Thought Leadership Marketing Director

Role Overview

• 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.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree strongly preferred.
• 12+ years’ experience in brand marketing, product marketing, consumer research, strategy, or related fields.
• Previous experience at a marketing consultancy or agency considered a plus
• 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.

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.