Marketing Strategist

About us: Branch is on a mission to empower workers with financial freedom. We do this by helping companies accelerate payments and providing working Americans with accessible, free financial services. We’re committed to building and delivering more inclusive, transparent, and frictionless financial products. Our goal of empowerment extends to our own employees, too. Have a great idea? Share it today and it might just get implemented tomorrow. As a member of our team, your voice and creativity matter—and they can directly impact our products, company, and culture. We not only focus on attracting great talent from across the country, but also on building teams that help that talent thrive. That means valuing a diversity of opinions and working styles, while creating a shared belief in innovation, initiative, and winning together. Come join our team as we develop new ways to improve the lives of working Americans. About the role: Branch is looking for a high-impact Marketing Strategist to lead the development and execution of integrated marketing plans for our hospitality industry vertical. You will be the primary architect of how Branch is perceived within your vertical – establishing Branch as the undisputed category leader and trusted partner for workforce payments. You will ensure our brand resonates deeply with decision makers - owning the high-level strategy, messaging, and market intelligence to build awareness, credibility and preference with industry decision-makers. You will lead a Marketing Program Manager who will partner with you to translate strategy into high-performing tactical execution across various channels. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Vertical Specific Strategic Ownership: Develop and own the comprehensive strategic marketing roadmap for your verticals - inclusive of goals, budget management, campaign strategy, execution, and business impact. In-Depth Business and Market Research: Establish a strong understanding of vertical specific personas and behaviors – articulating Branch’s unique selling points tailored to the target audience and analyzing marketing resources for further optimization. Brand Positioning & Messaging: Define the "Why Branch" for your specific audience. Create compelling, insight-driven messaging frameworks that differentiates us from competitors and direct the development of creative campaigns that drive engagement and conversion. Industry Thought Leadership: Serve as the subject matter expert for your vertical. Monitor industry trends, regulatory changes, and competitor moves to produce original insights that position Branch as a visionary partner. Identify and establish relationships with key industry influencers, associations, and analysts. Vertical Pod Leadership: Manage and mentor a Marketing Program Manager who will lead campaign activations and ABM efforts for your assigned vertical(s). You provide the "What" and "Why" (strategy/goals), and they lead the "How" (tactics, channel selection, and campaign management), with a heavy emphasis on ABM. Reputation Building: Identify high-leverage opportunities—such as key industry events, strategic partnerships, and PR moments—to elevate our brand authority. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Sales and Product Marketing teams to ensure our vertical narrative aligns with the product roadmap and empowers the sales team to win. Collaborate with Creative, Content, and PR teams on vertical specific campaign positioning, thought leadership content, media opportunities, and speaking engagements. Insights, Measurement & Optimization: Track and report on brand health metrics within your vertical and use insights to refine programs. Qualifications: Strategic Storytelling: You have a knack for connecting brand narratives to customer needs and market dynamics - especially for an enterprise level audience. Market Expertise: You have 5+ years of experience in B2B strategic marketing, specifically within the Hospita