Content and Discovery Manager, AJC

The Content and Discovery Manager partners closely with the newsroom to ensure high quality journalism is discoverable across search engines, AI powered platforms, and owned digital experiences. This role focuses on Content and Discovery platforms, balancing editorial optimization with SEO and AEO strategic execution to improve visibility and reach at scale.
Reporting into the Director of Audience Development, this role supports editors and reporters by translating audience, search, and discovery insights into clear, actionable guidance, while also addressing the technical factors that enable newsroom content to be effectively crawled, indexed, surfaced, and cited by search engines and AI-driven discovery platforms. The role collaborates closely with editorial, product, engineering, design, and growth teams to improve discovery without disrupting editorial workflows or compromising journalistic standards.
Key Responsibilities
SEO, AI, and Generative Search Optimization

• Partner with editors, reporters, and newsroom leaders to optimize news and evergreen content for discoverability across traditional search engines and AI-driven platforms.
• Create and maintain playbooks documenting best practices for headlines, desk language, story structure, metadata, and content organization in support of editorial goals.
• Apply a practical understanding of SEO, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), and evolving discovery behaviors in ways that support journalistic integrity.
• Identify coverage and topic opportunities through search demand, reader intent, and news trends, translating insights into newsroom-ready briefs and recommendations.
• Support long-term authority building through evergreen optimization, strategic content updates, and consistent application of discovery best practices.
• Monitor changes to search and AI discovery experiences and share clear, actionable guidance with newsroom partners.

Technical SEO and AEO Execution (Content & Discovery Platforms)

• Perform technical SEO diagnostics and audits for newsroom and content platforms, including crawlability, indexing, structured data, and performance considerations.
• Partner with product and engineering teams to identify, prioritize, and remediate SEO-related technical issues that impact content discovery and visibility.
• Ensure CMS configurations, publishing templates, and metadata structures support scalable SEO and AEO best practices across content types.
• Apply technical SEO and AEO techniques to improve eligibility for search features, answer engines, and AI-powered discovery, within established platform constraints.
• Monitor technical performance metrics and incorporate findings into ongoing content and discovery optimization efforts.

Content Optimization (Web and App)

• Optimize how editorial content appears and performs across web and mobile app platforms, ensuring clarity, consistency, and discoverability.
• Partner with editors, product, design, and engineering teams to improve section fronts, topic pages, author pages, and related-story experiences.
• Ensure content structure supports readability, engagement, recirculation, and AI citation in ways that scale and align with newsroom workflows.

Content Discovery and Distribution

• Optimize content discovery across key surfaces such as Google Discover, referral traffic, and other high-impact distribution channels.
• Partner with editors and audience teams on discovery-driven decisions related to story selection, headlines, visuals, and timing.
• Monitor discovery performance trends and translate insights into practical editorial and optimization guidance.
• Stay current on platform changes and emerging best practices, ensuring discovery optimization aligns with editorial standards and audience trust.

Analytics and Reporting

• Collaborate with newsroom, audience, growth, and product teams to align discovery and organic performance with editorial priorities and audience needs.
• Track and report on key performance indicators, including both content performance and relevant technical health metrics, in clear and accessible formats.
• Use data to inform prioritization, surface audience needs and guide ongoing content and discovery improvements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related discipline and 6+ years of experience in audience development, SEO, digital publishing, or related digital marketing fields, preferably within media or high-velocity content environments. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master's degree and 4 years' experience; a Ph.D. and 1 year of experience; or 10 years' experience in a related field.
• Strong understanding of newsroom workflows and the intersection of editorial goals, audience needs, and discovery platforms.
• Demonstrated experience applying SEO and AEO best practices in collaboration with editorial teams.
• Hands-on experience conducting technical SEO analysis and partnering with product and engineering teams to address discoverability issues.
• Comfortable operating as a senior individual contributor, leading execution, influencing cross-functional partners, and establishing scalable, repeatable processes.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into clear, practical recommendations for both editorial and technical stakeholders.

USD 92,300.00 - 153,900.00 per year
Compensation:
Compensation includes a base salary in the range of $92,300.00 - $153,900.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.
Benefits:
The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company's needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.
Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship.