DirectorGEOStrategy & Operations, CNN Digital Products & Services

Role: Director of GEO Strategy & Operations leads CNN’s strategy for generative and evolving discovery platforms. This position defines how CNN competes across evolving landscapes, including AI‑driven answer engines, video‑first ecosystems, ensuring technical readiness, measurement clarity, and strategic alignment across teams.

Responsibilities

• Define CNN’s overarching GEO strategy across traditional search engines, generative AI platforms, hybrid search experiences, and video‑driven search ecosystems (YouTube, TikTok).
• Translate platform evolution into strategic implications for CNN.
• Establish priorities and explicit tradeoffs across discovery surfaces.
• Oversee technical GEO readiness in partnership with Engineering and Product.
• Define requirements for schema, metadata systems, indexing readiness, and platform compliance.
• Ensure CNN is positioned competitively in AI citation and emerging ranking systems.
• Oversee Technical GEO contractor work.
• Define how GEO impact is measured across platforms.
• Develop frameworks for AI citation tracking, platform inclusion analysis, visibility benchmarking, and cross‑platform topline audience contribution.
• Partner with Data & Insights to formalize dashboards and performance readouts.
• Serve as the primary GEO partner to Editorial leadership, Product & Engineering, Distribution Strategy, and Partnerships teams.
• Balance internal priorities with external platform requirements.
• Represent CNN’s discoverability strategy in partnership discussions.
• Establish cadence for GEO monitoring and platform sensing.
• Ensure action‑oriented insight delivery (daily/weekly/monthly).
• Prioritize high‑leverage initiatives over diffuse support.
• Maintain clear definitions of done and measurable outcomes.

Qualifications & Experience

• 10+ years in technical search, platform strategy, digital product, or discovery‑focused roles, with demonstrated evolution beyond traditional SEO.
• Experience leading cross‑functional initiatives spanning Editorial, Product, Engineering, and Distribution.
• Proven track record developing platform strategies in fast‑changing ecosystems (search, AI, video, social, or adjacent discovery environments).
• Experience building or overseeing technical optimization programs (schema, indexing, metadata systems, content structuring).
• Deep understanding of traditional search ranking systems, generative AI discovery models and answer engines, hybrid search experiences, video‑first search ecosystems (YouTube, TikTok), working knowledge of structured data/schema implementation, indexing and crawl systems, core web performance metrics, AI citation and inclusion dynamics.
• Strong analytical orientation; able to define measurement frameworks and interpret complex performance signals.
• Comfortable working with data platforms, dashboards, experimentation frameworks, and visibility benchmarking tools.
• Demonstrated ability to translate platform evolution into organizational strategy.
• Experience defining priorities and tradeoffs under resource constraints.
• Strong governance instincts—able to set cadence, definitions of done, and accountability structures.
• Proven ability to reduce diffuse activity and focus teams on high‑leverage work.
• Executive presence; able to communicate platform shifts clearly and credibly.
• Comfortable representing the organization in external platform or partnership conversations.
• Ability to balance external platform requirements with internal editorial and business priorities.
• Experience serving as connective tissue across technical and editorial stakeholders.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an equal‑opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.

Compensation

Base pay range: $147,000.00 – $273,000.00 per year. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short‑ and long‑term incentives, and program‑specific awards. Warner Bros. Discovery also provides benefits including health insurance, wellness program, life and disability insurance, retirement savings plan, paid holidays and sick time, and vacation.

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