Consumer Strategy Lead

About the role

The Consumer Strategy Lead is responsible for designing, executing, and optimizing the bank’s sales strategies to ensure performance in support of achieving the bank’s strategic plan. This role provides thought leadership and strategies that frame organizational opportunities and challenges, ensuring the bank has a strong understanding of business dynamics and the necessary information and insights to make strategic decisions that drive performance aligned to the Strategic Business Plan and its goals.

Working closely with the 1st SVP of Sales and Strategy and the Sales Enablement Team, the Consumer Strategy Lead creates and defines strategy, champions stakeholder engagement, and oversees strategic implementation of key initiatives and programs. The ideal candidate is a strong communicator, strategic thinker, and collaborative leader with proven experience in strategy creation, stakeholder engagement, and organizational transformation.

Responsibilities

• Define and develop strategies to enable performance and achieve business plan targets.
• Develop and execute coordinated, data-informed, forward-thinking sales strategies to achieve deposit, new customer, and revenue growth.
• Analyze market trends and internal customer data to deliver new business and segment opportunities.
• Identify new market opportunities, growth segments, and design value propositions to attract new niche segments.
• Create strategies to further embed fee revenue generating businesses into daily practices and uncover new partnerships to mature businesses.
• Evaluate new business opportunities, partnerships, or acquisitions that support strategic goals.
• Support branch expansion and optimization market plan with a focus on de novo branch growth.
• Collaborate with external partners and FinTechs to monitor financial trends and capture data points to ensure a business growth mindset and programming.
• Influence key stakeholders to successfully embed proposed strategies as relevant.
• Partner with Marketing, Retail, Commercial Banking, and Product and Digital teams to create integrated campaigns and referral strategies.
• Analyze and report on sales performance, providing insights and recommendations for improvement.
• Prepare and deliver reports on financial performance and strategic initiatives.
• Facilitate execution of strategic roadmaps in collaboration with key stakeholders.
• Create sales campaigns and launch value propositions and sales programming to drive deposit growth.
• Partner closely with the branch sales enablement team on key projects and deliverables.
• Lead cross-functional partnerships with senior stakeholders and executive leadership, orchestrating integrated business strategies that advance priorities and achieve the goals of Columbia Bank.
• Champion and develop the creation of strategic roadmaps that support stakeholder insights and decision-making on key opportunities and challenges the bank is facing.
• Lead strategic efforts and projects that drive growth and profitability for Columbia Bank in close partnership with key stakeholders.
• Mentor and support team members, providing clear direction, fostering professional growth, and ensuring work aligns with department objectives.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with internal stakeholders and leadership to support integrated strategic efforts and client experience efforts.
• Contribute to a positive, results-driven team culture within the Sales and Strategy department.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.
• 7+ years of experience in strategy development, preferably in financial services.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or Master’s degree in a related field.
• Knowledge of banking or financial services compliance standards.

Skills

• Strong writing and verbal communication skills, with experience working in highly matrixed organizations.
• Proven ability to plan and lead high-profile initiatives with attention to detail and stakeholder engagement.
• Strong storytelling skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to build, understand, and communicate strategies to optimize performance and educate stakeholders.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong organizational, project management, and interpersonal skills.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Rx (contributory).
• Bonus programs.
• Employee Stock Option Program (ESOP).
• Life Insurance, Long Term Disability, and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (LTD&AD&D).
• Paid Time Off (PTO) which includes Personal and Vacation Time.
• Paid Sick Time.
• Bank Holidays.
• 401k program participation.

Schedule

This role is eligible for a hybrid schedule: 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home based on business need.