Manager, Strategic Planning

Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago•Chicago, IL

22h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLBank Chicago) is a bank for banks and other financial institutions, focused on being a strategic partner for its members and working together to reinvest in communities. Created by Congress in 1932, FHLBank Chicago is one of 11 Federal Home Loan Banks, government sponsored in support of mortgage lending and community investment. At FHLBank Chicago, employees come first, and the company is committed to a high performing, engaged workforce and supporting the communities it serves across Illinois and Wisconsin. The company offers a collaborative, in-office operating model with an allocation of remote days for balance and flexibility. New hires are paired with tenured employees through a Buddy Program for onboarding. Professional development and training opportunities include upskilling, mentorship programs, and tuition reimbursement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, Finance, Economics, Strategy, Analytics, or a related field required.
8–10 years of overall work experience preferred, including experience in roles requiring strategic thinking, analytical problem-solving, stakeholder collaboration, executive-level communication, and independent ownership of complex deliverables.
Experience supporting strategic planning, financial planning, performance reporting, executive communications, business analysis, or enterprise-wide initiatives preferred.
Strong leadership, management, stakeholder engagement, and coaching skills.
High degree of independent thinking, sound judgment, resourcefulness, organization, professionalism, and logical reasoning.
Ability to independently manage complex initiatives, competing priorities, interruptions, and multiple workstreams with limited direction.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret financial, operational, and strategic data to inform decision-making.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and persuasively to employees, senior leaders, executives, the Board, regulators, and other stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, influence decision-making, and manage stakeholders with competing viewpoints.
Strategic mindset with the ability to think critically, challenge assumptions, anticipate future trends, and identify gaps, inconsistencies, risks, and opportunities.
Proven ability to use business intelligence, reporting, presentation, and analytical tools to develop insights, monitor performance, and support strategic decision-making.
Ability to drive accountability while maintaining a positive, collaborative, and professional approach to stakeholder management.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Leads and continuously improves the Bank’s strategic planning process, ensuring alignment between strategy, execution, and measurable outcomes.
Provides enterprise-wide leadership, accountability, and governance for development and delivery of the Strategic Plan.
Enables informed executive and Board decision-making through strategic analysis, performance reporting, and executive communications.
Strengthens cross-functional alignment and drives execution of strategic priorities across the organization.
Enhances monitoring of strategic goals, incentive objectives, and key performance metrics to improve accountability and results.
Coordinates critical Board, regulatory, compliance, and FHFA-related strategic planning activities.
Identifies risks, opportunities, and emerging issues to support proactive management and long-term success.
Improves employee understanding and engagement by connecting day-to-day work to the Bank’s strategic objectives.
Lead and manage the Bank’s annual strategic planning process, including maintaining and refining the strategic planning calendar, coordinating stakeholder expectations, and ensuring key deadlines and deliverables are met.
Develop comprehensive strategic plans aligned with the Bank’s mission, vision, strategic priorities, goals, and objectives.
Collaborate with Executive Team members, senior leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders to gather input, challenge assumptions, identify risks and opportunities, and inform the strategic planning process.
Independently lead and support strategic initiatives, special projects, research efforts, and ad hoc requests from executives, Internal Audit, regulators, and other areas of the Bank.
Develop, refine, and deliver presentations and materials tailored to a range of audiences, including the Executive Team, Board of Directors, regulators, employees, and other stakeholders.
Develop monitoring tools, reporting, and performance updates to track progress against the Strategic Plan, key strategic priorities, metrics, and incentive goals; recommend adjustments as needed.
Work closely with the Income Simulation team and other subject matter experts to understand the Strategic Plan’s impact on the Bank’s financial projections, key assumptions, and potential downside scenarios.
Support the development, tracking, and reporting of short-term and long-term incentive goals that align with the Bank’s strategic priorities and Board-approved objectives.
Develop a deep understanding of the Bank’s operating model, cost structure, revenue drivers, financial projections, and strategic priorities to extract actionable insights and support informed decision-making.
Coordinate legal, regulatory, compliance, and control-related activities associated with the Strategic Plan, including supporting required reviews, certifications, Board approvals, and FHFA submission requirements.
Represent the Bank in system-wide strategic planning forums and participate in Bank projects to help ensure alignment with the Bank’s strategy and long-term vision.
Manage or facilitate updates to policies owned by the CFO or Manager, Strategic Planning, including coordinating stakeholder review, approvals, version control, and submission to the Policy Library.
Prepare and deliver employee-facing strategic planning materials, including department roadshow presentations, SharePoint updates, and other communications that help employees understand how their work connects to the Bank’s strategy.
Encourage teamwork, professionalism, accountability, and strong stakeholder engagement across the team and throughout the Bank.