameworks, and standardized processes across regions and accounts.
Act as a strategic thought leader, innovator, and champion for the role of search across the modern digital ecosystem.
Spearhead and deliver educational Search presentations, developing internal slideware to keep other disciplines updated on search news, trends, best practices, and “what it means for your clients” opportunities.
Own staffing strategy and resourcing across the global Search practice and client portfolio, partnering with Operations and account leaders to forecast needs, allocate talent, and address coverage gaps proactively.
Lead administrative and operational oversight for the discipline (e.g., capacity planning, utilization, role mix, and scalable delivery models, performance reviews, capability roadmaps).
Client leadership & business growth
Act as the executive Search lead for priority accounts, guiding senior stakeholders and ensuring Search programs align to business objectives, scope and measurable outcomes.
Lead the creation, definition, execution, and optimization of holistic search strategies (SEO + SEM + GEO), including multi-year roadmaps.
Proactively drive new business growth—shaping offerings, scoping work, mapping pricing/LOEs, supporting new business pitches, and identifying organic growth opportunities.
Communicate complex search concepts and performance narratives in a concise, compelling, executive-ready manner, transforming search data insights into strategic opportunities.
Innovation, AI search & future-proofing
Lead and implement AI Search Optimization / GEO strategies, ensuring clients are discoverable across AI Overviews and LLMs (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Mode, etc.).
Build frameworks and processes to systematically track and improve search performance, including GEO visibility metrics, attribution impacts, and content/technical readiness.
Keep the agency ahead of search shifts (AI/ML automation, SERP changes, visual/voice/social search) and translate those shifts into new service offerings.
Strategy & execution
Utilize cross-channel search data to understand user intent, shape content strategy, and identify business opportunities.
Advise on technical website development to maximize indexability and visibility, including JavaScript SEO and accessibility considerations for both users and LLM crawlers.
Define search-driven guidelines and requirements for content, page speed, accessibility, structured data, site architecture, URL structure, metadata, internal linking, sitemaps, etc.
Conduct regular SEO/SEM/GEO audits and competitive analyses, translating insights into prioritized, executable roadmaps.
Deliver actionable performance insights and strategic recommendations through clear, visually compelling reports—communicating complex concepts in a concise and easy-to-understand manner
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to incorporate SEO strategies and best practices.
Optimize social search channels (e.g., YouTube, TikTok) to maximize brand and content visibility across the digital landscape.
Define success metrics and translate SEO/SEM/GEO results to business objectives.