Associate Director, Organic & AI Search

Company Overview

Cactus Communications is a global leader in scientific communications and technology, serving researchers, publishers, universities, and enterprises with brands such as Editage, Paperpal, Researcher.Life, and RDiscovery. As a remote-first organization, Cactus fosters a culture enabling employees to work from anywhere, with occasional travel to the Mumbai office as needed for business or team events.

Role Summary

We are seeking an Associate Director to steer and expand our organic acquisition initiatives across major researcher discovery platforms. This strategic role involves overseeing organic growth across traditional and emerging channels including SEO, AI-driven search (GEO), and app ecosystems, with a focus on global and local market optimization. The position requires shaping the vision, constructing roadmaps, and leading the Organic & AI Search function while collaborating closely with Product, Engineering, Content, Brand, and regional teams to integrate organic growth into the go-to-market strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategy to ensure consistent presence and recommendation of Editage, Paperpal, and RDiscovery by AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, and Claude.
• Develop a robust content and citation framework enhancing brand authority with large language models through structured data, entity optimization, trust signals, and strategic presence across AI knowledge sources.
• Manage end-to-end global SEO strategy encompassing technical health, topical authority, keyword architecture, link equity, and Core Web Vitals for all Cactus Solutions across priority regions.
• Design sustainable content strategies based on researcher intent using topical authority mapping, content gap analysis, and editorial calendars to drive long-term organic growth.
• Create localized organic search plans for markets like Japan, Korea, and China, considering platform-specific search engines (Yahoo! Japan, Naver), regional academic publishing trends, and AI behavior.
• Implement an experimentation culture with A/B and multivariate testing on landing pages, content formats, metadata, and structured data to improve conversion rates and discoverability, compiling learnings for cross-team benefit.
• Lead and expand a focused in-house organic search team while overseeing agency partnerships for select markets.
• Act as the internal authority on organic discovery by translating GEO and SEO strategies into clear stakeholder communications to influence roadmaps, budgets, and cross-team priorities.

Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum of 8 years’ experience in organic search/SEO, including at least 3 years in a managerial capacity with proven strategic leadership.
• Practical experience with Generative Engine Optimization, AI content optimization, or prompt and citation engineering.
• Skill in managing organic search across multiple languages and markets, preferably with exposure to Asia-Pacific regions.
• Proven track record of scaling organic traffic and domain authority with measurable results.
• Proficiency in SEO and analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, and familiarity with at least one ASO platform.
• Experience in SaaS, EdTech, publishing, or consumer products catering to knowledge professionals.
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or a related discipline.

Application and Hiring Process

Applicants should meet the qualifications and have legal authorization to work in the role's location. The selection process includes an initial recruiter screening, a technical assessment, two technical interviews, followed by an HR round.

Equal Opportunity and Culture

Cactus Communications is committed to diversity and inclusion, prohibiting discrimination based on any protected characteristics. The company emphasizes ownership, independent work ethic, clear documentation, choosing appropriate collaboration methods, and effective cross-time-zone communication as core values.

Additional Information

Cactus Communications is a pioneering technology company with global offices and a workforce exceeding 3,000 experts. Recognized for workplace excellence, the company continually innovates its expert services and AI tools to enhance research funding, publishing, communication, and discovery.