Vice President of Marketing

Description

At Affinity Plus every employee understands how their work affects our members experience and we strive to provide an experience that can't be found anywhere else. Great service starts with great employees and that is why we focus on providing not only the best place our members will ever bank but the best place our employees will ever work. Between our one of a kind culture, incredible benefits, and work/life balance; we believe you will feel the Affinity Plus difference.

Position Summary
The Vice President of Marketing leads the strategy, operating model and performance of Affinity Plus' marketing function, building a modern, data-driven and AI-enabled approach to member engagement and new member acquisition.


This role integrates brand, lifecycle marketing, segmentation, campaign performance, channel strategy, marketing technology and infrastructure, communications, PR, storytelling, product marketing, business development and community development into a coordinated marketing strategy.

Working closely with senior leadership and cross-functional the Vice President of Marketing enhances the user experience, strengthens brand positioning, and delivers measurable business results aligned with organizational goals.

Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership
* Set the strategic direction and operating direction for the marketing function, translating organizational priorities into marketing strategies, execution plans and performance expectations.
* Advise senior leadership on marketing strategy, brand positioning, member engagement, business development and growth opportunities
* Ensure departmental goals are measurable, achievable and aligned with our balanced scorecard's organizational goals
* Clarify roles, decision-making and accountability across marketing functions ensuring roles are defined and work is aligned to shared priorities
* Identify industry and market trends to inform proactive strategies
* Oversee high value vendor and agency relationships, effectively aligning budgets and workflows with business priorities

Leadership & People Development
* Lead, mentor and develop the marketing team, building capability, accountability and adaptability as marketing technologies, consumer expectations and business needs evolve.
* Promote collaboration, engagement and alignment across teams
* Model organizational values in day-to-day leadership

Product Marketing & Organizational Alignment
* Lead product marketing strategy in close partnership with product owners, ensuring campaigns, messaging and channel strategy support member needs and business priorities
* Ensure alignment across marketing, product, retail, digital and other partner teams through collaborative planning processes, messaging frameworks and campaign performance expectations
* Establish clear collaboration models to reduce silos and improve speed, clarity, and effectiveness

Brand, Content, and Communications
* Oversee brand strategy, creative services and content development to ensure a clear, consistent and differentiated voice
* Lead communications and PR strategy to strengthen reputation, storytelling and external positioning
* Oversee content planning and prioritization to support both lifecycle engagement and broader brand storytelling
* Oversee thought leadership efforts that drive increased authority and trust

Operational Excellence
* Establish and continuously refine the marketing operating model, connecting lifecycle marketing, campaigns and channel execution
* Establish and monitor clear performance indicators to assess marketing effectiveness, improve execution and ensure priorities remain aligned with organizational goals
* Develop efficient department infrastructure aligned with organizational needs

Data, Analytics and AI Enablement
* Establish the vision and strategy for data, segmentation and personalization capabilities to drive meaningful marketing opportunities related to member engagement and growth.
* Lead the development of a data-driven marketing organization, using insights to inform lifecycle strategy, segmentation, prioritization and optimization
* Own measurement, campaign performance tracking and reporting
* Drive adoption of AI, marketing technology and other key tools as core capabilities that improve marketing effectiveness, scalability and member relevance
* Partner with internal teams to ensure marketing has the data, tools and infrastructure needed to optimize member engagement
* Research and apply emerging marketing trends, technologies and best practices to strengthen relevance, effectiveness and member engagement
* Identify opportunities for product, service and experience enhancements that improve member engagement and actively partner to incorporate these in marketing campaigns and feedback loops for improvement

Governance, Risk & Compliance
* Ensure marketing strategies, communications, campaigns and materials comply with applicable regulations, policies and risk management standards
* Evaluate and manage risk associated with marketing initiatives
* Maintain awareness of regulatory changes and adjust strategies as needed

Financial & Business Management
* Manage the marketing budget and resource allocation to ensure investments are prioritized effectively and aligned with strategic goals, measurable outcomes and business needs
* Oversee vendor contracts, partnerships and marketing investments to ensure resources are aligned with strategic priorities, operational needs and cost-effectiveness
* Identify opportunities for growth, efficiency and improved business outcomes

External Representation & Industry Leadership
* Represent the organization at industry events, associations and professional forums (eg, ACU, MNCUN, etc)
* Build and maintain external partnerships to enhance organizational visibility and thought leadership
* Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications and Skills
Required Knowledge
* 7+ years of progressive leadership experience, including 5+ years in a senior management leadership role.
* Strong understanding of lifecycle marketing, segmentation, marketing technology, campaign performance and integrated channel strategy.
* Deep industry expertise in financial services, highly regulated environments, or comparably complex organizational structures.
* Extensive experience leading marketing strategy, brand development, lifecycle engagement, digital marketing, or related functions in a complex organization.

