Head of SEO and Discoverability

Location: melbourne
Salary: Salary + 12% super
Job Type: permanent
Contact: Lucy Garrido

Six Degrees Executive is proud to be partnering with Early Settler on the appointment of a newly created Head of SEO and Discoverability. This is a rare opportunity to build and lead one of the most progressive search functions in Australian retail. As customer discovery rapidly evolves beyond traditional SEO into AI-powered search, conversational experiences and generative discovery, this role will define how one of Australia's most recognised home and lifestyle brands is found, understood and chosen online.
 
The  Business
For over 40 years, Early Settler has helped Australians and New Zealanders create homes they love. With more than 65 stores across Australia and New Zealand, the business has built a strong reputation for timeless furniture and homewares, exceptional customer experiences and a people-first culture. As the business continues to invest heavily in digital capability, ecommerce and customer experience, this newly created leadership role represents a significant strategic investment in the future of search and online discoverability. Reporting to the Head of eCommerce, you'll have the opportunity to establish an in-house centre of excellence, reducing agency reliance while positioning Early Settler at the forefront of the next generation of search.
 
The Role
This is far more than a traditional SEO leadership position. You'll own the strategy, performance and evolution of search across traditional search engines, AI-powered discovery platforms, onsite search and emerging digital channels. You'll work cross-functionally with Ecommerce, Marketing, Technology, Merchandise and Content teams to develop discoverability strategies that drive qualified traffic, revenue growth and exceptional customer experiences.
 
Key responsibilities include:
  • Developing and executing the organisation's search and online discoverability strategy across SEO, AI search and emerging discovery platforms.
  • Leading Early Settler's visibility across Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and future AI-powered search experiences.
  • Driving technical SEO excellence across site architecture, crawlability, Core Web Vitals, structured data and content optimisation.
  • Building scalable content frameworks that improve discoverability across both traditional and AI-driven search.
  • Creating a practical Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) roadmap that prepares the business for the future of search.
  • Improving local search performance across stores, Google Business Profiles and location-based customer journeys.
  • Partnering with paid media teams to create an integrated organic and paid search strategy that improves efficiency and reduces long-term customer acquisition costs.
  • Building meaningful reporting frameworks that connect discoverability initiatives directly to commercial outcomes including traffic, conversion and revenue.
  • Establishing and growing an internal search capability while influencing stakeholders across multiple business functions.
 
Key Requirements
We're looking for a commercially minded search leader who combines deep technical capability with strategic thinking and the ability to influence across a complex organisation.
  • 5+ years' experience leading SEO, search strategy, technical SEO, ecommerce search or AI-driven discoverability initiatives within retail/ecommerce or agency (retail/ecomm clients).
  • Strong technical SEO expertise, including site architecture, schema, indexation, crawl management, Core Web Vitals and metadata optimisation.
  • Experience developing strategies for AI search, Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO), Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) or emerging AI discovery platforms.
  • Hands-on experience with tools such as Google Search Console, GA4, Screaming Frog, SEMrush, Ahrefs and AI visibility platforms.
  • A strong commercial mindset with the ability to translate search performance into measurable business outcomes.
  • Outstanding stakeholder management skills with experience partnering across ecommerce, technology, content, analytics and marketing teams.
  • The ability to communicate complex technical concepts in a simple, commercially relevant way for senior leaders.
  • Experience managing specialist agencies or mentoring small teams.
  • A passion for emerging technologies including AI, voice search and the future of digital discovery.
 
Why Apply?
You'll join a business that is investing heavily in digital transformation, have genuine ownership of strategy, influence executive decision making and help shape how customers discover one of Australia's most loved home and lifestyle brands for years to come. If you're excited by the intersection of AI, search, ecommerce and commercial growth, we'd love to hear from you.
 
Click on the link to apply now or reach out to Lucy Garrido at lucyg@sde.com.au for further questions.

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