Thought Leadership Marketing Director

Empower

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

Our vision for the future is based on the idea that transforming financial lives starts by giving our people the freedom to transform their own. We have a flexible work environment, and fluid career paths. We not only encourage but celebrate internal mobility. We also recognize the importance of purpose, well-being, and work-life balance. Within Empower and our communities, we work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and our associates dedicate thousands of hours to volunteering for causes that matter most to them. Chart your own path and grow your career while helping more customers achieve financial freedom. Empower Yourself. The Director of Consumer Thought Leadership serves as Empower’s authority on a consumer’s relationship with money, investing and the role digital and human advice has on achieving lifetime financial success. This senior individual contributor will drive the thought leadership agenda for Empower Consumer Marketing to support Workplace participant engagement and Personal Wealth client acquisition and engagement efforts. The role will focus on diving deep into behavioral and attitudinal insights across Empower’s target personas to inform executive decision-making, influence public discourse and to develop thought leadership campaigns with our investment and advisory experts. The role leads the conception, governance, and evolution of Empower’s consumer thought leadership platform, ensuring consistency, credibility, and differentiation across internal and external channels. Success is measured by sustained share of voice amongst our competitors on money and investing topics, consumer engagement with these insights, and long-term brand health metrics. This role will report to the Head of Consumer Marketing.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree strongly preferred.
• 12+ years’ experience in brand marketing, product marketing, consumer research, strategy, or related fields.
• Demonstrated record of producing original, authoritative thought leadership with measurable market or industry impact.
• Deep expertise in consumer behavior, workplace participant engagement, wealth management client needs / issues.
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders and external stakeholders through expertise rather than authority.
• Exceptional analytical, writing, and executive communication skills.
• Experience serving as a public-facing authority, including media engagement, industry speaking, or published research.
• Drive influence through credibility, judgment, and enterprise impact rather than organizational hierarchy.
• Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time, including CPT/OPT.

Nice To Haves

• Previous experience at a marketing consultancy or agency consider a plus

Responsibilities

• Define and own Empower’s multi-year consumer thought leadership strategy, including core narratives, research priorities, and signature intellectual property.
• Establish enterprise standards, frameworks, and methodologies for developing, validating, and publishing consumer insights.
• Serve as the internal final authority on consumer thought leadership positioning, ensuring alignment across Marketing, Product, and Advisory & Distribution Partner with data science and market research leaders to originate custom research around consumer behaviors and attitudes around money.
• Synthesize complex quantitative and qualitative data into original insights that advance industry understanding and influence consumer dialogue.
• Author and oversee flagship research, indices, and perspectives that become recognized reference points for clients, media, and industry stakeholders.
• Coordinate consumer thought leadership efforts with investment strategists and workplace thought leadership teams to ensure research insights are complementary and consistent
• Serve as a spokesperson for marquee consumer research and industry commentary.
• Work with public relations to drive social dialogue by introducing new frameworks, language, or points of view adopted beyond Empower.
• Share insights with leaders across product, Workplace Relationship Managers and Advisor & Distribution associates about trends, participant behavior, and long-term implications for consumer investment.
• Represent Consumer Marketing at client events, senior leadership meetings, and occasional public speaking engagements
• Work with Brand Marketing, Product Marketing, Lifecycle Marketing, Content Strategy and Public Relations to integrate insights into go-to-market and PR efforts, lifecycle campaigns and editorial newsletters
• Develop and manage a comprehensive thought leadership program calendar aligned with Personal Wealth client priorities and Empower’s strategic objectives. This will require collaboration and alignment with Empower’s investment experts, advisors and wealth management executives.
• Enable client-facing teams with enterprise-wide narratives, toolkits, and guidance that shape participant and client engagement.
• Continuously evolve Empower’s thought leadership approach in response to regulatory, workforce, and market shifts.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• Retirement savings – 401(k) plan with generous company matching contributions (up to 6%), financial advisory services, potential company discretionary contribution, and a broad investment lineup
• Tuition reimbursement up to $5,250/year
• Business-casual environment that includes the option to wear jeans
• Generous paid time off upon hire – including a paid time off program plus ten paid company holidays and three floating holidays each calendar year
• Paid volunteer time — 16 hours per calendar year
• Leave of absence programs – including paid parental leave, paid short- and long-term disability, and Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)
• Business Resource Groups (BRGs) – BRGs facilitate inclusion and collaboration across our business internally and throughout the communities where we live, work and play. BRGs are open to all.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees