Director, Marketing & Communications

Location(s)

Details

Kemper is one of the nation’s leading specialized insurers. Our success is a direct reflection of the talented and diverse people who make a positive difference in the lives of our customers every day. We believe a high-performing culture, valuable opportunities for personal development and professional challenge, and a healthy work-life balance can be highly motivating and productive. Kemper’s products and services are making a real difference to our customers, who have unique and evolving needs. By joining our team, you are helping to provide an experience to our stakeholders that delivers on our promises.

TEAM SUMMARY:

Kemper proudly serves growing niche and underserved markets by providing appropriate and affordable insurance and financial solutions. This is enabled by a team of dynamic, innovative employees who act like owners and are continually driven by intellectual curiosity, analytical superiority, and being world-class operators.

Kemper Life is adding the right talent to support this strategic intent.  This role is a great opportunity for the person who wants to lead a marketing and communications team supporting our field partners in a dynamic growing company. We are looking for the person who can help us make a difference by best serving the needs of our customers. Come join us in Growing for LIFE.

POSITION SUMMARY:

This position will own the field marketing and communications responsibilities for Kemper Life.  The position will be a strategic partner working closely with the executive and leadership teams and the Corporate Marketing and Communications group to develop strategies, design plans and execute initiatives that drive measurable effectiveness in recruiting, product, sales, and business campaigns.  It will lead a team of specialists providing guidance, prioritizing responsibilities, and developing the team through performance management, training, and mentoring    

LOCATION: This position can be worked hybrid out of Kemper's Chesterfield, MO, or Chicago, IL office.

*Travel is required and is based on the needs of the business.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

MARKETING

• Craft effective marketing strategies that align with the company's overall objectives, tailored to the local markets.
• Lead the development and execution of efforts pertaining to local market brand awareness, events, promotions, social media presence, and expanded digital marketing to help drive product sales and increase brand awareness.
• Design marketing strategies for initiatives including recruiting, product launches and campaigns.
• Develop and execute tactics to support the above strategies.
• Track and report on the effectiveness of local marketing initiatives, using data to inform future planning.
• Create and manage marketing and sales materials assuring stakeholder results align with executional KPIs and are within Kemper guidelines
• Gather and interpret data related to market trends, customer insights, and campaign performance to refine strategies and optimize results.
• Provide research and competitive analysis for the markets we serve to better understand our competitors, customers, and their buying behaviors.
• Foster strong relationships with field agents, customers, and partners to enhance brand presence and strengthen community engagement.
• Provide appropriate sales enablement by understanding the needs of our field partners.
• Oversee the allocation of resources for field marketing activities to ensure efficient and effective spending.
• Maintain a consistent brand message and voice across all communication channels, including digital presence, advertising, promotions, and signage.
• Work across departments (e.g., technical subject-matter experts, business development) to build and execute a cohesive content strategy.
• Oversee the creation, deployment, and promotion of content that aligns with the company's brand and messaging.

COMMUNICATION

• Design an integrated communication strategy to include field, internal, external, and executive.
• Responsible for all field communication.
• Maximize social media communication and mykemper.com in coordination with corporate communications.
• Support Kemper Life company communication, including quarterly Town Halls, weekly and monthly newsletters, leadership messages, and other leader meetings.
• Manage communication for field award/recognition program.

LEADERSHIP

• Guide and develop a team of marketing and communication professionals, fostering a collaborative and innovative environment.
• Support the team to coordinate and track progress of key strategies, initiatives, and projects; ensure key milestones and timeline are met as per strategic agenda opportunities.
• Support the continuous exchange of best practices, learning and information across all teams within Kemper and Kemper Life.
• Coordinate overall Marketing and Communications roadmap, events, and content for Kemper Life.
• Support strengthening relationships with all internal and external partners.
• Develop team through establishing a culture of trust and transparency.
• Enable effective coaching relationships by providing coaching; creating learning opportunities; building competence; exchanging feedback; and advising.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field, or the equivalent in related work experience.
• A minimum of 7 to 10 years of Marketing experience in insurance and/or financial services.
• At least 4 to 6 years of leadership experience in marketing/communications role.
• Ability to drive the ideation, design, and delivery of marketing solutions in close collaboration with a range of partners including business owners, field partners, technology, operations, legal & compliance, and corporate marketing.
• Strong customer focus and should be able to collaborate with users and customers to understand and anticipate their needs and translate them into marketing requirements.
• Experienced in customer acquisition, customer retention and customer management preferred.
• Experienced in distribution or close collaboration with sales channels with outcome driven KPIs is preferred.
• Knowledge of insurance sales processes and mobile sales tools/applications desired.
• Excellent design skills; strong oral communications and presentation skills.
• High collaborative skills and ability to interface across organizational levels and cultures.
• Strong organizational skills with ability to meet tight deadlines in a fluid, fast-paced environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Strong preference for Life insurance experience
• Product management experience
• Community engagement experience
• Sponsorship is not accepted for this opportunity.
• The range for this position is $125,300 to $208,800. When determining candidate offers, we consider experience, skills, education, certifications, and geographic location among other factors.  This job is eligible for an annual discretionary bonus and Kemper benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO, 401k, etc.)  
• This position can be worked hybrid out of Kemper's Chesterfield, MO or Chicago, IL office.

Kemper is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, disability status or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We are committed to supporting diversity and equality across our organization and we work diligently to maintain a workplace free from discrimination. Kemper is focused on expanding our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts to align with our vision, mission, and guiding principles.  Kemper does not accept unsolicited resumes through or from search firms or staffing agencies. All unsolicited resumes will be considered the property of Kemper and Kemper will not be obligated to pay a placement fee.

Kemper will never request personal information, such as your social security number or banking information, via text or email.  Additionally, Kemper does not use external messaging applications like WireApp or Skype to communicate with candidates.  If you receive such a message, delete it.  

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