Answer Engine Optimization Manager

Answer Engine Optimization Manager is a strategic hands-on role within Citizens’ Digital Content & Experience Strategy organization. This role is responsible for building and operating Citizens’ Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) Center of Excellence defining how the brand is discovered interpreted and represented across AI-driven search and answer environments.

As search evolves from links and clicks to answers citations and AI-mediated trust this role focuses on increasing Citizens’ visibility accuracy and authority across answer engines such as Google AI Overviews ChatGPT Claude Perplexity and emerging platforms especially across top- and mid-funnel journeys.

Operating at the intersection of search intelligence AI discovery content structure and governance this role translates rapidly evolving search dynamics into practical standards playbooks and insights that cross-functional can consistently apply.

This role partners deeply with Content Strategy SEO Social Media Web Strategy Brand PR Digital Media Paid Search Analytics Product Technology Legal Risk and Compliance teams to shape how Citizens’ knowledge (expertise product details and thought leadership) is structured governed measured and surfaced. Success is measured by trusted visibility competitive share of answers accuracy and clear influence on customer confidence and business outcomes.

The ideal candidate is both strategic and hands‑on: a builder who can set vision define strategy influence senior stakeholders and translate rapidly evolving search and AI dynamics into scalable practices standards and measurable results.

Key Responsibilities

Answer Engine & AI Discovery Strategy

• Lead the evolution of Citizens’ search practice from traffic‑driven SEO to AEO focused on visibility authority and trust across answer engines.
• Develop operationalize and scale Citizens’ enterprise AEO strategy and roadmap aligned with business priorities.
• Educate stakeholders on how to increase Citizens’ visibility and measure the quality of traffic sourced from answer engine 
• Earn cross-functional buy-in evangelize and implement content and technical AEO best practices.
• Analyze how customers encounter Citizens and competitors across answer engines (e.g. Google AI Overviews ChatGPT Claude Meta AI etc.) and translate insights into actionable strategy.
• Develop strong operating routines and drive cross‑functional alignment goal‑setting cohesive execution and shared accountability across partner teams.
• Monitor shifts in search behavior bot activity AI answer formats algorithm updates and system access patterns to identify risk and opportunity.
• Synthesize insights into clear executive‑ready narratives that inform content product brand PR and experience decisions.

Measurement & Search Intelligence

• Define and lead next‑generation AEO measurement frameworks that connect: 
  • Visibility: citations mentions share of answers
  • Authority: entity strength and topic‑level ownership
  • Impact: customer confidence engagement and downstream business influence (leads applications and product consideration including measuring citation and mention share as well as sentiment)
• Build and maintain dashboards that translate complex discovery data into clear insights for senior leaders.
• Evangelize actionable insights flowing constantly across content marketing web development paid search social media marketing PR and brand marketing.

Content Knowledge & Architecture

• Drive cross‑functional alignment to structure Citizens content as authoritative machine‑readable knowledge that is clear for humans and interpretable by answer engines in partnership with marketing and technology teams.
• Support development of answer‑based content models including: 
  • Definitions FAQs comparisons and decision support
  • Explicit attribution sourcing and disclosures
  • Modular content designed for reliable reuse in AI‑powered experiences
• Apply entity‑based optimization principles to strengthen AI understanding of Citizens’ products expertise locations and brand authority.
• Ensure content is factually precise citation‑ready compliant and resilient against AI misrepresentation or hallucination.
• Lead the evolution of standards for EEAT accuracy and trust signals in AI‑driven discovery environments including influence across prioritized third‑party and aggregator platforms.

Governance Risk & Cross‑Functional Leadership

• Operate within existing SEO and content governance models while helping define new guardrails for AI‑powered search.
• Identify escalate and mitigate technical content or compliance‑related risks tied to answer engine visibility and discovery.
• Ensure discoverability improvements align with security accessibility privacy and regulatory standards.

Qualifications

• 7-10+ years of experience in SEO search strategy and digital discovery ideally within financial services or other regulated YMYL industries.
• Deep understanding of answer engines AEO AI powered search and conversational discovery
• Deep understanding of the technical details of AEO as well as answer engines’ impacts on the top and middle of the funnel.
• Working knowledge of how LLMs evaluate content quality authority and factual consistency.
• Experience optimizing answer content (e.g. featured snippets FAQs comparisons) including for sensitive or complex topics.
• Proven ability to translate complex data into insight narrative and strategic recommendation for senior audiences.
• Paid search and aggregator experience is a plus but not required.

Representative Tools & Analytics (Not Exhaustive)

• Adobe Analytics
• Google Search Console Ahrefs Conductor Screaming Frog
• Familiarity with entity audience or influence‑based research tools (e.g. Brandlight SparkToro) is a plus
• Comfort operating with emerging or ambiguous metrics as standards evolve

Core Competencies

• Strong cross‑functional collaborator and influencer
• Analytical strategic thinker with strong synthesis skills
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and rapid change
• Clear confident communicator (written and verbal)
• Curious test‑and‑learn mindset balanced with sound judgment
• Detail‑oriented with a strong appreciation for risk governance and accuracy

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Hours & Work Schedule

• Hours per Week: 40
• Work Schedule: M-F 8-5 In Westwood MA office 4 days 1 day remote. 

Pay Transparency 

The salary range for this position is $131000 - $171000 per year plus an opportunity to earn an annual discretionary bonus. Actual pay is based on various factors including but not limited to the work location and relevant skills and experience.

We offer competitive pay comprehensive medical dental and vision coverage retirement benefits maternity/paternity leave flexible work arrangements education reimbursement wellness programs and more. Note Citizens’ paid time off policy exceeds the mandatory paid sick or paid time-away policy of every local and state jurisdiction in the United States. For an overview of our benefits visit https://jobs.citizensbank.com/benefits .

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Equal Employment Opportunity

Citizens its parent subsidiaries and related companies (Citizens) provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to age ancestry color citizenship physical or mental disability perceived disability or history or record of a disability ethnicity gender gender identity or expression genetic information genetic characteristic marital or domestic partner status victim of domestic violence family status/parenthood medical condition military or veteran status national origin pregnancy/childbirth/lactation colleague’s or a dependent’s reproductive health decision making race religion sex sexual orientation or any other category protected by federal state and/or local laws. At Citizens we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that enables all colleagues to bring their best selves to work every day and everyone is expected to be treated with respect and professionalism. Employment decisions are based solely on merit qualifications performance and capability.

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As one of the oldest and largest financial services firms in the United States with a history dating back to 1828 we’re committed to providing solutions and expertise that support our customers clients colleagues and communities in what’s next on their own unique journey. We invest in the humans who build the logic ideas and innovations that bring new technologies to life. Investments in AI cloud computing machine learning and automation provide our engineers the tools that enable us to remain competitive and win in today’s environment. At Citizens we recognize that the journey to accomplishment is no longer linear and that individuals are made of all they have done and all they are going to do. Whether you’re considering banking with us or looking to work with us you’ll find a customer-centric culture and a supportive collaborative workforce at Citizens. You’re made ready and so are we. If you're ready to advance your career in technology and security learn more about opportunity's Citizens offers here: https://jobs.citizensbank.com/digital-transformation

Why Work With Us

We empower the colleagues that power our tech. With growth & upskilling opportunities and sought-after benefits plus a diverse culture of people and perspectives we help our colleagues achieve career goals. Because innovation can’t happen without the minds and hearts of our people. Technology is constantly evolving and we believe you can too.

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