Sr. SEO Manager - Product Team

Upwork ($UPWK) is the world’s work marketplace. We serve everyone from one-person startups to large, Fortune 100 enterprises with a powerful, trust-driven platform that enables companies and talent to work together in new ways that unlock their potential.

Last year, more than $3.8 billion of work was done through Upwork by skilled professionals who are gaining more control by finding work they are passionate about and innovating their careers.

Are you an experienced SEO leader passionate about driving growth at the intersection of user experience and search optimization? Upwork is seeking a Senior SEO Manager to join our Core Experiences Product Team. This global role will influence all of Upwork’s entities, shaping SEO strategy and execution at scale. Reporting to the Director of SEO, you’ll own complex projects that align SEO, UX, and product goals, driving impact across our entire ecosystem.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a global SEO strategy that balances user experience with traffic growth objectives.

• Lead PRD (Product Requirements Document) creation and management for SEO initiatives, ensuring clarity and alignment with cross-functional teams.

• Design and implement split testing strategies for both UX and SEO improvements, leveraging data to drive decisions.

• Build and nurture relationships across engineering, design, content, and analytics teams to ensure seamless collaboration.

• Define and manage scalable processes for identifying keyword targeting and content opportunities.

• Prioritize and advocate for technical SEO best practices, working closely with engineering to deliver impactful projects on schedule.

• Monitor, analyze, and optimize site performance using tools like Looker, driving data-driven decisions.

• Stay ahead of industry trends in search algorithms, AI, and user behavior to inform strategies and future-proof our approach.

What it takes to catch our eye

• Extensive experience in SEO at an enterprise level, with the ability to develop high-level strategies that align with business goals while also managing and executing detailed, hands-on work.

• Proven track record of driving long-term growth initiatives while staying attentive to day-to-day deliverables, ensuring both immediate impact and sustained results.

• Expertise in leveraging AI-driven tools and techniques to identify new opportunities, enhance keyword targeting, and streamline processes for greater efficiency and scalability.

• Strong background in creating and managing PRDs and leading end-to-end project execution, with an ability to prioritize and pivot as needed.

• Expertise in technical SEO, including schema, crawl optimization, site performance, and complex website architectures.

• Demonstrated ability to design and execute A/B testing strategies for both UX and SEO with experience using appropriate tools such as StatSig, Hex, or equivalent.

• A data-first mindset with experience in analytics platform APIs, such as Google Search Console API, and third-party tools like SEOClarity or equivalent platforms.

• Proven ability to identify growth opportunities through keyword research, competitive analysis, and content strategy.

• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with a track record of influencing cross-functional teams.

• Passion for balancing user-centric design with search optimization to deliver exceptional experiences.

Come change how the world works.

At Upwork, you’ll shape talent solutions for how the world works today. We are a remote-first organization working together to create exciting remote work opportunities for a global community of professionals. While we have physical offices in San Francisco and Chicago, currently we also hire full-time employees in 19 states in the United States.

At the core of our vibrant culture are shared values that form the foundation of our organization. These values revolve around trust, risk-taking, customer focus, and excellence. Our overarching mission is to create economic opportunities so that people have better lives. We foster an environment where individuals are encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work, nurturing personal and professional growth through development opportunities, mentorship programs, and participation in Upwork Belonging Communities.

We take pride in providing exceptional benefits to our employees. These include comprehensive medical insurance coverage for both you and your family, unlimited paid time off, a 401(k) plan with matching contributions, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. To explore these benefits in detail, as well as gain insights into our company values, working principles, and the overall employee experience, we invite you to visit our Life at Upwork page.

Check out our Careers page to learn more about the employee experience.

Upwork is proudly committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we never discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

Additionally, a criminal background check may be run on a candidate after a conditional offer of employment is made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered in accordance with applicable law, including the California Fair Chance Act and local Fair Chance ordinances.