Head of Search

Location: melbourne
Salary: $180000 - $190000 per annum
Job Type: permanent
Contact: Michelle Young
About the Business
This is a well-established Australian digital marketplace operating at meaningful scale, connecting consumers with service providers in a high-consideration category. It has strong inbound demand, a large existing audience base, and a model that’s already proven commercially.  The business has been profitable for a number of years and has built a solid position in its category. The next phase is about sharpening how growth is delivered, improving efficiency, and making smarter decisions across product, marketing and data.  Search sits right at the centre of that.

About the Role
Reporting to the CMO, this is a senior, hands-on leadership role with full ownership of search across SEO and SEM.  Bring SEM capability in-house, lift the sophistication of how it’s run, and build a more connected, accountable search function. SEO is already a meaningful contributor, but there’s clear upside in non-brand growth, content depth and technical execution.  This role will set direction, but also get into the detail when it matters, whether that’s campaign structure, landing page performance or where budget is actually driving incremental return.  The role works closely with Product, Data and Commercial teams, so it’s not just about traffic. It’s about how search contributes to real outcomes, volume, quality and conversion.

What You’ll Be Responsible For
  • Own search performance end-to-end across SEO and SEM
  • Bring SEM in-house from agency, building internal capability, structure and processes
  • Manage and optimise multi-million-dollar budgets across Google and Bing
  • Drive a clear search strategy that balances scale, efficiency and quality of acquisition
  • Improve conversion through better landing page experiences and CRO initiatives
  • Build a proper test-and-learn environment, not just ad hoc experiments
  • Partner with Product and Data teams to prioritise initiatives that unlock growth
  • Introduce more advanced approaches, including AI-led optimisation where it makes sense
  • Provide clear, commercially grounded reporting that links activity to revenue outcomes
  • Stay close to platforms and partners to access betas, insights and emerging trends
About You
  • 10+ years in search marketing, ideally in a high-growth or performance-led business
  • Strong experience across both SEO and SEM, not just one side of the fence
  • Comfortable managing large budgets and being accountable for performance
  • Able to move between strategy and execution without overcomplicating either
  • Commercially minded, you understand what drives value, not just clicks
  • Confident working across teams and influencing stakeholders who don’t live in search
  • Strong grasp of data, with the ability to turn insights into action quickly
  • Interested in where search is heading, particularly with AI, but grounded in what actually works
Why This Role
  • Search is a core growth lever here, not an afterthought
  • Real ownership, you’ll shape how it’s done, not inherit a locked-in model
  • Strong internal alignment, you won’t be fighting for relevance
  • Opportunity to bring SEM in-house and build something properly
  • A business that’s stable, profitable and still has room to grow

If you'd like to find out more, please apply here or reach out to Michelle Young for a confidential conversation on 0424 670680.

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