At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead technical SEO strategies and optimise client websites for modern search engines.
- Company: Join Croud, a top-rated digital marketing agency with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive day rate, hybrid working, and flexible hours.
- Other info: Opportunity for growth and mentorship in a dynamic environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the evolving world of digital marketing and AI.
- Qualifications: Extensive experience in Technical SEO and strong communication skills required.
LONDON, UK (Hybrid Working - 2-3 days in the office per week)
Day rate: £288
Working pattern: 4 days per week
COMPANY OVERVIEW
Croud is a global, full service digital marketing agency with a unique business model that helps businesses drive sustainable growth in the new world of marketing. Croud was recently named a Sunday Times Best Place to Work for the second year in a row, and was named Performance Marketing Employer of the Year by PMW. At Croud, we unlock potential by elevating our people, clients, and communities within a rapidly advancing and complex economy. Our culture is strategically driven and inspired by a shared long-term vision. It is collaborative and connected, with a focus on continuous learning and mutual support. We are energised by future thinking, driving innovation to achieve better outcomes. We are instinctively generous, actively including and empowering our people. Above all, we are purpose-driven, committed to positively impacting our people, the planet, and our global communities.
ROLE OVERVIEW
We are looking for an experienced Technical Search Director Contractor for 6 weeks to lead the strategic direction, operational excellence, and technical delivery of Croud’s Web Experience and Technical SEO capability, ensuring client websites are optimised for modern search discovery, AI chat engines, and technical performance across the Organic Performance portfolio. You will serve as Croud’s interim senior technical authority on Web Experience and Technical SEO workstreams. This is a specialist director role that combines expert-level, hands‑on technical execution with cross‑departmental leadership and agency‑wide capability development. Reporting into the Head of Organic Strategy, you will work in close alignment with Croud’s Organic Strategy teams to audit, architect, and roadmap technical SEO improvements designed for next‑generation search. You will ensure client websites are fully crawlable, accessible, and structured for maximum content extraction, not only for traditional search engines, but also for AI summaries and conversational LLM interfaces. Acting as the vital bridge between SEO strategy and technical delivery, you will partner directly with client web development teams to translate audits into clear, actionable code specifications and tickets, while serving as the senior point of expertise on technical projects such as site migrations and platform rebuilds.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Technical SEO & New-Age Search Strategy
- Advanced Web Auditing: Lead end-to-end technical site audits, identifying structural obstacles, rendering issues, and optimisation opportunities to enhance site usability, speed, and indexing efficiency. With experience with Apache configuration files (redirects) and knowledge of CLI (command‑line interface) tools.
- Next‑Gen Search Optimisation: Architect technical strategies tailored for modern search ecosystems, ensuring client websites are optimised for crawlability, accessibility, and content extraction across traditional search, AI summaries and generative AI chat experiences.
- Semantic & Structural Design: Oversee structured data schema implementation, semantic HTML, site architecture, and rendering optimisation (client‑side, server‑side, dynamic rendering) to maximise machine understanding.
- Performance & Core Web Vitals: Oversee front‑end web performance analysis, leveraging tools like Chrome DevTools, Lighthouse, PageSpeed Insights and WebPageTest to drive Core Web Vitals compliance.
- Developer Engagement & Execution
- Actionable Ticketing: Translate complex technical audit findings into clear, digestible, developer‑ready specifications and tickets (e.g. Jira, Azure DevOps) that client engineering teams can seamlessly implement.
- Developer Advocacy: Work directly with client web developers, frontend engineers and technical architects to communicate requirements, align on standards (W3C, WCAG), and validate implemented fixes.
- Front‑End & Code Expertise: Apply strong knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to debug complex front‑end SEO issues, client‑side frameworks and DOM manipulation challenges.
- Technical Project Leadership
- Site Migrations: Serve as the senior lead on technically heavy projects, including site migrations, platform rebuilds, re‑architectures and international rollouts, protecting baseline traffic and mitigating operational risk.
- Technical Roadmapping: Formulate and manage robust technical roadmaps for key accounts, scoping accurate effort requirements and resource allocation.
- Escalation & Technical Resolution: Serve as the senior point of escalation for complex technical issues, indexing emergencies and performance drops across the Organic client portfolio.
- Proposition Operationalisation & Innovation
- Evolving the Proposition: Continuously modernise Croud’s Web Experience methodology with improved processes and agentic workflows to integrate emerging web technologies, generative AI search behaviours and evolving search engine guidelines, whilst driving efficiency in delivery.
- Test & Learn: Lead regular "Test & Learn" technical initiatives to evaluate new tools, web standards, and indexing patterns, turning insights into client strategies.
- Case Studies & Thought Leadership: Produce high‑quality case studies and whitepapers that showcase Croud’s technical SEO innovation and elevate the agency’s profile in the market.
- Growth & Capability Development
- New Business & Growth: Support sales and pitch initiatives by delivering high‑impact technical audits, pitch inputs and solution design on complex technical opportunities.
- Croudie Network Management: Oversee brief quality, project management and quality control for work assigned to specialist on‑demand network experts.
