Technical SEO Director in London

About Havas Market

We are Havas Market, part of the Havas Media Network. We believe in the fusion of commerce and performance to drive limitless performance. We break down barriers between commerce and performance to build cohesive multichannel purchase experiences that powerfully combine tech and human flair. Havas Market expertise spans four core specialist services: paid media (PPC, paid social, shopping international), owned (SEO, CRO, content, creative, localisation), commerce (Amazon, Marketplaces, Retail Media, social commerce) and earned (digital PR, social).

We help clients to:

• Connect with the human behind the click – we harness human‑led planning and technology to create experiences that connect more deeply and drive superior digital performance.
• Capture meaningful metrics that matter – we focus on meaningful results that drive business impact, not just superficial metrics, ensuring client strategy delivers real commercial success.
• Combine curious minds and powerful technology – we turn data into actionable insights, all powered and delivered by cutting‑edge technology, giving clients a competitive edge in market.

The Role

An exciting opportunity has opened for a Technical SEO Director with proven expertise and strong client‑facing skills to lead a talented team of managers located across Leeds and London. In this role, you’ll collaborate closely with the SEO Strategy Director and Digital PR Director across locations too. We’re looking for someone with deep experience across all areas of technical SEO, with drive to spearhead the application of emerging technologies such as LLMs into our client strategies. The role requires expert level of knowledge and will take ownership of a portfolio of high-value accounts. You’ll be proficient in crawl audits, international SEO, indexation, internal linking, competitor analysis, and keyword research. A strong understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is essential, along with the ability to apply UX insights to your strategy. Experience working with APIs is also required. You’ll need a strong data‑driven mindset with an eye for detail and the ability to tie together an overarching strategy which compliments the wider SEO approach. You will be overseeing the analysis of large datasets to connect the dots, translating them into clear, succinct overarching strategy for clients. Strong writing, information design, and coordination & collaboration skills are essential for success in this position. As a client‑facing leader, you’ll be responsible for overseeing the Technical SEO team, driving weekly team check‑ins and supporting in larger monthly & quarterly client meetings. Confidence in presenting, excellent communication skills, and a proactive, practical, and solution‑driven attitude are all essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Support your team in developing data‑driven Technical SEO strategies and comprehensive forecasts with awareness of connecting into the wider SEO, content and digital PR approach.
• Oversee and improve all Technical SEO client deliverables while guiding the team in preparing and delivering client meetings, QBRs, and other touchpoints that clearly demonstrate Technical SEO impact.
• Develop the SEO Managers in the team, providing training to upskill the broader team and play a role in the development of SEO best practice.
• Desire to discuss and make recommendations on new emerging areas of technical SEO such as LLM models with suggestions on how to respond to changes.
• Be a problem‑solver, with the ability to sell in bigger, more advanced SEO tactics and link these to overall commercial strategy.
• Be comfortable working alongside the wider AD team within the department to form an SEO leadership team.
• Lead the development of new products and technologies across LLM platforms to ensure our client strategies remain future‑facing and audience‑first.
• Work with Senior SEO Leadership to use AI to evolve team processes to embed efficient ways of working across the team.
• Be a leader, and an advocate of our team and our work, supporting Havas Market and engaging in knowledge sharing with your peers across the group.
• Ability to report back both internally and externally on client progress, as well as keeping abreast of digital development opportunities for clients across all areas of the market.
• Ability to use research to understand markets, audiences and brands—finding key insights that inspire great work and drive better business decisions.
• Lead and facilitate the clear direction of projects ensuring best practice is adhered to.
• Continuously look for opportunities to drive commerciality through upsell/cross‑sell.
• Create first‑class case studies to represent our best work, enter and win industry awards.

Financial (admin, financial management)

• Overseeing accurate and timely finance administration and budgeting.
• Have a clear understanding of profitability for your client portfolio.
• Manage the forecast and monthly budgets of your clients accurately and in a timely manner.

Behavioural (proactivity, agency culture)

• A data driven mindset and the ability to strategise with cross‑functional teams and successfully execute client deliverables.
• Lead on and/or contribute towards new business efforts (research and pitch delivery).
• Experience of understanding customers, tone of voice and ability to drive performance whilst protecting brand values.
• Experienced SEO thinker who consistently is looking to find incremental gains and uses innovation to drive the SEO agenda.

Relationships (client, internal)

• Manage, motivate, develop and support your team to fulfil their potential, via regular catch‑ups, performance appraisals, and the development of training programmes.
• Foster collaboration and transparency across the SEO department.
• Develop, maintain, and grow relationships with relevant client stakeholders, ensuring strong client satisfaction through TRRs and client retention.
• Build strong relationships internally – initially within Havas Market to ensure Technical SEO can support and inform wider strategies for clients.

Desirable skills and experience

• Agency experience in a Technical SEO centric role, involving management of a team is essential.
• Previous experience with client facing responsibilities and building strong relationships.
• Good storytelling and presentation capability, with the ability to communicate confidently and interpret performance marketing to clients and manage client expectations.
• Passion for, and an expert level understanding of all aspects of SEO and digital more broadly.
• Strong project management skills, with ability to manage multiple deadlines and stakeholders.
• Expert knowledge of key SEO tools (Google Analytics, SEMRush, Screaming Frog, etc.)

Contract Type: Permanent

Equal Opportunity

Here at Havas across the group we pride ourselves on being committed to offering equal opportunities to all potential employees and have zero tolerance for discrimination. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants irrespective of age, sex, race, ethnicity, disability and other factors that have no bearing on an individual’s ability to perform their job.