Generative Search Manager (FTC)

INTRODUCTION

At Burberry, we believe creativity opens spaces. Our purpose is to unlock the power of imagination to push boundaries and open new possibilities for our people, our customers and our communities. This is the core belief that has guided Burberry since it was founded in 1856 and is central to how we operate as a company today.  

We aim to provide an environment for creative minds from different backgrounds to thrive, bringing a wide range of skills and experiences to everything we do. As a purposeful, values-driven brand, we are committed to being a force for good in the world as well, creating the next generation of sustainable luxury for customers, driving industry change and championing our communities.

JOB PURPOSE

Own Burberry’s SEO and Generative Search strategy, driving organic visibility, traffic, and commercial performance across both traditional search and emerging AI‑powered discovery platforms. Serve as the organisation’s subject matter expert on SEO & generative search, acting as the go‑to person for senior stakeholders and shaping the business’s understanding of this rapidly evolving landscape. Lead the evolution of SEO from a channel into a fully integrated, cross‑functional capability, embedding best‑in‑class technical, content, and local SEO practices across the organisation.

Partner closely with Media Operations, Media Planning, Digital, IT, Content, PR, and agency partners to maximise efficiency, automation, and performance through a test‑and‑learn approach. Establish scalable, future‑facing workflows, including agentic and AI‑driven processes, to enhance productivity and effectiveness across the wider Media team.

RESPONSIBILITIES 

SEO & GEO Strategy

•    Own and evolve the global SEO and Generative Search strategy, aligned to business, commercial and marketing objectives
•    Define best-practice frameworks across technical SEO, content optimisation, structured data, and AI-readiness
•    Drive integration of agentic commerce and generative search best practices into content, editorial, and brand storytelling approaches
•    Identify opportunities across traditional search and generative platforms to maximise visibility and revenue impact
•    Balance long-term strategic initiatives with quick wins and test-and-learn execution
•    Oversee all digital storefront pages through a third party platform and maintain and optimise individual profiles for each physical retail location

Performance & Commercial Impact

•    Establish clear KPIs linking SEO and Generative Search performance to revenue, traffic, and omnichannel outcomes
•    Translate organic performance into commercial impact, ensuring SEO is positioned as a growth driver
•    Lead ongoing performance analysis and optimisation, identifying opportunities across new and existing markets and focus categories, focusing on key growth drivers. 
•    Partner with Media Insights & Measurement team and Commercial teams to align SEO contribution with broader media effectiveness

Cross-Functional Collaboration

•    Work closely with IT and Digital teams to improve site architecture, technical foundations, and data infrastructure
•    Partner with Content, Editorial, Affiliate and PR teams to align editorial strategy with SEO and Generative Search requirements
•    Collaborate with Media Operations to embed SEO into the wider media ecosystem and workflows
•    Ensure alignment across teams, driving consistency in approach and execution

Team Leadership & Agency Management

•    Line manage one direct report, SEO Specialist, supporting development and capability to grow and learn
•    Lead and coordinate external SEO, content, and local search agencies
•    Set clear direction, priorities, and performance expectations for agency partners
•    Ensure outputs are aligned to strategy and continuously optimised

Test & Learn / Media Operations Integration

•    Partner with Media Operations to build a robust SEO experimentation roadmap
•    Implement structured test-and-learn programmes across content, technical, and local SEO initiatives
•    Contribute to improving overall media efficiency through integrated testing strategies
•    Share learnings broadly to inform wider channel and business decisions

Automation & Agentic Workflows

•    Own the development and implementation of agentic and AI-driven workflows within SEO and the wider Media Operations team
•    Identify opportunities to automate repetitive processes, improve speed, and increase output quality
•    Establish scalable frameworks that enhance efficiency across content creation, optimisation, and reporting
•    Act as a champion for innovation, embedding AI-enabled ways of working

Local SEO & Omnichannel Integration

•    Own local SEO strategy, including store visibility and optimisation across search and third-party platforms
•    Manage local listings and store data via third-party tools and partners
•    Drive integration of online and offline journeys, improving store discovery and conversion
•    Ensure consistency and accuracy of local presence across all external networks

Technical & Content SEO Excellence

•    Maintain a strong balance between technical and content SEO
•    Partner with development teams to ensure technical SEO best practices are implemented
•    Guide content teams on SEO-driven content planning, optimisation, and performance improvement
•    Continuously evolve standards in line with algorithm and platform changes

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

•    5+ years in SEO, organic search or digital growth (brand or agency), with strong ecommerce experience essential
•    Deep understanding of technical SEO and emerging generative/AI-driven search (SGE, LLMs, answer engines)
•    Hands-on with SEO tools (Search Console, Screaming Frog, Ahrefs/SEMrush); SQL/Python a plus
•    Proven experience driving organic growth for ecommerce (category/product pages, internal linking, faceted navigation, CRO alignment)
•    Experience shaping content for intent, entities and AI-driven discovery (E-E-A-T)
•    Ability to measure impact beyond rankings (traffic quality, revenue, conversion)
•    Familiar with SEO experimentation and interpreting results with rigour
•    Experience across international markets (EMEA/US/APAC) preferred
•    Strong stakeholder management; able to translate complexity into clear exec narratives and proven team management experience, leading SEO/content specialists and developing talent

Burberry is an Equal Opportunities Employer and as such, treats all applications equally and recruits purely on the basis of skills and experience.