- Upskilling & Mentorship: Provide ongoing training, mentorship and technical guidance to Web Experience Managers and the wider Organic Performance team.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Extensive experience in Technical SEO within an agency environment. Expert knowledge of Technical SEO best practice, site migrations and web performance optimisation. Strong understanding of AI search, emerging search technologies and the evolving search landscape. Confident working with developers and translating technical recommendations into actionable solutions. Commercially minded with excellent stakeholder management and communication skills. Proven experience leading technical teams and driving capability development across a business.
COMPANY BENEFITS
Croud operates a hybrid working model with a minimum of 2-3 days a week based in our London office and the remaining days from home if you wish. Standard hours are from 9.00am to 5.30pm, there’s flexibility if agreed in advance with your line managers (it may also be necessary on occasions to work outside of these hours). Croud is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the grounds of a person's gender, marital status, race, religion, colour, age, disability or sexual orientation. All candidates will be assessed based on merit, qualifications and their ability to perform the requirements of the role.
OUR VALUES
At Croud, our vision centres around the idea of unlocking potential. We do this by elevating everyone in an inclusive and progressive culture, empowering individuals to deliver their best work. This means we build better brand outcomes, and unlock potential for our people, our clients and our communities. We live and breathe five core values that foster a culture where everyone can thrive. Our commitment to elevating each other is fundamental to both our cultural and business success.
The ideal candidate will excel in and demonstrate the following:
- In it together - our value on integration, collaboration and outcomes
- Eye on the future - our value on futurism, creativity and passion
- Generous in spirit - our value on people, development and inclusion
- Do what you say - our value on integrity and accountability
- Make a difference - our value on purpose and impact
Technical Search Director Contractor (6 weeks) employer: Croud
Croud is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that prioritises collaboration, continuous learning, and employee empowerment. With a hybrid working model based in London, employees benefit from a clear progression path, generous perks including a paid sabbatical, and a commitment to personal and professional development, making it an ideal place for those passionate about digital marketing to thrive.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Technical Search Director Contractor (6 weeks)
✨Get Involved in Local Edu-Tech Meetups
Dive into some local edu-tech meetups or webinars related to digital learning. These gatherings are prime spots to connect with professionals in the field, and you might just bump into someone from Croud looking for temporary support like a Technical Search Director Contractor (6 weeks). Plus, you’ll get to see what’s trending in education tech!
✨Volunteer for Online Educational Events
Look for opportunities to volunteer at online events or workshops—these can help you gain experience and get your name out there. Your contributions may catch the eye of companies like Croud when they’re on the lookout for talented folks for temporary roles in digital learning.
✨Leverage Social Media Groups
Join social media groups focused on digital education, like Facebook or LinkedIn groups. These communities often share job postings for temporary roles and can help us connect with current members at Croud who can potentially put in a good word for you.
✨Make Your Passion for Teaching Visible
Consider creating content that showcases your knowledge of digital learning—maybe a blog or a series of helpful videos. This not only builds your portfolio but establishes your credibility in the field. Plus, you never know who from Croud might stumble upon your work while looking for a Technical Search Director Contractor (6 weeks)!
We think you need these skills to ace Technical Search Director Contractor (6 weeks)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Digital Skills:In the digital learning and education sector, it's crucial to highlight your tech-savviness. Make sure your CV includes any experience with e-learning platforms, digital content creation, or learning management systems. This tech flair helps us see you're ready to thrive in our digital landscape at Croud.
Let Your Passion Shine Through:For a temporary role, we want to know why you’re excited about digital learning! Your cover letter should reflect your enthusiasm for education technologies. Talk about any projects or initiatives you’ve been part of that showcase your passion. This gives us insight into how you can contribute to our team, even for a short stint.
Include Relevant Certifications:If you have any certifications related to digital education—like teaching online or instructional design—make sure you highlight those in your application. They can really set you apart from other candidates and show us you're knowledgeable and committed to the field.
Tailor Your Portfolio:If you’ve created any digital learning materials, this is the perfect time to showcase them! We love seeing examples of your work, so include a link to your portfolio that features your best creations relevant to the temporary role at Croud. This hands-on evidence can speak volumes about your creative capabilities!
How to prepare for a job interview at Croud
✨Show Off Your Creativity in Digital Learning
When preparing for your interview with Croud, think about how you can showcase your creative approaches to digital learning. Bring along examples of projects or modules you've designed, especially those that highlight your ability to engage students remotely. It’ll help demonstrate your hands-on experience, which is essential for this role.
✨Know Your EdTech Tools
Get familiar with the latest in educational technology tools that are popular in the digital-learning field, like learning management systems and online assessment platforms. Being able to chat fluently about tools such as Moodle or Google Classroom during your interview could give you a real edge and show that you're ready to hit the ground running.
✨Flexibility is Key for Temporary Roles
Since this role with Croud is temporary, it’s super important to convey your flexibility and adaptability during the interview. Be ready to discuss how you can quickly acclimate to new environments and seamlessly integrate into existing teams. It shows you’re a team player and can handle the ebb and flow of temporary work.
✨Demonstrate Passion for Lifelong Learning
In the digital learning space, showing a passion for education and personal development can really set you apart. Be prepared to chat about how you stay current with trends in digital education and any extra courses or resources you’ve explored. It’ll highlight your motivation and potential value to Croud as they seek to innovate in their teaching approaches.
