Program Manager (contract)

Microsoft is seeking a Program Manager (Contract) to lead organic growth strategy for their digital marketing and media team. This role focuses on driving search engine optimization and AI-powered search visibility, requiring both strategic vision and hands-on execution to innovate across search platforms while ensuring content remains discoverable and competitive.

Responsibilities:

• Own end-to-end SEO and AEO on-page and off-page strategy and execution across content, technical foundations, and AI discovery with clearly defined KPIs for measurable organic growth and impact
• Lead product, content, and keyword optimization roadmaps focused on high-demand opportunities, embedded into editorial workflows and launches
• Own technical SEO strategy and execution, including crawlability, indexation, Core Web Vitals, and structured data, partnering with Engineering to prioritize and deliver improvements
• Define and advance AI search strategy, measuring and improving visibility across AI-powered search systems, agents, and assistants
• Drive data-backed insights by owning SEO and AI search telemetry, performance reporting, and competitive intelligence
• Review SEO and AEO telemetry and data, diagnose issues, and prioritize roadmaps, projects, and tasks
• Partner with Web Marketing Lead to review and prioritize projects and tasks based on business need, impact, and outcomes
• Collaborate across Marketing, Engineering, and Web Production to ship fixes and optimize for product updates and launches
• Track traditional and AI-search visibility, run competitive analysis, identify opportunities, and measure impacts with KPI reporting
• Influence and align cross-functionally by evangelizing best practices through playbooks, guidance, education, and executive-level storytelling
• Provide clear stakeholder updates and present findings to audiences at all levels, including senior leadership

Requirements:

• Minimum 4 years of hands-on content, editorial, and technical SEO expertise driving enterprise SEO programs for entertainment or technology brands, either in-house or agency side
• Minimum 4 years proficiency administering and distilling complex data from SEO and AI SEO and AEO telemetry and analytics tools
• Minimum 1 year proven impacts establishing, measuring, and improving visibility within AI search including Google AI Overviews and all AI search systems
• Demonstrated experience with direct-to-consumer, gaming, entertainment, or technology brands
• Corporate experience with large or mid-size companies required
• Stable employment history demonstrating commitment and growth
• Highly data-driven and outcome-oriented with strong analytical capabilities
• Demonstrated editorial and technical SEO expertise driving enterprise-scale programs with measurable outcomes
• Strong technical SEO expertise including site architecture, structured data, Core Web Vitals, client versus server-side considerations, JavaScript SEO, redirects, and enterprise-scale site hygiene
• Proficiency with SEO, AI SEO and AEO, and analytics tools such as Adobe Analytics, Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, seoClarity, DevTools, and Lighthouse
• Proven ability to establish, measure, and improve visibility across AI-powered search experiences, including Google AI Overviews and other AI search systems
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable strategic recommendations
• Experience collaborating cross-functionally and presenting to audiences at all levels, including senior leadership
• Proficiency administering and distilling complex data from SEO and AI SEO and AEO telemetry and analytics tools
• Strong understanding of emerging AI search platforms including Google AI Overviews, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Copilot
• Proactive, self-directed, and comfortable operating in a fast-evolving environment
• Strong curiosity with ability to stay ahead of evolving SEO innovations while prioritizing brand integrity