Manager – Organic and AI Strategy and Performance

Role Specific Information

Job Description

About the Role

As Manager, Organic & AI Search Strategy & Performance you will lead the team responsible for driving high-impact search growth across Kohls.com. You will bridge operational leadership with cross-functional strategy, combining core content execution, performance leadership, and emerging-discovery innovation to build Kohl’s authority, visibility, and commercial impact at scale across traditional search engines (Google, Bing) and emerging AI answer platforms Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), Large Language Models (LLMs), and bots.

What You’ll Do

• Serve as the leader for Kohl’s organic search footprint, translating high-level business goals into a multi-year growth strategy while defining and championing the integrated vision for AI Search Visibility, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and traditional organic search performance across the enterprise
• Provide leadership and oversight across core operations, intelligence bridge, and innovation pillars, ensuring operational handoffs, testing pipelines, and scaling workflows run seamlessly to build Kohl’s authority, visibility, and commercial impact
• Build and retain a highly functioning, collaborative, and future-focused team culture, driving a "Run, Improve, Transform" mindset while fostering continuous learning, psychological safety, and clear growth pathways for team members across all grade levels
• Establish deep strategic partnerships with Digital Engineering/IT, Product Management, Marketing, and Merchandising teams to ensure organic search priorities are integrated into enterprise platforms and site initiatives
• Drive organizational buy-in for new search paradigms, leading the transition from traditional keyword search to AI-driven answer engines across partner teams
• Build data-backed business cases to secure investment for tools, technical resources, vendor partnerships, and team development
• Champion innovation initiatives (AEO, GEO, agentic workflows, LLM optimization) and ensure discoveries successfully transition into scalable, core content operations
• Oversee the strategic direction for content optimization across high-volume catalog/Product Matrix Page (PMP) and Product Detail Page (PDP) pages to maximize search visibility, customer engagement, and conversion
• Act as the primary liaison to Digital leadership, translating complex search trends, algorithm changes, and macro health metrics into clear business-value updates
• Oversee strategic relationships with external technology partners, enterprise platforms, search engines (Google), and agencies to maximize ROI and beta opportunities
• Additional tasks may be assigned

What Skills You Have

Required

• 7+ years of progressive leadership experience in digital marketing, e-commerce, digital content performance, or search marketing within a large retail or high-volume transactional ecosystem
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Digital Media, Business Administration, or Information Systems
• Proven track record of managing, developing, and inspiring multi-tiered teams to achieve business results and foster high engagement
• Exceptional ability to collaborate with and influence cross-functional executives, engineering leads, product managers, and marketing teams without direct authority
• Demonstrated expertise in building data-driven business cases, managing channel budgets, and translating macro digital performance into business insights

Preferred

• Experience leading multi-disciplinary digital teams in a major omni-channel retail environment
• Broad understanding of digital search dynamics, content optimization engines, and the business impact of emerging AI search platforms (ChatGPT, Google Gemini, AI Overviews)
• Proven success designing cross-departmental frameworks, SLAs, and governance models for digital execution

Essential Functions

The requirements listed below are representative of functions you will be required to perform, however you may be required to perform additional functions. Kohl’s may revise this job description from time to time. To perform this job successfully, you must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions, absent undue hardship.

• Ability to perform the accountabilities listed in the “What You’ll Do” Section
• Ability to maintain prompt and regular attendance as set by the company 
• Ability to work at least 8 hours per day, occasionally longer when necessary to meet business needs, 5 days per week
• Ability to comply with dress code requirements
• Ability to learn and comply with all company policies, procedures, standards and guidelines
• Ability to give direction and receive, understand and proactively respond to direction from leadership and other company personnel
• Ability to work as part of a team and interact effectively and appropriately with others
• Ability to maintain composure and work in a fast paced environment while accomplishing multiple tasks within established timeframes
• Ability to satisfactorily complete company training programs
• Perform work in accordance with the Physical/Cognitive Requirements section

Physical/Cognitive Requirements 

• Ability to use a personal computer for tasks such as communicating, preparing reports, etc.
• Ability to plan, prioritize and monitor activities across business units
• Ability to complete or oversee the completion of assigned projects in a timely manner
• Ability to comply with health and safety standards