AI Search Strategist

AI Search StrategistLocation: San Francisco, CA (In Person, 5 days/week)Start Date: October, 2026Compensation: 85,000 - 100,000 USD in Base Salary along with performance bonuses. Deadline: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Visa Sponsorship: No About XLR8 AIXLR8 AI is a San Francisco-based startup helping brands win visibility on AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode, Claude, and Gemini. As the world shifts from traditional SEO to AI-generated results, we're building the analytics and optimization layer for the next generation of marketing — the discipline increasingly known as GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) or AEO (Answer Engine Optimization). Our clients range from high-growth startups to enterprise companies making $100M+ in ARR, including brands you likely use every day. We're not a traditional venture-backed startup still looking for revenue. We're 100% funded by revenue and profitable. We hit $1M in ARR in 14 months, and $2M just 3 months after that. We're growing 20% MoM organically. We're a small team — just 4 full-time members in the US. Our #1 motto is customer satisfaction, which is why this role is critical. Our growth comes from: Customer upsellsSub-10% churnCustomer referrals All of that is a direct result of customer outcomes, delivered by our team of AI Search Strategists. The RoleThis role splits across a few core initiatives: Managing the client relationship. Weekly calls with customers — typically CMOs, heads of growth, or founders of smaller companies. You'll talk to them so often you're basically their deployment strategist. And Slack — we hold sub-1-hour response times for every customer, and that bar matters. Being personable, patient, confident, a good conversationalist, and able to handle hard questions is essential. These calls cover everything from onboarding to weekly updates to end-of-contract summaries — you own it end to end. Actually delivering results. Relationship aside, what matters most is the outcome you deliver.Strategy — being technical enough to understand how these models actually retrieve web content. This is where you reverse-engineer web search and figure out the action items that move the needle.Execution — deciding who executes: content, webpages, YouTube, third-party outreach. You do it yourself, hand it to the offshore team, hand it to the client, or use the product. Results are on you — not just handing over a plan, but getting it implemented.Product — every product initiative exists to make your job easier. We don't build product for the customer, we build it for our AI Search Strategists so you can manage more clients while improving results (our Strategists have gone from managing 3 customers to 20 through product improvements). Since you're the one using the product, you're the best person to spot what needs to improve, write it up for the eng team, test it, and give feedback. You're the user and the PM. Who You AreEducation: A blend of business and technical: this role needs both0–4 years of experience — our team is mostly young, and we don't over-index on prior experience, though professional and client-facing experience is a plusAble to multitask and context-switch constantly — you'll run weekly calls across many clients and industries at once, and that's a work style, not just a skill Why Join UsAutonomy — you own this end to end, no oversight, effectively building and running it yourselfRange — you're a PM, a consultant, a GEO expert, and a founder, all at onceUpside — we're a small, profitable team: $2M in ARR, growing 20% MoM, 80% margins, zero venture funding, only upside and upsell. You'd be core team on something real.Network — every client you manage becomes part of your network: CMOs and heads of growth at top-tier brands who depend on you for their entire AI search presence How to ApplyPlease fill out the application form here: https://forms.gle/zxSfhnakY1QGz8nD6