Associate Director SEO

About the Role

Acxiom - MENA is seeking an Associate Director SEO to lead its SEO practice in the MENA region. This full-time position is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and involves managing a team focused on delivering organic search performance for high-profile clients. The role requires accountability for client outcomes, delivery quality, and revenue, bridging client leadership, technical SEO, and commercial management.

Key Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end delivery of SEO programs for key clients, including strategy, scope, timelines, budget, and KPI reporting.
• Act as a senior SEO adviser to clients, presenting performance and recommendations to client leadership, justifying spend and return.
• Coordinate specialist teams (analytics, content, development, outreach) to meet client KPIs and position SEO within the paid, owned, and earned media mix.
• Manage revenue and margin for the SEO portfolio, working with finance on forecasts and revenue realization, and designing profitable scopes.
• Grow existing accounts through proactive management and upsell, safeguarding retainer spend with clear performance reporting.
• Lead SEO input for new business RFPs and pitches, collaborating with sales and agency partners to build pipeline.
• Evolve the SEO offering, including eCommerce SEO and visibility in AI search, and develop reusable products such as audit frameworks and reporting dashboards.
• Publish points of view, case studies, and represent Acxiom at conferences and client events.
• Hire, coach, and develop the team, setting goals, conducting 1:1s and appraisals, and building development plans.
• Manage the weekly team WIP, ensure quality of team output, and report weekly on project and business status to the Regional Director.
• Manage SEO tools and vendors for value, coordinating with Acxiom global offices and rolling out global initiatives in the region.

Qualifications and Experience

• 8+ years of experience in SEO or organic search at an agency, in-house, or consultancy, including 3+ years leading teams.
• Demonstrated track record of retaining and growing high-profile client relationships with significant ongoing SEO billings.
• Deep expertise in technical SEO, content and on-page optimization, and authority building (digital PR, outreach), with working knowledge of SMO.
• Commercial skills including forecasting, profitable scoping, and managing delivery against budget.
• Experience in eCommerce SEO and driving organic visibility from shopper interest.
• Experience justifying SEO investment to direct-response clients with clear, ongoing reporting.
• Hands-on proficiency with Google Search Console, GA4, Semrush or Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, and Looker Studio.
• Strong project management skills and confidence in presenting to senior client stakeholders.
• Active presence in the SEO community through speaking engagements, published thought leadership, or professional memberships.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience optimizing for generative and AI search (GEO / AI Overviews).
• Bilingual English-Arabic SEO and multi-market GCC experience across sectors such as retail, telco, real estate, automotive, or luxury.
• Experience combining SEO with first-party data, audience insights, or customer data platforms.
• Track record of awards, case studies, or award shortlists in search.
• Bachelor's degree in marketing, business, or a related field.

Work Type

This is a full-time position requiring 5-10 years of experience.

Location

The role is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.