Head of Search - Maternity Cover - MG OMD in London

MG OMD is looking for a Head of Search to join us on a fixed‑term contract covering maternity leave. This is a senior leadership role within our Performance team, responsible for leading our Search capability across PPC and SEO, and ensuring clear strategy, strong delivery and commercial discipline throughout the contract. You’ll act as the senior Search lead for key clients, guide a high‑performing team, and work closely with other media and strategy leaders to deliver integrated, effective solutions. This role suits an experienced Search leader who is confident operating at a senior level, calm under pressure, and focused on maintaining momentum, quality and team performance in a fast‑moving agency environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead MG OMD’s full Search capability across PPC and SEO, with real ownership and senior visibility.
• Act as the trusted Search advisor for major clients, shaping strategy and performance at a leadership level.
• Work alongside channel leads across Social, Programmatic, Affiliates and Digital Planning to deliver true cross‑channel solutions.
• Guide and support a high‑performing team, keeping standards, culture and momentum strong during the contract.
• Operate in a role that balances strategic thinking with hands‑on leadership and commercial accountability.

The Work:

• Set the strategic direction for PPC and SEO across the agency, ensuring strategies are aligned to client goals and integrated with the wider digital ecosystem.
• Lead the development and evolution of Search craft, including innovation in automation, AI, measurement, technical excellence, content relevance and SERP experience.
• Oversee best‑in‑class delivery standards for PPC and SEO across planning, activation, optimisation, testing and reporting.
• Ensure Search is fully integrated into cross‑channel planning with Programmatic, AV, Social, Digital Planning and Content.
• Provide senior Search expertise for major strategic responses, pitches and agency initiatives.

Communication & Collaboration:

• Act as the senior Search partner for key clients, internal stakeholders and OMG groups.
• Confidently communicate complex PPC and SEO concepts to senior audiences, including boards and SLTs.
• Work closely with Business Directors and Account Directors to ensure aligned, consistent communication across all Search accounts.
• Collaborate with other channel leads to drive integrated solutions and shared performance outcomes.
• Build strong relationships with major Search platforms, technology partners and measurement providers.

Commerciality, Accountability & Operations:

• Own the commercial performance of the entire Search department, including forecasting, revenue delivery and profitability, and full P&L ownership across SEO and PPC.
• Hold ultimate accountability for Search budgets, headcount planning and margin management.
• Set, monitor and deliver Search audit targets with Business Directors accountable for execution within their respective client portfolios, ensuring governance, compliance and operational consistency.
• Oversee processes, tooling, automation, QA and operational frameworks that ensure accuracy, consistency and efficiency.
• Identify commercial opportunities for agency value and client growth across Search.
• Proactively assess and manage risk, ensuring Search teams remain compliant with industry standards, regulation and platform requirements.
• Define and own operational, governance and compliance frameworks for Search.

Client/Media Partner/Auditor Relationships and Servicing:

• Build and maintain senior client relationships at executive and escalation level as a trusted strategic advisor for all Search activity.
• Ensure clients are informed of Search trends, algorithm shifts, platform developments and opportunities across PPC and SEO.
• Champion integrated Search solutions that drive long‑term, sustainable impact.
• Lead relationships with major Search platforms and SEO tool providers to maintain MG OMD’s leadership position.
• Represent Search in senior client forums, industry panels and thought leadership opportunities.

Team Management, Training & Leadership:

• Lead and develop Business Directors, Account Directors, Managers and specialists across PPC and SEO.
• Directly manage Business Directors and hold accountability for their commercial and operational performance.
• Set clear expectations around performance, leadership standards and Search ways of working.
• Provide coaching, development and succession planning to elevate Search leadership capability.
• Foster a collaborative, high‑performing, innovative team culture.
• Shape long‑term Search capability strategy, ensuring the team remains ahead of industry change and emerging Search technologies.

About the Agency:

MG OMD was established in 1990 as a challenger media agency (Manning Gottlieb Media) that placed craft, trust and performance at the heart of media planning and buying. Since joining Omnicom network’s OMG (Omnicom Media Group) in 1998, we have continued to retain our founding ethos of providing clients with bespoke approaches, unprecedented insight, specialism, security and transparency; helping our clients to use media to unlock their competitive advantage and deliver innovative, effective and award-winning work and campaigns that create difference that matters.

MG OMD is the second-largest media agency in the UK. We are the most awarded media agency in both the history of the IPA Effectiveness Awards and Thinkbox’s TV Planning Awards and have this year been named as Agency of the Year in The Media Leader UK awards, Campaign Global awards and Campaign UK awards. With over 500 employees working across some of the UK’s leading brands including the John Lewis Partnership, Virgin Media O2, British Airways, Specsavers, HM Government, LNER, Sony Pictures and Age UK; it is our people who ultimately make the award-winning difference.

So, true to our ethos, we work hard at creating a spirit and atmosphere that inspires our people to be considerate, honest, and professional whilst also being stimulating, imaginative and inspirational. We want people who are great to work with, fun to be with and who genuinely care; about each other, our clients, our media partners and doing great work.

In return, we provide an amazingly collaborative culture, where open communication and an unwavering commitment to diversity of thinking, diversity of background and diversity of skillsets runs through everything we do. All backed up by the highest standards of training, development and support in the industry; so much so, that we have attained IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) CPD Gold Accreditation for the 13th year running and maintained our CPD Platinum Accreditation for the 7th consecutive year, showcasing our commitment to continuous professional development. We were also featured in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work in both 2023 and 2024. Our being named is completely based on the opinions and perspectives of our employees which makes the accolade all that more special.

Flexible Working:

At Omnicom Media Group, we are committed to supporting flexibility for our people while fostering collaboration, innovation, and teamwork. We have a hybrid working model (three days in the office, two working remotely), to ensure that we meet the needs of both our people and our business, balancing the benefits of in-person connections with the flexibility of remote working. Our standard working hours are 9:30 – 17:30, but we offer the ability to flex around core hours of 10:30 – 16:30 to give our people flexibility on how they manage their working day, whether that’s in the office or working remotely. For example, you could start work at 8:30 and finish at 16:30 or start at 10:30 and finish at 18:30. We encourage open conversations between our people and managers to help navigate high-need periods and individual circumstances. Our goal is to create an environment where people feel genuinely supported to do their best - both in their careers and in their lives outside of work.

Be Your Best:

We want everyone to make the most of the opportunity to shine and showcase your talents and we are happy to make adjustments in the recruitment process so you can be your best. Please discuss any specific requirements with your dedicated Talent Team member or if you would feel more comfortable, you can email us confidentially at beyourbest@omnicommediagroup.com to let us know how we can support you.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at OMG:

At OMG, our vision is to be an agency where difference is valued and everyone is able to thrive in a culture of equality, inclusion and belonging. We are committed to providing a truly inclusive environment that reflects today’s society, where everyone is able to bring their true selves to work, and where diverse voices and backgrounds are valued, heard, and well-represented.