Be Part of What’s Next
Help shape how millions of car shoppers discover, evaluate, and choose their next vehicle. This is an opportunity to redefine how trusted automotive journalism connects to real-world decisions in an evolving search landscape.
About Hearst Magazines (Why Us?)
Hearst Magazines is one of the world’s largest publishers of premium content, with a portfolio of more than 30 iconic brands, including Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s BAZAAR, Popular Mechanics, and Runner’s World. We reach more than 200 million people every month across print, digital, video, and social platforms. Our content informs, inspires, and entertains audiences around the globe.
Key Responsibilities (What You Are Doing)
- Lead organic audience growth strategy across Hearst Autos brands, focusing on attracting high-intent shoppers and driving conversions across lead generation, commerce, and marketplace experiences
- Partner with editorial and product teams to create seamless pathways from content to conversion, aligning audience acquisition with core business outcomes
- Manage day-to-day content strategy workflows, ensuring coverage aligns with search demand, seasonal trends, and key moments in the car-buying journey
- Analyze search trends, audience behavior, and competitive gaps to inform content creation, product development, and prioritization decisions
- Translate complex SEO data into clear, actionable insights that improve content performance and drive measurable impact
- Collaborate with product and engineering teams to grow marketplace audiences through technical SEO, content syndication, and scalable audience development strategies
- Define and support the launch of new tools, features, and content formats that enhance the car shopping experience while driving traffic and revenue growth
- Monitor AI-driven discovery trends and search ecosystem changes, adapting strategies to maintain visibility, authority, and performance
Qualifications (What We’re Looking For)
- 5+ years of experience in SEO, audience development, digital strategy, or a related field
- Proven experience leading SEO strategy for large-scale, content-driven websites (1M+ pages preferred), including technical SEO and site architecture
- Deep understanding of search intent across news and evergreen content, with the ability to align editorial strategy to audience needs
- Strong technical SEO knowledge, including crawling, indexing, structured data, internal linking, and Core Web Vitals
- Proficiency with SEO and analytics tools such as Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Looker, Ahrefs, Semrush, and Screaming Frog
- Demonstrated ability to translate data into clear insights and strategic recommendations for cross-functional stakeholders and senior leadership
- Experience working in or closely with editorial teams, with an understanding of newsroom workflows and publishing environments
- Familiarity with affiliate content strategy and monetization models; marketplace experience is a plus
- Curious, proactive mindset with a test-and-learn approach to evolving search and discovery platforms, including AI-driven experiences
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Based in New York City with the ability to work in-office 4 days per week
Benefits (What We Offer)
- Work with the Best: Collaborate with top-tier professionals across media, advertising, tech, fashion, lifestyle, and publishing, shaping the future of these dynamic industries.
- Grow Your Skills: Unlock your potential with access to innovative training programs, immersive workshops, and exclusive industry events.
- Work-Life Harmony: Enjoy the flexibility of hybrid work, empowering you to balance professional success with personal priorities.
- Foster Connection & Belonging: Join our Employee Resource Groups and help create a welcoming workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered.
- Wellness First: Prioritize your well-being with a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance from Day 1.
- Plan for Your Financial Future: Enjoy competitive financial perks, including a 401(k) plan with a generous company match.
The base salary for this role is between $101,000 and $122,000. The actual base pay offered is dependent upon many factors, such as transferable skills, work experience, business needs, and market demands. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.
Hearst Magazines is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
Skills Required
- 5+ years of experience in SEO, audience development, digital strategy, or a related field
- Proven experience leading SEO strategy for large-scale, content-driven websites, including technical SEO and site architecture
- Experience with sites of 1M+ pages
- Deep understanding of search intent across news and evergreen content and aligning editorial strategy to audience needs
- Strong technical SEO knowledge (crawling, indexing, structured data, internal linking, Core Web Vitals)
- Proficiency with SEO and analytics tools such as Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Looker, Ahrefs, Semrush, and Screaming Frog
- Ability to translate data into clear insights and strategic recommendations for cross-functional stakeholders and senior leadership
- Experience working in or closely with editorial teams and understanding newsroom workflows and publishing environments
- Familiarity with affiliate content strategy and monetization models
- Marketplace experience
- Curious, proactive mindset with a test-and-learn approach to evolving search and discovery platforms
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Based in New York City with the ability to work in-office 4 days per week
Hearst Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Hearst and has not been reviewed or approved by Hearst.
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage is described as comprehensive, including medical plan choice, full in-network preventive coverage, dental and vision, telemedicine, prescription coverage, and fertility resources. Mental-health resources and other wellbeing services (e.g., therapy sessions, crisis support, virtual physical therapy, and chronic-condition programs) further strengthen the health offering.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support is positioned as meaningful through a 401(k) plan with company matching and Hearst covering plan administration fees. Performance bonuses are also noted as available in some roles, adding an additional rewards component beyond base pay.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time-off benefits include paid holidays, paid sick days, and vacation time with a commonly cited annual range, alongside paid parental leave and family medical leave. A remote work program and flexibility signals are also included as part of the overall rewards experience.
Hearst Insights
What We Do
Hearst is a leading global, diversified media, information and services company with more than 360 businesses. Its major interests include ownership in cable television networks such as A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime and ESPN; global financial services leader Fitch Group; Hearst Health, a group of medical information and services businesses; transportation assets including CAMP Systems International, a major provider of software-as-a-service solutions for managing maintenance of jets and helicopters; 33 television stations such as WCVB-TV in Boston and KCRA-TV in Sacramento, California, which reach a combined 19 percent of U.S. viewers; newspapers such as the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle and Times Union (Albany, New York); more than 300 magazines around the world, including Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Men's Health and Car and Driver, and digital services businesses such as iCrossing and KUBRA; and investments in emerging digital entertainment companies such as Complex Networks.
