Chief Marketing Officer

Midland States Bank•Chicago, IL

8d•$155,000 - $240,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director - Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is the Bank’s senior marketing executive and responsible for defining and leading the Bank’s enterprise marketing strategy in support of sustainable growth, profitability, and long term brand value. The CMO directs the Bank’s overall marketing, brand, communications, and customer engagement strategies using deep insight into the financial services industry, customer behavior, competitive dynamics, and emerging digital and technology trends. The CMO will oversee brand strategy, demand generation, customer experience, communications, and marketing analytics, serving as a strategic partner to the executive and senior leadership team. This role requires a proven, data-driven leader who blends brand stewardship with strong business judgment, integrates marketing tightly with sales and product strategy, and consistently demonstrates marketing’s impact on growth, customer acquisition, retention, and lifetime value.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
12+ years of progressive marketing leadership experience, including senior or executive‑level responsibility.
Demonstrated success leading enterprise‑wide marketing functions within financial services or similarly regulated industries preferred.
Proven experience integrating brand, digital marketing, performance marketing, and analytics to drive measurable growth.
Experience partnering with executive leadership teams and presenting to senior management or Boards.
Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to instruct others, interpret documents, and write reports and correspondence.
Excellent organizational and time management skills.
Ability to deal with complex problems involving multiple facets and variables in non-standardized situations.
Maintain compliance with all applicable regulations including, but not limited to, the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).

Nice To Haves

MBA or advanced degree preferred.
Experience supporting enterprise transformation, market expansion, or acquisition integration preferred.

Responsibilities

Establishes and leads the enterprise marketing vision and strategy aligned to growth, profitability, and customer experience objectives
Designs and executes the annual enterprise marketing plan including priorities, investment strategy, forecasts, budgets, and performance measurement
Differentiates Midland States Bank from competitors and creates strong market preference across target customer segments and geographies
Serves as custodian of the Bank’s brand ensuring consistency, differentiation, and relevance across all customer, employee, and community touchpoints
Aligns marketing strategy with enterprise growth priorities across all lines of business, ensuring close partnership with sales, product, and distribution teams
Partners closely with executive and senior leadership, line of business and department leaders to ensure enterprise alignment and leverage across initiatives
Leads initiatives supporting customer acquisition, engagement, loyalty, retention, and cross sell across consumer and business banking relationships
Oversees corporate and external communications including public relations, media relations, and executive level messaging
Strengthens the Bank’s industry and community presence by developing effective ways to engage customers, prospects, and key stakeholders
Directs the Bank’s digital and performance marketing strategy including website governance, digital channels, CRM enablement, and marketing technology
Champions a data driven marketing operating model, making decisions based on customer insights, financial performance, and analytics
Develops program forecasts, manages marketing budgets, and ensures disciplined execution and prioritization to maximize return on investment
Establishes and oversees enterprise marketing metrics and reporting, ensuring transparent measurement of effectiveness and return on investment
Manages external vendors, agencies, and consultants, ensuring accountability, efficiency, and strategic alignment
Educates internal stakeholders on brand strategy, ensuring clear understanding and consistent adoption across the organization
Unites employees around a shared brand purpose, platform, and identity
Leads creative development, managing internal teams and external partners to deliver high quality, differentiated work
Ensures creative output reflects best in class standards within the financial services industry, staying current with emerging trends, technology, and design
Brings the Bank’s visual and verbal brand guidelines to life and educates internal and external partners on effective application
Maintains strong governance of brand standards through training, review, and ongoing critique to preserve integrity and consistency
Manages a team of professionals in a customer-centric culture to excel in a fast-paced environment.
Coaches, develops, and conducts performance management activities with direct and indirect reports.
Identifies high-potential employees for advanced training and development opportunities.
Effectively manages poor performers.