Director Product Discovery Job Listing at Academy Sports + Outdoors in Katy, TX (Job ID R304748)

Description

Come work at a place where we take pride in creating a workplace environment that values hard work, commitment, and growth.

As the Director of Omnichannel Product Discovery, you will oversee all strategic and operational management of Item Enrichment, Onsite Search, and SEO. Reporting to the VP Omnichannel, this role is critical in creating and activating product data to optimize discoverability, enhanced customer experiences, and ultimately business growth across all channels. Job Description:

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in business, Marketing, Information Systems, or related field

• Advanced degree preferred

Work Experience:

• 12-15 years of experience in Omnichannel/Ecommerce operations, search, product discovery, SEO, content enrichment, or related fields, with significant experience managing integrated teams

• Extensive experience in multi-brand retail environments, adept at managing diverse product assortments and digital merchandising standards

Skills:

• Proven ability to analyze complex data sets, identify opportunities for improvement, and execute strategic initiatives for measurable business outcomes

• Expertise with PIM systems (Syndigo), search technologies (Algolia or equivalent), and proven experience in managing search engine optimization (SEO) strategies

• Strong ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive strategic alignment across multiple business units

• Able to foster a collaborative, agile, and results-driven culture focused on continuous improvement, operational excellence, and customer-centric outcomes

• Strong interpersonal, written, verbal communication and presentation skills, with the ability to interface effectively with individuals at various levels both internally and externally

• Ability to effectively prioritize workload in a fast paced, frequently changing environment

• Excellent business planning and development skills

 Responsibilities:

• Own and drive the strategic vision for Omnichannel Product Discovery, integrating Content Enrichment, Onsite Search, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) into a unified and efficient operational model

• Lead, mentor, and develop a 10-15 member high-performing team, with leadership spanning the Senior Manager of Content Enrichment, Manager of Onsite Search, and Senior Manager of SEO

• Collaborate closely with Omnichannel Merchandising & Growth, Omnichannel Customer Experience, Marketing, and Digital Product Management to ensure data and discovery capabilities meet evolving business needs

• Oversee the end-to-end item enrichment lifecycle, ensuring products are accurately set up, enriched, and ready for optimal presentation by the Online Merchants organization across Academy's digital platforms. 

• Oversee content enrichment within the Product Information Management system (Syndigo), transforming enrichment processes into scalable, technology-driven operations

• Partner with and manage 3rd party vendors to accelerate the designing and optimization of scalable solutions to acquire vendor product data and utilize vendor AI capabilities to enrich it 
  Directly manage and develop the Senior Manager of Content Enrichment and oversee third-party vendor relationships to prioritize and execute content enrichment effectively and efficiently

• Collaborate with downstream business teams to gather and prioritize new requirements and obtain feedback on performance

• Drive the onsite search strategy, overseeing the Manager of Onsite Search and ensuring continuous improvement in search relevance, accuracy, and user experience

• Oversee work within the Algolia search system – including managing search algorithms, synonyms, filtering, and autocomplete features to improve result relevance and product discoverability. Implement best practices like addressing failed or “no result” queries and leveraging trending keywords to continuously refine search performance

• Continuously leverage customer analytics, AI, and data-driven insights to optimize search results, enhance product discoverability, and improve conversion rates.

• Establish structured processes for ongoing search performance reviews and enhancements, ensuring alignment with merchandising and marketing priorities

• Oversee the strategic direction and execution of search engine optimization, directly managing the Senior Manager of SEO and supporting team (4 resources total) to drive organic traffic growth and improve search engine rankings

• Partner closely with the Omnichannel Customer Experience team to support new and innovative digital experiences, enhancing customer journeys through optimized product discovery

• Coordinate with Omnichannel Marketing teams to deliver enriched and accurate product data required for effective search engine marketing campaigns and personalized marketing initiatives

• Collaborate with Digital Product Management to implement ongoing feature / system enhancements to enable business requirements

• Duties may change; team member may perform additional duties as assigned

Physical Requirements & Work Conditions:

• Ability to work in a typical office environment using standard equipment (computer, phone, etc.) for extended periods. 

• Regular onsite attendance in Katy, TX, during standard business hours 

• Some travel may be required (e.g., vendor visits, conferences)

• Compliance with company policies, procedures, and rules governing professional behavior

Full time Equal Employment Opportunity

Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate with regard to employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by law.​

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