Director, Network Strategy & Planning

Valley Bank•Morristown, NJ

About The Position

This role is responsible for developing and maintaining a multi-year branch network strategy aligned with the bank's growth objectives. The position involves defining optimal branch coverage, segmenting markets, evaluating the balance between physical and digital presence, and leading location intelligence efforts. The Director will partner with Marketing and Finance to integrate various data sources into network decisions, assess market-level ROI, and design differentiated branch formats. Additionally, the role involves setting staffing models, aligning branch design with customer expectations, owning financial business cases for network changes, and establishing governance processes. The Director will ensure coordination with sales strategy and digital channel migration, monitor key performance indicators, develop executive dashboards, and drive continuous improvement through pilots and experiments.

Requirements

Proven leadership in managing large, multi-state branch networks (150+ locations preferred).
Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including location analytics and financial modeling.
Experience balancing cost optimization with growth and customer-experience outcomes.
Experience across both mature and high-growth banking markets.
Familiarity with CRA, fair-lending, and regulatory considerations impacting branch decisions.
Exposure to digital-first or omni-channel transformation initiatives.
Strategic thinker with strong business, financial, and customer orientation.
Data-driven decision-maker who can translate analytics into clear executive recommendations.
Collaborative leader able to influence across functions without direct authority.
Comfortable presentation to executive leadership and the board.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, or related field.
MBA.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain a multi-year branch network strategy aligned with the bank's consumer, small business, and wealth growth objectives.
Define optimal branch coverage by market, including openings, closures, consolidations, relocations, and remodels.
Segment markets by growth, profitability, competitive intensity, and demographic trends to guide investment decisions.
Evaluate trade-offs between physical presence and digital adoption across customer segments.
Lead location intelligence and spatial analysis (catchment areas, drive-time analysis, deposit flows, and competitive overlap).
Partner with Marketing and Finance to integrate demographics, psychographics, and customer behavior data into network decisions.
Assess market-level ROI, payback periods, and lifetime value for all network investments.
Design differentiated branch formats (flagship, advisory/light-transaction, micro-branch, co-located models).
Set staffing and capacity models aligned to sales goals, service demand, and digital adoption.
Align branch design with evolving customer expectations and brand positioning.
Own the financial business cases for all network changes, including capital, operating expense, and revenue impacts.
Establish clear governance, approval processes, and performance tracking for network decisions.
Ensure seamless coordination with branch sales strategy, workforce planning, and digital channel migration.
Define and monitor KPIs such as deposits per branch, sales productivity, cost-to-serve, foot traffic trends, and market share.
Develop executive-level dashboards and insights for senior management and the board.
Drive continuous improvement through test-and-learn pilots and market experiments.