Senior Director, Content & Search

Position Overview
Cox Automotive is seeking a Senior Director, Content & SEO to lead content strategy, content operations, and organic search performance across Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, two of the most trusted consumer brands in the automotive industry.
This senior leadership role offers significant executive visibility and influence. The Senior Director will regularly partner with VP-level leaders across Sales, Business Operations, Advertising, Marketing, Product, and Engineering to ensure content investments drive measurable business outcomes.
Reporting directly to the AVP, Product & Engineering, this leader will oversee an organization of approximately 50 professionals spanning:

• Content Strategy
• SEO
• Editorial Production
• Creative Production
• Content Operations
• Social Media

This role requires a strategic, autonomous leader who can drive organizational transformation, content innovation, audience growth, and business performance during a period of rapid change in digital publishing and AI-driven search.
How We Work
Editor-First AI
AI supports, but never replaces, human creativity, expertise, and editorial judgment.
Smart Brevity
We create content that is clear, useful, engaging, and easy to consume.
Extreme Ownership
Everyone leads. Everyone grows. Everyone drives results.
Multimedia-First
Every story is visual, interactive, dynamic, and audience-centric.
Key Responsibilities
Executive Leadership & Industry Representation

• Serve as the senior content and SEO leader for KBB and Autotrader.
• Represent content strategy in executive forums across Sales, Advertising, Marketing, and Business Operations.
• Translate content strategy into commercial value and support client-facing sales narratives.
• Serve as an external thought leader through industry conferences, publications, and speaking engagements.
• Manage OEM relationships, press access, embargo protocols, and industry partnerships.
• Lead media and public relations efforts in partnership with Corporate Communications.
• Build trusted relationships with executive stakeholders and influence across a highly matrixed organization.

Change Leadership & Organizational Transformation

• Lead organizational change across a 50-person content organization.
• Develop and execute change management plans related to:
  • AI-enabled workflows
  • Tool migrations
  • Workflow redesign
  • Organizational restructuring
  • Brand strategy shifts
• Partner with HR and executive leadership on workforce planning and team evolution.
• Coach directors and senior managers to lead change effectively.
• Maintain operational continuity while navigating transformation initiatives.

Content Strategy: Two Brands, One Vision

• Develop and evolve content strategies for both Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader.
• Define publishing priorities, content tiers, and coverage strategies.
• Leverage audience insights, search demand, and AI search trends to inform content investments.
• Create content strategies that perform across:
  • Owned platforms
  • Search engines
  • AI-powered discovery experiences
  • Social channels
  • Third-party distribution platforms
• Establish and maintain brand voice, editorial standards, and content quality frameworks.
• Align content strategy with advertising, marketing, acquisition, and retention goals.

Creative Strategy & Multimedia Production

• Lead creative strategy across:
  • Editorial content
  • Photography
  • Video
  • YouTube
  • Social media
• Establish production standards, creative excellence, and audience engagement goals.
• Drive video and YouTube growth strategies.
• Oversee platform-specific social content strategies.
• Champion new formats, emerging platforms, and content innovation opportunities.
• Build scalable multimedia production workflows while maintaining quality standards.

Content Operations & Technology

• Oversee a content ecosystem producing more than 2,000 assets annually.
• Own end-to-end content operations, including:
  • Editorial calendars
  • Production workflows
  • Quality assurance processes
  • Resource planning
• Lead content technology strategy across:
  • CMS platforms
  • SEO tools
  • AI platforms
  • Analytics systems
  • Workflow management tools
• Evaluate, select, implement, and optimize content tools and vendors.
• Establish operational performance metrics and reporting.
• Build scalable processes that support AI-assisted production while maintaining editorial integrity.

Vendor & Platform Management

• Manage enterprise relationships across tools such as:
  • Bynder
  • Monday.com
  • Adobe
  • WordPress VIP
  • Zapier
• Lead contract negotiations, renewals, SLA management, and cost optimization initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to consolidate and improve the overall technology portfolio.

SEO & Generative Search Optimization (GEO)

• Lead a team of SEO Product Managers supporting both brands.
• Own enterprise SEO strategy, including:
  • Technical SEO
  • Keyword strategy
  • Content optimization
  • Internal linking
  • Authority building
• Develop and execute Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) initiatives.
• Optimize content visibility across AI-powered search experiences, including:
  • Google AI Overviews
  • ChatGPT
  • Perplexity
  • Emerging AI search platforms
• Monitor search ecosystem changes and proactively adapt strategies.
• Integrate SEO best practices throughout the content lifecycle.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with Sales to support dealer and OEM business objectives.
• Collaborate with Advertising Product on sponsored content and monetization strategies.
• Work alongside Marketing and Audience Experience teams on audience growth initiatives.
• Partner with Product and Engineering on platform capabilities and AI-driven solutions.
• Establish scalable decision-making and engagement frameworks across teams.

Business Performance & Financial Management

• Own key performance indicators across both brands, including:
  • Organic traffic
  • Audience growth
  • Engagement
  • Video performance
  • Conversion metrics
  • Revenue contribution
• Deliver executive-level reporting and performance insights.
• Identify audience monetization and revenue-growth opportunities.
• Manage budgets, staffing plans, and resource allocation decisions.

Qualifications
Required

• Bachelor's degree and 12+ years of experience in digital publishing, content strategy, or content leadership
  • Master's degree with 10+ years considered
  • PhD with 7+ years considered
  • Equivalent combination of education and experience accepted
• Minimum 6 years leading large, multi-layered teams
• Experience leading content strategy across multiple brands or digital properties
• Expertise in:
  • SEO
  • Technical SEO
  • Content optimization
  • AI-driven search trends
  • GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
• Deep understanding of consumer digital behavior and changing search patterns
• Proven success influencing VP-level and executive stakeholders
• Experience leading organizations of 40+ employees across multiple functions
• Demonstrated ability to operate independently and lead through ambiguity
• Experience managing large-scale content operations producing 1,000+ assets annually
• Experience managing content technology ecosystems and enterprise platforms
• Experience negotiating and managing enterprise vendor relationships
• Experience leading written, visual, video, and social content teams
• Strong analytical and business-performance orientation
• Experience in highly matrixed organizations
• Excellent communication and executive influence skills
• Demonstrated success leading organizational transformation and change management initiatives
• Practical experience applying AI tools within content production workflows
• Experience in automotive, consumer finance, media, or another high-consideration purchase category

Preferred

• Hands-on GEO experience and content optimization for AI-generated search results
• Background that includes both content leadership and SEO product management
• Experience supporting sponsored content, native advertising, or content monetization programs
• Proven track record building or transforming content organizations and operations
• Established industry presence, including:
  • Conference speaking engagements
  • Published thought leadership
  • Recognized expertise within automotive or digital media sectors

Leadership Profile
The ideal candidate is a strategic, highly autonomous leader who can:

• Think like a publisher and a business executive
• Lead large organizations through uncertainty and change
• Drive measurable audience and revenue outcomes
• Influence executive stakeholders across multiple disciplines
• Build high-performing teams and scalable operations
• Define the future of content, SEO, and AI-powered discovery for two industry-leading consumer brands

This role is best suited for a leader who brings recommendations, not questions; solutions, not status updates; and who thrives in an environment of ownership, accountability, and innovation.
USD 163,400.00 - 272,300.00
Compensation:
Compensation includes a base salary in the range of $163,400.00 - $272,300.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.
Benefits:
The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company's needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.
Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship.
Application Deadline: 09/06/2026
EOE, including disability/vets