Packed with growth opportunities, WSFS Bank moves into Philly

You may have already seen one of the amiable ads while cruising along I-76 or at one of Philly’s transit stations: “Our name is WSFS Bank. But our friends call us Wiss Fiss.”

The Wilmington, Delaware-based bank has rolled out its retail introduction to Philly in just about the friendliest way possible. And, as a sign of the bank’s emphasis on technology, WSFS will be adding new tech jobs in the coming years as part of its “delivery transformation” program.

“Our delivery transformation is a three-year strategic initiative where we’ll be reevaluating and upgrading our technology to improve our digital solutions with a focus on improving experiences for existing customers, future customers, and our associates,” said WSFS Bank Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Lisa Brubaker.

“To do this, we’ll need to create new positions to support these efforts,” said Brubaker. “We look forward to attracting great talent to our bank that helps us bring these solutions to market, including developers, business analysts and data scientists, among others.”

Responsible for the WSFS’ recent expansion is its merger with Beneficial Bank, a move that expanded the bank’s retail presence from Delaware and the western Philadelphia suburbs into the City of Philadelphia, Bucks County and South Jersey.

With WSFS’ continued growth and broadened presence in the Philadelphia region, now’s as good a time as any to prep Greater Philadelphia’s tech community for the kinds of opportunities they can find on WSFS Bank’s tech team.

“Our company has always been a place where people can grow and thrive,” said Brubaker.

Take the case of Aundre Chambers, whose career trajectory took off the moment he landed his internship at WSFS Bank. With his manager’s mentorship and support, Chambers was able to rise from intern to full-time service desk analyst to his most recent role as of associate systems engineer in only three years.

“WSFS has empowered me to do what makes me happy and to grow as fast or as slow as I want,” said Chambers. “As an intern, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I was empowered to explore other departments and steer my career path in the direction that felt right.”

The ability to develop one’s role and evolve within the bank has been a pleasantly unexpected surprise for many employees, including Brubaker.

“I didn’t intend to stay in banking,” said Brubaker, who joined the bank right out of college. “What kept me here, besides its dual focus on service and community, is that if you have a sense of curiosity and a desire to learn, no doors are closed to you.”

Brubaker’s rise up the WSFS corporate ladder is a testament to how much one’s career can flourish at the bank, she said. Starting as a bank teller, she’s now an executive vice president, leading the bank’s operations and technology division.

“As the bank has grown, it has supported me in learning all aspects of banking. I never felt that I needed to look outside of the bank because there has always been something new and interesting for me to do here. I hit my 32nd anniversary with WSFS in June,” said Brubaker.

Although the longtime local bank is expanding, WSFS hasn’t strayed from its mission to be service-oriented in each of its markets. And it doesn’t plan to, execs say.

“Unlike big banks, the majority of our support is in-house,” said Laura Kuhn, a recruiter for the WSFS tech team. “Even if we double in size in a year, our current level of support will be key to our success. We need people who understand tech but who are also excellent communicators dedicated to going above and beyond for our customers.”

After all, being a community bank — despite being the largest bank headquartered in Greater Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, WSFS has just over 1,800 employees, compared to Wells Fargo’s 262,000 — does have its benefits.

“One element that makes it attractive to work for WSFS, is that you have the ability to be a big fish in a smaller pond,” said Kuhn. “We’re not siloed like a big bank. There’s a chance for you to create real impact and change, with opportunities to work with other departments daily.”

It’s important to note that the bank’s plan to revamp its tech infrastructure is a long-term project still in its beginning phases. As with everything the bank does, the continued evolution of WSFS will be a thoughtful and deliberate process.

But we think it’s never too early to get to know your options, especially if you’re looking for one that can take your career to unexpected heights.

Explore opportunities at WSFS Bank