SVP, Digital Transformation Officer

At Stearns Bank, we’re helping people, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and local communities nationwide reach their full financial potential. Sound like something you want to be a part of? If so, we’re currently looking for a SVP, Digital Transformation Officer to join our team! This is a FULLY REMOTE position. 

Come see how we’re doing business unusual and charting our own path to reimagine a more inclusive financial services and banking ecosystem for all. 

Benefits

Stearns Bank understands and respects that everyone is managing unique career, family, and wellness needs. That’s why we offer industry-leading benefits to employees to help them live healthy lives and bring their full selves to work every day. Benefits may vary for part-time positions. Some of those benefits include: 

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan & 401k Plan with Employer Match
• Healthcare (Medical, Dental, Vision, Telehealth, Life insurance)
• 12-week Paid Medical Leave
• Paid Parental Leave: 21-weeks Primary Care Parent, 14-weeks Secondary Care Parent
• $5,000 Family Care Reimbursement
  1. Childcare, Elder Care, Student Loan Debt, Pet expenses, down payment assistance
• $1,000 Self Improvement Allowance
• PTO from 13 to 23 days depending on tenure. Cashout and Carryover options.
• 10 Days Sick Time
• 11 Paid Holidays
• 4 Days Volunteer Time
• 2 Days Self Allowance Time
• Tuition Assistance

For this position, we anticipate an annual salary range between $140,000 - $350,000. Final employment offers will be dependent upon the selected candidate’s relevant qualifications and experience.

Stearns Bank, a mission-driven Minority Deposit Institution (MDI) with deep roots in community banking, is seeking an accomplished and visionary Digital Transformation Officer (DTO) to lead its enterprise-wide initiatives, including digital transformation, technology strategy, IT architecture, data enablement and deposit product innovation. This role will be critical to supporting the bank’s strategic growth goals through technology adoption, process optimization and product innovation, ensuring the bank remains competitive and capitalizes on its unique opportunities and advantages to lead with differentiated customer service and serve historically underserved client segments and markets.  

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Enterprise-Wide Digital Transformation Leadership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive digital transformation strategy that aligns with Stearns Bank’s mission of empowering communities, supporting financial inclusion and achieving aggressive growth targets.
• Oversee the adoption of innovative technologies to modernize the bank’s operations, including digital banking platforms, data analytics tools and automation. 
• Identify and lead initiatives to digitize and streamline back-office operations, improve operational efficiency and reduce costs across the organization. 
• Act as a change agent, fostering a culture of innovation and digital adoption across all areas of the bank, including deposits, lending, customer service, marketing, IT and compliance. 

Leadership of Deposit and Digital Banking Functions 

• Lead and the VP, Director of Digital Banking + Product Management, ensuring alignment of Digital Banking + Product Development initiatives and the bank’s broader digital transformation goals. 
• Oversee the enhancement of digital banking platforms, ensuring seamless and secure customer experiences across mobile and online channels. 
• Indirectly oversee the Product Managers responsible for end-to-end ownership of Stearns Deposit and Payment Products including deposit accounts, savings accounts, treasury management and payments products and product vendor relationships. 
• Indirectly oversee the team responsible for the design, pricing and rollout of competitive deposit products, including checking accounts, savings accounts, CDs and money market products, tailored to meet the unique needs of each of Stearns’ client segments. 
• Indirectly oversee the team responsible for the development and enhancement of treasury management products including B2B Bill Pay, Card, Merchant Acquiring, ACH, Wires, P2P and Faster Payments.
• Ensure the Deposit Product Management team designs products that align with Stearns Bank’s mission to promote financial inclusions, support economic growth and empower underserved markets. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to bring new deposit products to market quickly, ensuring alignment with customer needs and the bank’s growth objectives. 
• Conduct regular market research to identify trends, competitor activity and unmet customer needs, translating insight into actionable product enhancements or new offerings.
• Ensure a seamless, customer-focused experience across digital and physical touchpoints, meeting the expectations of modern banking customers while maintaining the personal connects Stearns Bank is known for. 

Data and Analytics Enablement

• Develop a data strategy that enables better decision-making, customer insights and operational improvements. 
• Oversee the design and management of data pipelines, dashboards and business intelligence tools
• Work closely with the CRISO to understand policies and controls for data governance, encryption and access management to ensure compliance with these considerations is integrated with all analytics initiatives. 

IT Vendor & Third-Party Technology Management

• Evaluate, select and management key technology vendors, processors and fintech partners to support digital banking initiatives. 
• Ensure third-party technology solutions align with security, compliance and operational standards. 
• Optimize vendor relationships to drive cost efficiency and strategic technology advantages.

Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management 

• Work in partnership with the CRISO, Legal and Compliance teams to ensure all digital transformation, digital banking and deposit products comply with banking regulations including FDIC, KYC, AML, Data Privacy and other regulatory standards, with a specific focus on safeguarding the bank’s reputation and its customers’ trust.
• Stay informed about changes in banking regulations and industry standards, proactively adapting digital banking and deposit strategies to remain compliant.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Proven leadership in technology, digital banking or fintech environments, preferably in a regulated financial institution. 
• Experience in IT architecture, cloud computing, API development and infrastructure management.
• Strong knowledge of data strategy, analytics platforms and business intelligence tools.
• Expertise in vendor management, fintech partnerships and third-party technology oversight. 
• Ability to bridge business needs with technology solutions, ensuring operational efficiency, scalability and regulatory compliance.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, marketing, information technology or related field; or 10+ years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience; MBA preferred. 
• 10+ years of leadership experience in digital banking, deposit product management or enterprise-wide digital transformation within a community bank or financial institution.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES 

• Ability to develop and execute transformative strategies that drive enterprise growth and align with mission-drive objectives.
• Deep knowledge of deposit products, treasure management solutions and digital banking platforms. 
• Experience leading cultural and operational change within a financial institution with the ability to inspire and motivate teams.
• Strong commitment to enhancing the customer experience, particularly for underserved and diverse populations.
• Proficiency in leveraging fintech partnerships, data analytics, automation and AI to drive innovation and efficiency. 
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and align stakeholders across multiple functions. 
• Strong understanding of banking regulations, including compliance standards for digital banking and deposit products.
• Diligent and self-motivated.
• Flexible.
• Ability to travel as the need arises.

REQUIREMENTS

• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 lbs. 
• Literacy in English.
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time, twist, bend, sit, walk use hands to twist, handle or feel objects, tools or controls, such as computer mouse, computer keyboard, calculator, stapler, telephone, staple puller, etc., reach with hands and arms, balance, stoop, kneel, talk or hear.
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

THE COMPANY

Founded in 1912, Stearns Financial Services Inc. (SFSI) is a $3.2 billion, independently owned financial institution with locations in Minnesota, Florida and Arizona, and over 35,000 small business customers nationwide. Specializing in affordable housing financing, USDA and SBA lending, and small business and equipment financing, Stearns Bank is regularly recognized as one of the country’s top-performing banks and “Best Banks to Work For” by American Banker. 

As a Star Tribune Top Workplaces award recipient and an award recipient of the Minnesota Business Magazine 100 Best Places to Work in Minnesota, Stearns takes pride in their team and holds their employees in extremely high regard. We offer a competitive salary and benefit package including our Employee Stock Ownership Program-one of the best long-term incentive programs in the nation. To learn more about Stearns Bank, visit www. StearnsBank.com

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER /AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, or creed, religion, sex, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran’s status, status with regard to public assistance, or any other class protected by Federal, State, local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.