Position Summary

The Director of Client & Community Relations is responsible for advancing Busey’s vision, mission, and values by supporting the strategic direction of sales and community engagement initiatives across all Busey regions. This role oversees the development and implementation of high-impact, scalable programs that foster sales growth and reinforce the organization’s charitable objectives. The Director will collaborate closely with executive leadership, sales leaders, the Brand Experience team, and key community partners to drive innovative solutions that enhance the sales process and strengthen community relationships. This position is central to cultivating a culture of community engagement that supports Busey’s strategic objectives and regional presence.

Duties & Responsibilities

Sales Leadership Support:

• Lead collaboration with sales leadership to design, refine, and oversee the implementation
• of advanced sales training programs that drive high performance and align with corporate
• objectives.
• Through strategic oversight, the Director will ensure alignment with corporate goals, guide
• regional managers in optimizing community impact and philanthropic partnerships, communicate training and resources to support sales teams effectively.
• Strategically partner with onboarding teams to implement comprehensive training programs for sales representatives, ensuring alignment with business goals and providing them with the resources necessary for success.
• Consult with senior line of business leaders to develop and recommend high-level sales and prospecting strategies that enhance operational efficiency, improve customer experience, and increase client loyalty.
• Oversee the collection and analysis of feedback to continually evolve and strengthen the sales strategy.

Charitable Strategy & Community Engagement:

• Direct Busey’s philanthropic strategy within multiple regions, managing sponsorships,
• budgeting, charitable outreach, and event wrap-up efforts to maximize community impact.
• Oversee, evaluate and manage charitable vendor partnerships and platforms
• Lead the organization and execution of community and charitable events, promoting
• employee volunteerism and enhancing the organization’s community engagement through targeted campaigns and strategic communications.
• Cultivate relationships with community leaders to boost Busey's visibility and foster strong partnerships that advance corporate and community objectives.
• Oversee communications for client appreciation functions, business development events, and external press releases to amplify Busey's community presence.
• Evaluate emerging social impact initiatives and advise on community engagement strategies that enhance the organization’s philanthropic footprint.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Act as a strategic connector between sales, brand experience, and product teams to
• advance cross-functional goals, optimize customer experience, and reinforce client loyalty
• across regions.
• Collaborate with the Event Experience team to ensure alignment between sales goals and charitable event strategies and oversee internal recognition initiatives that celebrate employee achievements.
• Keep the Market/Regional President informed on regional developments, community events, and emerging trends to support informed decision-making and strategic alignment.

Strategic Alignment and Branding:

• Lead efforts to uphold and enhance the corporate brand and culture across all
• communications and initiatives, serving as a “Busey Brand Ambassador” in all
• interactions.
• Ensure a consistent corporate voice and unified strategic direction throughout all First Busey Corporation entities, conducting Brand

Education & Experience

Knowledge Of:

• Comprehensive understanding of the organization’s strategic goals, including advanced concepts, practices, and procedures for managing initiatives, resources, and tools that support community partnerships and corporate volunteerism. This includes leading charitable efforts, sponsorships, event management, volunteer programs, campaigns, and communications, as well as guiding overall marketing strategy and support.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills with the ability to convey complex information effectively to diverse audiences.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Excel, Smartsheet, and related project management tools.

Ability to:

• Lead team efforts as a positive, strategic representative of Pillar Relations, managing community relations initiatives and guiding Market Presidents in advancing their community development objectives.
• Ensure all marketing, communication, and outreach initiatives consistently align with and promote Busey’s corporate brand and cultural values.
• Demonstrate high-level organizational skills, balancing competing priorities, managing multiple deadlines, and maintaining budget oversight.
• Analyze and resolve complex challenges by applying advanced problem-solving techniques and strategic thinking.
• Perform responsibilities effectively under time constraints and present confidently to executive leadership.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Communications, Marketing, or a related field is required.
• Requires 7 or more years of progressively responsible experience in multi-faceted sales, marketing, and community relations, with leadership experience preferred.

Benefits and Compensation

Salary offered is based on factors, including but not limited to, the job duties, required qualifications and relevant experience, and local market trends. The role may be eligible for bonus or incentives based on company and individual performance.

(Base Pay Range: $79,000 - $109,000/year)

Busey provides a competitive Total Rewards package in return for your time, talents, efforts and ultimately, results. Your personal and professional well-being—now and in the years to come—are important to us. Busey’s Total Rewards include a competitive benefits package offering 401(k) match, profit sharing, employee stock purchase plan, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, company-paid life insurance and long-term disability, supplemental voluntary life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, wellness incentives and an employee assistance program. In addition, eligible associates may take advantage of pre-tax health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts. Visit Busey Total Rewards for more information.

Equal Opportunity

Busey values a diverse and inclusive workplace and strives to recruit, develop and retain individuals with exceptional talent. A team with diverse talent, working together, is essential to Busey’s commitment of delivering service excellence. Busey  is an Equal Opportunity Employer including Disability/Vets. Visit Busey.com/Careers to learn more about Busey’s Equal Opportunity Employment.

Unsolicited Resumes

Busey Bank, and its subsidiaries, does not accept any liability for fees for resumes from recruiters or employment agencies (“Agency”), without a binding, written recruitment agreement between Busey and Agency describing the services and specific job openings (“Agreement”). Busey may consider any candidate for whom an Agency has submitted an unsolicited resume and explicitly reserves the right to hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the Agency, unless an Agreement is in place. Any email or verbal contact with any Busey associate is inadequate to create a binding agreement. Agencies without an Agreement are requested not to contact any associates of Busey with recruiting inquiries or resumes. Busey respectfully requests no phone calls or emails.