Qualifications and Skills

People Leadership
* Proven leadership in building, growing and guiding high performing, cross functional teams
* Skilled in developing leadership through coaching, mentorship, succession planning and talent strategy, ensuring long term organizational capability and capacity
* Demonstrated ability to create and sustain a team culture rooted in trust, inclusion, accountability, engagement and continuous improvement, while modeling organizational values and developing people who reinforce those behaviors across the marketing function
* Experienced in navigating interpersonal and organizational dynamics, resolving complex performance issues and elevating leadership effectiveness across multiple reporting layers

Decision-Making
* Strategic influencer with demonstrated ability to partner with senior leadership and key stakeholders to shape marketing strategy, priorities and organizational outcomes.
* Strong judgment in complex decision-making, adept at evaluating multifaceted organizational challenges, balancing competing stakeholder needs and delivering high-impact outcomes
* Demonstrated ability to anticipate industry trends, regulatory shifts, competitive pressures and emerging risks and to integrate these insights into strategic planning and decision making

Collaboration and Relationship Building
* Demonstrated ability to break down silos, promote cross functional alignment and drive shared ownership of organizational goals
* Skilled at building strategic internal partnerships and cross-functional alignment that support organizational growth, innovation and transformation
* Influences through trust, transparency and long term partnership, not positional authority

Accountability
* Strategic and operational balance, capable of translating high-level strategy into actionable initiatives while maintaining oversight of operational execution and risk management
* Holds self and team accountable for high performance, operational excellence, financial oversight and risk management
* Takes ownership of marketing and organizational outcomes and contributes to broader member experience, employee experience, operational performance and financial goals
* Demonstrate resilience and decisive leadership when navigating setbacks, organizational shifts, or environmental changes
* High integrity, confidentiality and ethical leadership - consistently modeling values-based decision-making
* Strong capacity for prioritization, focusing the organization on what matters most to deliver sustainable member, employee and organizational outcomes

Communication
* Exceptional executive communication skills with the ability to inspire, align and mobilize large groups toward strategic goals
* Strong leadership presence with credibility to communicate with senior-level and organizational-level leaders
* Skilled in articulating complex strategies, change initiatives and decisions in a clear and compelling manner

Learning
* Champion continuous learning, innovation and leadership development to build future-ready marketing capabilities
* Demonstrated commitment to personal growth, reflective practice and executive level learning
* Skilled in identifying emerging trends, technologies and capabilities needed for future organizational success and integrating them into strategic roadmaps

Adaptability
* Demonstrated experience leading long-term strategy, organizational planning and transformation efforts that align structure, priorities and resources with evolving business needs
* Skilled in navigating complexity, ambiguity and rapidly changing environments with composure and clarity
* Demonstrated ability to adapt strategy, structure and resources to meet evolving organizational needs and market conditions
* Leads with a future focused mindset, ensuring long term organizational agility, scalability and sustainability

Other Skills
* Advanced business, operational, and financial acumen with experience leading large scale budgets, multi year investments, and complex portfolios of work.
* High integrity, confidentiality, and ethical leadership - consistently modeling values based decision making.
* Advanced digital, technological, and innovation fluency, capable of driving modernization and organizational level transformation.
* Strong capacity for prioritization, focusing the organization on what matters most to deliver sustainable member, employee, and organizational outcomes.

Preferred
* Bachelor's or Master's degree in Marketing, Business or related field.

Work Environment
This role is: Hybrid - Requires reliable internet access and home office setup; and requires face-to-face interaction and/or coordination of work with other employees and departments, and in-person interaction.

Physical Requirements
* Sitting 90-95% and standing 5-10%.
* Working at a computer 98% of the day.
* Repetitive movements, including but not limited to typing, mousing, phones, etc.
* May require to lift, carry, push or pull up to 30 pounds.
* Bending, twisting, kneeling, stooping, or crouching on occasion.

Location and travel requirements
This position will be based out of our corporate office in St. Paul, MN with onsite expectations typically 2-3 times per week. Routine travel in the Twin Cities Metro with occasional travel across greater MN. Occasional travel outside state of MN for industry conferences. Applicants should live within a reasonable commuting distance to the Twin Cities Metro area to meet these requirements.

Required Work Schedule
Standard Monday through Friday business hours with a willingness to work a flexible schedule as needed. Consistent and reliable attendance is a required essential function of this role to meet the needs of the department/team and organization. This is a hybrid position that generally requires two to three days per week onsite. Additional onsite days may be required based on business needs, team activities, meetings, or other operational requirements.

Compensation

This position has a starting pay range of $156,300 - $203,050 annually.

In alignment with our commitment to pay transparency, we are providing a good-faith estimate of the pay range for this position. This range reflects what we anticipate offering a successful candidate based on factors such as the role's responsibilities, required qualifications, and relevant experience. The actual pay may vary depending on the selected candidate's skills, experience, and other qualifications.

Total Rewards

Affinity Plus offers a comprehensive Total Rewards package that goes beyond base pay. In partnership with the State of MN Employer Group, Affinity Plus provides low-cost medical, dental and vision insurance coverage options. Additionally, Affinity Plus frontloads all sick time hours and a portion of vacation hours for all new employees, offers a variety of paid leave options, a monthly wellness benefit, and immediate 401K matching up to 5%. Our Total Rewards philosophy is designed to support your well-being and growth while fostering a fair and inclusive workplace.

Disclaimer

Applicants may be subject to a background and credit check. Employees in this position must be able to satisfactorily perform the essential functions of the position. If requested, Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union will make every effort to provide reasonable accommodations to enable employees with disabilities to perform the position's essential job duties. As markets change and the Organization grows, job descriptions may change over time as requirements and employee skill levels evolve. With this understanding, Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

Application Deadline

Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union accepts applications on a rolling basis.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.