Head of Organic Growth (SEO & Content) in Manchester

Overview

The role of organic is changing faster than most agencies are willing to admit. Zero-click is real, AI is rewriting how content gets found, and the old playbook is quietly becoming irrelevant. We're looking for a leader who gets that - and wants to build something that the rest of the industry is copying three years from now.

As an SMT member reporting directly to the board, your job is driving revenue across organic channels and building a Rise way of doing things that's easy to buy, repeatable to deliver, and genuinely different. You'll need deep expertise in SEO and content, a real understanding of how Digital PR and social/creator connect to organic growth, and proven experience scaling a team inside an agency. Not a manager who occasionally inspires. A proper leader.

The Opportunity

You're inheriting a team of 5. Good people, doing good work. Your job is to take that and build something special - with a clear path to eight as the revenue follows. This isn't a "come in and maintain" role. It's a "come in and define" role. The organic proposition, the delivery model, the team culture, the agency's position in the market - a lot of that is yours to shape. That's a rare thing at this level. The expectation is high, the autonomy is real, and if you get it right, this becomes one of the most visible organic leadership roles in the UK agency market (with the opportunity to set what good looks like over in the states).

What Success Looks Like at 12 Months

• You've stabilised and elevated the existing team of 5 - clear roles, clear development plans, people performing at their best.
• You've defined and landed a refreshed organic proposition that's being used actively in pitches and winning.
• Revenue targets for SEO and content are on track or ahead.
• At least one new organic service or product has been scoped, priced, and taken to market.
• Your handful of billable accounts are retained, growing, and happy.
• The team is at 8 or beyond, with the right people in the right seats.

Key Performance Objectives

• Achieving revenue growth targets for SEO and Content in the UK.
• 80% of organic clients achieving north star KPIs.
• 80% staff retention.

Responsibilities

Own and evolve an organic growth proposition that shows clients the real role their website plays - alongside content, Digital PR, and social/creator channels - in driving meaningful growth. Build sales materials that improve our pitch win rate. Standardise our delivery so that audits, strategies, reports, and multi-channel frameworks are scalable and recognisably Rise. Work with our technical director to build tools that make us faster, sharper, and more insight-led.

This is where we need you most. You're starting with a team of four and the expectation - if the revenue follows, which it will if you're doing the job right - is that you'll scale to eight within the year. That means hiring well from the start, not just filling seats. Manage and grow a team of SEOs, content specialists, and organic strategists - developing them properly and being honest when it's not working. Lead monthly team reviews covering both people and client performance. Report to SMT with clear thinking and real solutions, not just problems. Build talent pathways. Mentor senior leads. Create a culture where performance, creativity, and experimentation aren't just values on a wall - they're how people actually work. Run internal and external knowledge shares that inspire. Train the wider organisation to understand organic principles and why they matter. Hire well. Spot A-level talent early. Lead from the front.

Translate the CEO's vision into a real organic product and service roadmap, aligned to a 5-year growth plan. Own the agency's positioning, service offering, and market expansion across organic channels. Champion and evolve our "Search First" proposition - and make sure everyone, internally and externally, knows exactly what it means and why it matters.

Set and oversee KPIs across traffic, rankings, links, revenue, and client success. When things aren't working, troubleshoot fast - lead the pivot, build the recovery plan, and see it through. Oversee cross-channel organic delivery across SEO, content, Digital PR, and social/creator, bringing in CRO, UX, and analytics where relevant. Create a universal, standardised way of proving value that clients actually understand.

Identify gaps in the market and build new services around them - with clear pricing, packaging, and a plan for testing. Lead our thinking on emerging areas: AI search, zero-click SERPs, TikTok SEO, the creator-organic overlap. Build agency IP - frameworks, playbooks, case studies - that make us genuinely different. Own our audience insights strategy to make SEO and content work harder.

Act as senior sponsor on key accounts and personally lead a small handful as a billable strategist - you'll be in the weeds with these clients. Owning the strategy, shaping the roadmap, being the person they call when something isn't working. It's a small number of accounts deliberately, but expect it to be real, hands-on work rather than occasional oversight. Work closely with Client Services and Strategy on growth plans and new channel opportunities. Pitch and win high-value organic retainers - collaborating with new business and CS teams to produce proposals that set the standard in our industry. Help grow multi-service account wins by shaping solutions that go beyond a single channel.

Work closely with Paid, Social, Tech, and Creative for integrated campaign delivery. Foster cross-functional collaboration that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts. Own key platform and tool partnerships - Ahrefs, Sistrix, and others. Define and continuously evolve best practice in SEO and organic disciplines across the agency.

What We Can Offer You

• £70,000 - £90,000 salary
• Generous holiday allowance + public holidays
• Holiday loyalty scheme
• Free mortgage advice through our in-house advisor
• Work from anywhere for up to one month a year
• Your birthday off
• Christmas and New Year office shutdown
• Access to private medical
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Flexible and hybrid working
• Bucket list scheme - one life experience on us

Equal Opportunities

At Rise at Seven we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of race, religious beliefs, age, sex, sexual orientation, or disability.