Director of Organic Performance

LONDON/ SHREWSBURY, UK (Hybrid Working - 3 days in the office per week)

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Croud is a global, full service digital marketing agency with a unique business model that helps businesses drive sustainable growth in the new world of marketing. Croud was recently named a Sunday Times Best Place to Work for the second year in a row, and was named Performance Marketing Employer of the Year by PMW.

At Croud, we unlock potential by elevating our people, clients, and communities within a rapidly advancing and complex economy. We operate as a unique scaled network of Intelligent, Creative Specialists, enabling us to deliver superior brand outcomes and unlock potential for our people, our clients and our communities.

Our culture is strategically driven and inspired by a shared long-term vision. It is collaborative and connected, with a focus on continuous learning and mutual support.

We are energised by future thinking, driving innovation to achieve better outcomes. We are instinctively generous, actively including and empowering our people. Above all, we are purpose-driven, committed to positively impacting our people, the planet, and our global communities.

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Director of Organic Performance is a senior commercial and operational leadership role responsible for driving the growth, performance, and profitability of Croud’s Organic capability across EMEA.

This role is designed for a visionary who understands that Search has moved beyond traditional engines into a fragmented landscape of AI Overviews, LLMs, Communities, and Social Search. You will lead pitches, manage C-suite relationships, and pioneer agentic workflows to ensure Croud remains at the cutting edge of the search industry.

RESPONSIBILITIES

New Business & Commercial Growth

• Lead Winning Pitches: Act as the primary strategic lead for Organic and Total Search pitches, translating complex shifts in AI and LLMs into compelling narratives that convert.

• Commercial Ownership: Own the Organic Performance P&L, ensuring the business unit meets revenue, margin, and profitability targets.

• Strategic Upselling: Map client organisations to identify cross-sell and up-sell opportunities, ensuring Croud provides maximum value through integrated Organic and Total Search solutions.

Market Profile & Thought Leadership

• Agency Evangelism: Serve as a key spokesperson for Croud, raising the agency's profile through public speaking, industry events, and community participation.

• Thought Leadership: Produce future-facing content and white papers with expert opinion on the changing landscape, promoting Croud’s unique proposition to the wider marketing industry.

• Propelling the Brand: Actively participate in the global SEO community to position Croud as the premier destination for innovation in AI, LLM visibility, and Social Search.

Srategic Client leadership

• C-Suite Advisory: Serve as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders at our largest global brands, focusing on commercial outcomes rather than just channel metrics.

• Navigating the New SERP: Guide clients through the transition to AI-driven discovery, zero-click environments, and evolving Social Search behaviours.

• Contact Mapping: Develop deep relationships across client organisations to ensure Organic is integrated into their broader business transformation goals.

Global Proposition & Technology Innovation

• Define the Proposition: Shape Croud’s global organic performance offering, leaning heavily into our proprietary technology and SearchAnywhere™ product.

• Total Search Integration: Partner with Paid Search leadership to create unified frameworks that optimise visibility, "share of model," and LLM presence.

• Tech-First Delivery: Productize Organic services into scalable, repeatable solutions that leverage data integrity and advanced measurement frameworks.

Agentic Workflows & Operational Excellence

• Lead from the Front: Enable and champion agentic workflows, integrating AI agents and automated logic into everyday delivery to maximise efficiency and output.

• Workflow Optimisation: Empower teams to be relentlessly curious, using AI and automation to remove manual friction and focus on high-value creative strategy.

• Scalability: Oversee resource planning and delivery models to ensure consistent, high-quality execution across all global markets.

Team Leadership & Culture

• Inspire Innovation: Lead a multi-disciplinary team (Strategy, Content, Tech, CX), fostering an environment of curiosity and relentless performance return for clients.

• Career Development: Support the growth of the team, ensuring clear succession planning and a future-ready talent pipeline.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

• Growth: Revenue growth driven by new business wins and strategic expansion of existing accounts.

• Innovation: Successful implementation of agentic workflows that measurably improve team efficiency and client results.

• Market Share: Increased brand awareness for Croud as a leaders in new-age discovery experiences

• Talent: A highly engaged, innovative team that is consistently recognised for delivering industry-leading work.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

• Proven Leader: Extensive experience in a senior SEO/Organic leadership role within a high-growth agency environment.

• Commercial Expert: A track record of winning business and managing complex P&Ls.

• AI & LLM Fluent: Deep technical understanding of how AI-generated results and LLMs are changing search behaviour.

• Public Profile: Comfortable and experienced in public speaking and representing an agency at an industry level.

• Tech-Forward: A passion for optimising workflows through AI and automation.

COMPANY BENEFITS

Croud operates a hybrid working model with a minimum of 3 days a week based in our London office and the remaining days from home if you wish.

Croud offers a clear path to progression for all members of staff. We are committed to offering development opportunities alongside a support system of regular performance reviews. The opportunities are endless!

On completion of the three-month probation period, every employee is eligible for the benefits listed on our careers site which include:

• Sabbatical: Paid sabbatical at 7 years with an option to take it unpaid at 5 years

• 25 days holiday a year

• Discretionary annual performance based incentive

• Sale commission

• Recruitment referrals bonus

• Health & Wellbeing contribution

• 2 Recharge Days each holiday year

• Ride to Work scheme

• Railcard

• Season Ticket loan

• Home office screen

• Daily office perks: Free fruit, breakfast cereals, snacks, and tea & coffee

• Weekly treat: Enjoy a complimentary lunch on us every week

• Enhanced Primary and Secondary family leave as well as extended Parental Leave and Shared Family Leave

• Life insurance and income protection

• Private Medical Insurance

• Pension

• Curated 3rd party learning platform as well as access to Croud Campus (our bespoke learning and development platform)

• Peer to peer recognition scheme 'bonusly'

• Team off-sites/regular socials

• Year-round holiday parties

• Flexible working options

• Day to make a difference

Standard hours are from 9.00am to 5.30pm, there’s flexibility if agreed in advance with your line managers (it may also be necessary on occasions to work outside of these hours).

Croud is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the grounds of a person's gender, marital status, race, religion, colour, age, disability or sexual orientation. All candidates will be assessed based on merit, qualifications and their ability to perform the requirements of the role.

OUR VALUES

At Croud, our vision centres around the idea of unlocking potential. We do this by elevating everyone in an inclusive and progressive culture, empowering individuals to deliver their best work. This means we build better brand outcomes, and unlock potential for our people, our clients and our communities.

We live and breathe five core values that foster a culture where everyone can thrive. Our commitment to elevating each other is fundamental to both our cultural and business success. The ideal candidate will excel in and demonstrate the following:

• In it together - our value on integration, collaboration and outcomes

• Eye on the future - our value on futurism, creativity and passion

• Generous in spirit - our value on people, development and inclusion

• Do what you say - our value on integrity and accountability

• Make a difference - our value on purpose and impact