AVP, SEO Lead – MENA Region

About the role

WPP Media is seeking an Assistant Vice President to lead its SEO practice across the Middle East and North Africa. This senior leadership role combines business management, product development, talent cultivation and new‑business generation to drive measurable growth for clients and commercial success for the company.

Key responsibilities

• Run the SEO business: set regional vision, own revenue, profitability, forecasting, utilization and resourcing.
• Evolve the SEO product: define the regional proposition, roadmap and methodologies covering technical SEO, content strategy, digital PR, enterprise and local SEO, measurement and AI‑driven search experiences.
• Develop talent and culture: lead, coach and expand a high‑performing SEO team, create career pathways and foster an inclusive, accountable environment.
• Drive new business and growth: lead pipeline development, pitches, proposals and client presentations, and build strategic partnerships.
• Integrate across practices: collaborate with content, paid media, data, technology, UX, creative, CRM, social and PR teams to embed SEO in broader client strategies.

Required profile

• Significant experience in SEO or digital marketing, preferably in an agency, consultancy, technology firm or large in‑house setting.
• Proven leadership of a substantial SEO team or regional practice.
• Deep understanding of modern SEO across technical, content, authority, analytics and commercial dimensions.
• Strategic vision for the future of search, including generative AI, automation and emerging discovery platforms.
• Track record of revenue and margin responsibility, winning enterprise clients and developing scalable SEO products.

Required skills

• Technical SEO
• Content strategy
• Digital PR and authority building
• Enterprise SEO
• Local and commerce SEO
• Measurement and experimentation
• AI‑generated search experience knowledge