Job Description

About this Job:

Product Owners are accountable for vision & strategy of the process and technology initiatives of the Client Implementation Management team, as well as the successful execution of the resulting projects that deliver the business value. The Product Owner ensures that the team knows with accurate detail what they are expected to build and have responsibility for defining and prioritizing the backlog of work for the team.  The Product Owner is responsible for ensuring the solution effectively addresses business needs while maintaining technical integrity. They are also responsible to measure business value delivered through efficiencies gained, risks reduced, or other benefits delivered. 

Individuals in this role must effectively partner with sponsors, stakeholders and senior management to ensure the strategic goals and objectives of the product are met and deliver the desired business value.  Additionally, to be successful, this role must effectively partner with technology & vendors to ensure quick & ongoing value from these initiatives, as well as risk-mitigation of changes. 

Product Owners also serve in the capacity of project manager, directing the daily activities of team members on projects (generally matrixed). 

Scope:

Owns assigned product(s) and establishes product vision & road map. Executes on product strategy. Gathers and organizes product/services requirements and prioritizes or contributes to prioritization of product road map. In partnership with technology and business stakeholders, the Product Owner recommends the desired approach to delivery and plan for adoption by business teams. Through business knowledge, provides guidance to internal and/or external clients on optimizing their use of enablement platforms and tools. Leverages insights gained from client interactions to recommend enhanced processes, reports, tools, etc., for improving effectiveness. Takes the lead in conceptualizing and developing enhancements. Advises business management on recommended priorities, key risks and milestones.

Responsibilities:

Product Ownership — Sets ambitious and clear product vision and communicates ‘the story’ effectively to key stakeholders and the team. Partners with various teams such as business teams, legal, compliance, finance, and design to ensure that solutions are compliant, client-centric, and in line with brand standards. Establishes or heavily contributes to road map for assigned product(s). Removes impediments and facilitates decisions both inside and outside the core team to ensure a successful product delivery. Elevates product related issues that cannot be resolved to senior product owner or management for resolution assistance; elevates key product decisions to senior management. The product owner sets the direction for the product and prioritizes what will be included in the business case and each release. Prioritizes and manages backlog work. With input from Sr. Product Owners and other stakeholders, the Product Owner continuously ensures all items on the Product Backlog are clearly described, estimated and prioritized.  Establishes the initial acceptance criteria for each User Story and works with the team to refine during Backlog-refinement sessions. Reviews and reprioritizes the Backlog as part of the preparatory work for sprint planning, including coordination of content dependencies with other Product Owners.
Participates in Sprint & Delivery Activities - Acts as primary source for User Story detail and priorities for the team.  Responsible for accepting the final iteration plan. Participates in all Sprint ceremonies including planning, daily Stand-ups, Sprint Demos, and Retrospectives.  Responsible for validating all User Stories meeting the acceptance criteria and “definition of done” for the team.  Answers questions and clarifies business requirements for the team during the Sprint.  Works with all team leads (Scrum Master, Technology Lead, etc.) to assist in removing impediments that arise for the team.
Achieves Business Results —Oversees a cross functional team, which could include marketing, technology, and design associates. Ensures products meet and/or exceed standards for business performance, client satisfaction, compliance, and operational efficiency by closely monitoring, analyzing, and interpreting the metrics to assess the performance of products against key performance indicators (such as sales, new accounts, lead and referral generation, etc.). Develops and implements strategies and tactics to meet the desired business objectives for assigned product.

Product Release Coordination —Plans with other key team roles as well as product owners who are part of other teams, if necessary, to ensure a strategic, complementary release schedule. The product owner also helps to identify necessary operational changes stemming from a release and is co-responsible for defining reusable solutions/shared components.

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree or the equivalent combination of education and relevant experience AND 5+ years of total relevant work experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in business or equivalent experience. 
Project Management training / PMP certification.
Experience in Investment Management industry.
Strategic thinker & problem-solver with proven ability to understand details & actively execute to ensure success. 
Demonstrated ability to own products & ability to balance Enterprise demands within the roadmap.
Proven ability to approach strategic execution with commercial decision-making around quick wins, business value delivery, etc. 
Previous experience with technology/data projects, data quality tools & processes, as well as best-practices.
Significant experience with cloud-based technologies, design and build.
Experience with Lean Agile & SDLC project management methodology.
Excellent negotiation skills & ability to influence. 
Ability to assess trade-offs between value & risk/cost/time.  Comfortable with accepting measured business risks.
Ability to coach and supervise project & production support resources
Ability to translate and simplify complex business and technical concepts 
Ability to work well with people with varying technical, business, and cultural backgrounds
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Experience managing projects in a matrix environment
High level of analytical and problem-solving skills

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

We strive for equity, equality, and opportunity for all associates. When we embrace the power of diversity and create an environment where people can bring their authentic and best selves to work, our firm is stronger, and we create greater value for our clients. Our commitment and inclusive programming aim to lift the experience for each associate and builds allies for our global associate community. We know that a sense of belonging is key not only to your success at the firm, but also to your ability to bring your best each day.

Benefits: We invest in our people through a wide range of programs and benefits, including:

Competitive pay and bonuses as well as a generous retirement plan and employee stock purchase plan with matching contributions
Flexible and remote work opportunities
Health care benefits (medical, dental, vision)
Tuition assistance
Wellness programs (fitness reimbursement, Employee Assistance Program)