Workplace Thought Leadership Marketing Director

Overview

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.

• Define and own Empower's multi-year workplace thought leadership strategy, including core narratives, research priorities, and signature intellectual property.
• Establish enterprise standards, frameworks, and methodologies for developing, validating, and publishing workplace insights.
• Serve as the internal final authority on workplace thought leadership positioning, ensuring alignment across marketing, product, distribution, and executive communications.
• Partner with data science, market research, and analytics leaders to originate novel research questions connecting participant behavior, attitudes, outcomes, and market dynamics.
• Synthesize complex quantitative and qualitative data into original insights that advance industry understanding and influence market dialogue.
• Author and oversee flagship research, indices, and perspectives that become recognized reference points for clients, media, and industry stakeholders.
• Act as a recognized external authority representing Empower's perspective with industry associations, policymakers, media, and senior client audiences.
• Serve as a spokesperson for marquee workplace research and industry commentary.
• Influence industry dialogue by introducing new frameworks, language, or points of view adopted beyond Empower.
• Share insights with leaders across product, distribution, and strategy on workplace trends, participant behavior, and long-term implications for business investment.
• Build and maintain relationships with industry associations, media outlets, and external partners to secure content placement and speaking opportunities.
• Represent Empower at industry events, client forums, and internal meetings, including occasional speaking engagements based on business demand.
• Develop and manage a comprehensive thought leadership program calendar aligned with workplace client priorities and Empower's strategic objectives.
• Enable client-facing teams with enterprise-wide narratives, toolkits, and guidance that shape market engagement.
• Mentor senior contributors and cross-functional partners through informal leadership and subject matter expertise, without direct people management.
• Establish governance models for thought leadership development, publication cadence, and quality assurance.
• Define and monitor success metrics tied to enterprise impact, including market influence, executive engagement, and long-term brand equity.
• Continuously evolve Empower's thought leadership approach in response to regulatory, workforce, and market shifts.

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree strongly preferred.
• Typically 12+ years of progressive experience in financial services, research, strategy, marketing, insights, or related fields.
• Demonstrated record of producing original, authoritative thought leadership with measurable market or industry impact.
• Deep expertise in workplace benefits, retirement, participant behavior, or adjacent domains.
• 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.
• Ability to exercise influence through credibility, judgment, and enterprise impact rather than organizational hierarchy.

This job operates in a professional office environment.

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications of the job. The employer has the right to revise this job description at any time. You will be evaluated in part based on your performance of the responsibilities and/or tasks listed in this job description. You may be required to perform other duties that are not included on this job description.

The job description is not a contract for employment, and either you or the employer may terminate employment at any time, for any reason, as per terms and conditions of your employment contract.

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.

We offer an array of diverse and inclusive benefits regardless of where you are in your career. We believe that…