Head of Brand Strategy and Governance at EQ Bank | Equitable Bank in Toronto

Job description

• The Head of Brand Strategy, Architecture & Governance leads the enterprise brand strategy and governance system for EQ Bank. The role is accountable for defining the master brand strategy, keeping the brand portfolio clear, guiding naming and architecture decisions, and building the governance practices that allow teams to apply the brand consistently at scale. This role helps shape what a modern challenger bank can mean in Canada: trusted enough for financial services, distinctive enough to change expectations, and useful enough to earn a role in people’s everyday lives. The position translates business strategy, customer insight, market context and regulatory requirements into clear brand direction, decision rights, standards, tools, training and measurement practices that protect trust, strengthen distinctiveness and grow long-term brand equity.

Responsibilities

• Lead EQ Bank’s enterprise brand strategy system, including positioning, purpose, promise, personality, voice, messaging principles, master brand role and long-term agenda to build one of Canada’s most distinctive challenger banking brands.
• Own brand architecture across products, propositions, partnerships, channels and future business areas so customers and internal teams can understand the portfolio clearly.
• Lead naming, nomenclature and taxonomy decisions, including naming principles, decision trees, evaluation criteria, approval paths and documentation of final decisions.
• Develop and maintain the brand governance operating system, including standards, decision rights, review forums, approval pathways, exception processes, training materials, templates and practical tools.
• Build adoption mechanisms for the brand system, including central guidance, reusable assets, stakeholder enablement, training, governance communications and measurement of compliance or drift.
• Guide claims, hierarchy, messaging, verbal identity, design-system principles and brand experience decisions so the organization can move quickly without creating confusion or inconsistency.
• Partner with Product, Marketing, UX, Technology, Legal, Compliance, HR, Communications, Partnerships and business leaders to embed brand strategy into customer and employee experiences.
• Lead partner-brand governance for co-branded work, ensuring EQ Bank builds its own equity while respecting partner requirements and standards.
• Translate customer insight, competitive context, brand health data, business priorities and regulatory considerations into clear recommendations for senior stakeholders.
• Review priority brand work and provide counsel that improves clarity, consistency, customer understanding, strategic fit, risk management and the ambition to make banking feel more useful, human and distinctive.

Requirements

• University degree or college diploma in marketing, business, communications, design strategy or a related field is required.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive work experience in brand strategy, brand management, brand architecture, naming, governance, planning, consulting, or enterprise brand transformation.
• Minimum 3 years of experience influencing senior stakeholders and leading cross-functional work; people management experience is preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of brand strategy, brand architecture, naming, nomenclature, taxonomy, verbal identity, governance, customer experience, design systems, integrated marketing and brand measurement.
• Working knowledge of financial services, regulated categories, digital banking, partnerships, compliance review, customer experience or complex product portfolios is an asset.
• Strong ability to use customer, market, competitor and brand health evidence to create clear strategic recommendations.
• Strong ability to diagnose ambiguity, create structured decision processes, simplify complex issues, write clearly and translate strategy into usable tools.
• Advanced communication skills, including preparing executive materials, facilitating decision meetings, influencing cross-functional teams, providing strategic counsel and delivering clear guidance to senior stakeholders.
• Strong judgment, collaboration, stakeholder management, analytical thinking, attention to detail and comfort creating order without slowing the business down or diluting challenger-brand ambition.

Skills

Required

• Strong judgment
• Collaboration
• Stakeholder management
• Analytical thinking
• Attention to detail
• Comfort creating order

Benefits

• 💰 Competitive discretionary bonus
• ✨ Market leading RRSP match program
• 🩺 Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits
• 📝 Employee Share Purchase Plan
• 👶🏽 Maternity/Parental top-up while you care for your little one
• 🏝 Generous vacation policy and personal days
• 🖥 Virtual events to connect with your fellow colleagues
• 🎓 Professional development and comprehensive Career Development program
• 💛 A fulfilling opportunity to join one of the top FinTechs and help create a new kind of banking experience