AI Automation Director SEO

The purpose of this role is to develop best in class strategies and management of all SEO activity on assigned clients, to manage and develop the team and serve as a point of escalation as needed.

Job Description:

AI & Automation Director

SEO

Reporting To

Innovation Partner, SEO

Purpose of the Role

The AI & Automation Director will lead the development, adoption and delivery of AI-powered solutions across the SEO team. Combining strategic leadership with hands-on execution, the role will identify opportunities to improve efficiency, innovation and scalability through automation, agent development and AI-driven workflows.

The role will be responsible for delivering bespoke client automations, solving operational challenges through technology, driving AI adoption across the team and ensuring the SEO practice remains at the forefront of emerging AI capabilities.

Working closely with client delivery teams, Product, Technology, Innovation and Development Solutions, the AI & Automation Director will turn practical business needs into secure, scalable solutions that save time, enhance outputs and create measurable value for clients and teams.

Key Responsibilities

AI, Automation & Agent Development

• Design, build, test and deploy client and internal automation solutions.

• Develop AI agents and workflows that improve delivery efficiency, quality and effectiveness.

• Work with client delivery teams to review existing workflows and automate repetitive tasks using tools including Power Automate and Copilot Agents.

• Identify opportunities to reduce manual effort, improve consistency and enhance outputs through automation and process improvement.

• Support the development of innovative, client-facing AI and automation products.

• Monitor solution performance, gather feedback and iterate to improve adoption and impact.

Client Solutions & Delivery

• Partner with SEO client teams to understand delivery challenges and translate requirements into practical automation solutions.

• Lead the initial discovery, scoping and definition of bespoke client automation opportunities.

• Create clear solution briefs, requirements and success measures for projects requiring support from the Development Solutions team.

• Provide hands-on support during delivery, testing, implementation and handover.

• Communicate solution value, limitations and recommended ways of working clearly to client and internal stakeholders.

• Act as a client-facing representative for SEO innovation where needed, sharing updates, demonstrations and recommendations that help clients understand new AI, automation and search capabilities.

Team Enablement & Support

• Act as the SEO team’s AI and automation specialist, providing hands-on support for delivery challenges.

• Partner with teams to identify and solve operational inefficiencies through technology.

• Drive AI literacy, adoption and responsible experimentation across the SEO practice.

• Deliver training, guidance, demonstrations and best-practice documentation on AI tools, automation and agent building.

• Build a community of practitioners who can share use cases, reusable components and learnings across the team.

• Support teams in moving successful experiments into repeatable ways of working.

Strategy & Innovation

• Own and maintain the SEO AI and automation roadmap, aligned to client needs and wider business priorities.

• Evaluate emerging technologies and identify practical applications for clients and teams.

• Prioritise and lead automation projects that deliver measurable business impact.

• Collaborate with Product, Technology, Innovation and Development Solutions teams to scale successful solutions.

• Identify opportunities to develop reusable products, frameworks and services that strengthen the SEO proposition.

• Contribute to the evolution of the agency’s AI-enabled search and automation capabilities.

Knowledge Management & Governance

• Establish processes for centralising and sharing knowledge, tools, prompts, automation frameworks and reusable assets.

• Communicate new technologies, capabilities, use cases and opportunities across the team.

• Manage access, onboarding and governance for AI and automation platforms used by the SEO practice.

• Keep the team updated on dentsu AI policy, guidance and approved ways of working.

• Ensure solutions are developed in line with security, privacy, compliance and responsible AI principles.

• Maintain appropriate documentation for solution ownership, dependencies, controls and ongoing support.

Skills & Experience

• Demonstrable experience designing and delivering automation, AI-enabled workflows or agent-based solutions in a business environment.

• Hands-on experience with platforms such as Microsoft Power Automate, Microsoft Copilot Studio or comparable automation and agent-building tools.

• A background in coding or technical development is beneficial, with experience using development tools such as Claude Code, Cursor or similar AI-assisted coding platforms advantageous.

• Ability to translate operational or client challenges into clear technical requirements and practical solutions.

• Experience scoping initiatives, defining success measures and managing delivery from discovery through to adoption.

• Strong understanding of responsible AI, information security, privacy and governance considerations.

• Confident stakeholder management, facilitation and communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences.

• Experience delivering training, creating guidance and supporting organisational change and adoption.

• Strong problem-solving skills with a pragmatic, test-and-learn mindset.

• Experience within SEO, search marketing or digital delivery is a major advantage, although not essential.

What we offer

• This is a permanent role.

• The team is based in our London office but operates under flexible working arrangements.

• As well as a competitive salary, you’ll enjoy a benefits package that you can tailor to your needs.

Inclusion and Diversity

At Dentsu, we embrace diversity and inclusion, valuing the unique perspectives and contributions of every individual. We believe that diversity fuels creativity and innovation, benefiting our employees, partners, and communities.

We are a Disability Confident scheme user. If you consider yourself to have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, you will be guaranteed an interview.

We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic. Beyond recruitment, we strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.

We recognise the importance of work-life balance and are open to discussing flexible working arrangements for all roles. If you need reasonable adjustments due to a disability or medical condition during our recruitment process, please contact us at accommodations@dentsu.com, quoting the reference number of the role that you are applying for. Your needs will be handled with respect and confidentiality to ensure an inclusive and accessible experience.

#LI-Hybrid

Location: London - 10 Triton Street

Brand: Amplifi

Time Type: Full time

Contract Type: Permanent