Vice President, Community Development & Market Engagement

What You Will Do Everyday

As the Vice President, Community Development and Market Engagement, you will be responsible for the strategy and execution of Interra’s community engagement, events, sponsorships, and school partnerships across all assigned markets. This role serves as the enterprise owner of community-based growth strategy—responsible for designing, executing, and continuously optimizing a comprehensive, market-facing approach that strengthens Interra’s brand presence, trust, and growth outcomes.

• Own and lead Interra’s multi-market community development and engagement strategy, aligned with enterprise growth priorities including deposit growth, member acquisition, and market expansion. Translate enterprise objectives into market-specific strategies and execution plans for Michiana, Fort Wayne, and Northwest Ohio. Serve as the primary decision-maker for community strategy, priorities, and investments within assigned markets. Partner with the Chief Marketing Officer and senior leadership to ensure alignment with broader brand and growth strategy, while independently driving execution.

• Identify underserved segments, community gaps, and relationship-based opportunities that support long-term growth.

HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT

• Own and lead Interra’s multi-market community development and engagement strategy, aligned with enterprise growth priorities including deposit growth, member acquisition, and market expansion. Translate enterprise objectives into market-specific strategies and execution plans for Michiana, Fort Wayne, and Northwest Ohio. Serve as the primary decision-maker for community strategy, priorities, and investments within assigned markets. Partner with the Chief Marketing Officer and senior leadership to ensure alignment with broader brand and growth strategy, while independently driving execution.

• Identify underserved segments, community gaps, and relationship-based opportunities that support long-term growth.

• Serve as the primary external brand representative of Interra Credit Union within assigned markets. Build, manage, and sustain executive-level relationships with chambers, economic development organizations, municipalities, schools, nonprofits, and business leaders. Establish Interra as a trusted, mission-driven partner in local economic and community development.

• Maintain full ownership and decisions over the planning, execution, and optimization of all internal and external community events, sponsorships, and partnerships. Establish and manage a sponsorship evaluation and governance framework that considers: market priority and audience alignment; relationship value and business development potential; brand visibility and reputational impact; community benefit and differentiation; cost, staff capacity, and execution feasibility; and post-event performance and ROI.

• Own Interra’s school and youth partnership strategy end-to-end, including corporate banking relationships, financial wellness programming, student engagement, and staff banking opportunities. Serve as the strategic relationship lead for all school-based partnerships. Ensure each partnership includes a defined engagement plan, measurable outcomes, and coordinated support across Marketing, Retail, Business Banking, and Community teams.

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of community and events specialists across multiple markets. Establish clear standards for field presence, relationship stewardship, and community representation. Maintain accountability for execution quality, prioritization, and team performance.

• Lead strategy discussion with marketing partners including ad agency and vendors in order to create overall corporate marketing plan and implementation.

• Own the capture and elevation of community impact stories, partnerships, and outcomes. Ensure consistent brand representation across all community-facing activities. Partner with Marketing and Communications to surface storytelling opportunities, manage reputational risk, and strengthen Interra’s narrative as a trusted financial partner.

• Partner with branch leadership and business lines to ensure effective local activation. Support enterprise initiatives such as market expansion, branch openings, and community-based growth efforts.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUCCEED

• Experience: 10+ years’ of progressive experience in community development, marketing, business development, or public relations. Demonstrated success leading multi-market or regional community engagement strategies.

• Education / Certifications / Licenses: This level of knowledge is acquired through completion of Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or related field (will consider experience in lieu of degree). Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license.

• PREFERRED SKILLS: Strategic Execution, Financial Prudence, Influence & Relationship Building, Field Leadership, Collaboration, Brand Stewardship, Strong Storyteller, Demonstrated Strong Community Presence, Ability to Manage Workload, Be Flexible and Proactive, Multitask, Work Under Deadlines, Ensure Quality and Accuracy, Professional Level of Verbal and Written Communication Skills, Advanced Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Obtain Cooperation and Agreement on Important Outcomes via Frequent Complex and Senior Level Dialogues, Ability to Provide World Class Member Service While Executing Interra’s Vision, Mission, and Delivery of Core Values.

• INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: The ability to motivate or influence internal or external senior level professionals is a critical part of the job, requiring a significant level of influence and trust. Obtain cooperation and agreement on important outcomes via frequently complex, senior level dialogues, as well as a professional level of written communication skills are essential to the position.

• COMPETENCIES: Decision Making, Develop Others, Drive Engagement, Effective Communication, Functional Expertise, Maintain Accountability.

• PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Perform primarily sedentary work with limited physical exertion and occasional lifting of up to 10 lbs. Must be capable of climbing / descending stairs in emergency situation. Must be able to operate routine office equipment including telephone, copier, facsimile, and calculator. Must be able to work extended hours whenever required or requested by management. Must be capable of regular, reliable, and timely attendance.

• WORKING CONDITIONS: Must be able to routinely perform work indoors in climate-controlled shared work area with minimal noise.

• MENTAL AND/OR EMOTIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to perform job functions independently and work effectively either on own or as part of a team. Must be able to speak clearly and deliver information in a logical and understandable sequence. Must be capable of dealing calmly and professionally with numerous different personalities from diverse cultures at various levels within and outside of the organization and demonstrate highest levels of customer service and discretion when dealing with the public. Must be able to perform responsibilities with composure under the stress of deadlines/requirements for extreme accuracy and quality and/or fast pace.