Brand Strategy Manager

Location: Fergus Falls, Minnesota

Salary Grade: 15

Help strengthen how a trusted organization is understood. For more than a century, Otter Tail Power has built its reputation by delivering safe, reliable, and cost-effective energy while supporting the communities we serve. As our business, stakeholders, and operating environment become increasingly complex, we're continuing to strengthen how we align our brand, communications, and stakeholder understanding with our long-term strategy. We're looking for an experienced leader to guide that work.

As our Brand Strategy Leader, you'll lead the team responsible for how business priorities are translated into enterprise narrative, communication strategy, content, creative services, editorial planning, research, insights, and production. You'll help ensure our employees, customers, communities, and stakeholders experience one clear, consistent, and credible company story. This is not a traditional communications management role. This is an opportunity to shape the systems, standards, and strategies that support how a trusted utility is understood by the people who matter most. This position reports to Director Communications.

What you'll do

• Lead enterprise brand strategy and communication planning.
• Establish and steward the company's narrative, message architecture, and brand standards.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to leaders across the company on communication strategy and stakeholder understanding.
• Direct editorial planning, governance, workflow, and communication resource prioritization.
• Lead a multidisciplinary team responsible for content strategy, writing, design, editorial planning, communication operations, research and insights, and production.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, design, business, or a related field.
• Progressive experience in brand strategy, communications, marketing, creative services, content strategy, editorial management, communication planning, reputation research, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to translate business strategy into clear brand, messaging, content, editorial, creative, and communication plans.
• Experience leading communication planning, content strategy, creative services, editorial workflows, production operations, or cross-functional communication initiatives.
• Strong understanding of brand governance, message architecture, editorial planning, visual identity, content strategy, audience needs, channel coordination, and communication measurement.
• Ability to evaluate and prioritize work based on strategic value, business impact, stakeholder needs, resource availability, and timing.
• Strong writing, editing, presentation, consultation, planning, and strategic communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to influence leaders and business partners toward effective communication solutions without relying on positional authority.
• Experience developing outcome-focused metrics and using research, performance data, and insights to improve communication effectiveness.
• Ability to lead experienced contributors, manage competing priorities, and improve systems, processes, workflows, and overall team effectiveness.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a regulated industry, utility, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, or another complex business environment.
• Experience overseeing creative, editorial, production, print, or communication operations.
• Experience with AI governance, content automation, reputation measurement, brand research, media monitoring, or stakeholder insights.
• Experience managing agencies, research vendors, external creative partners, or production vendors.

Why this role matters

This position plays a key role in helping Otter Tail Power navigate a rapidly changing environment that includes infrastructure development, affordability, reliability, economic growth, public policy, technology, and evolving stakeholder expectations. You'll help ensure our communication, brand, and engagement strategies continue to support the trust and understanding we’ve built over generations.

What we offer

We believe employment is a partnership and we invest in the success of our employees. Competitive wage & benefit package. The expected offer for base compensation for this role is $117,000 - $162,000 annually. The actual compensation within the compensation range will vary based on factors relevant to the position. Incentive opportunities Employee stock ownership options Retirement Savings Fund with employer match Health, disability, and life insurance plans Professional development and education reimbursement Leadership development programs Paid time off and wellness resources Interested? Apply at Otter Tail Power Careers. Applications will be accepted through October 30, 2026. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship at this time. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.