Job Description

Role Summary

The GDS IPEx Senior Product Owner (PO) will be responsible for developing and guiding the execution of a strategic roadmap to support enterprise capabilities for the investment product experiences supporting our various businesses across Americas, EMEA and APAC. This role will be part of a digital product team that will focus on developing re-usable digital features and capabilities for the product sections on our digital properties.

The Sr. PO will partner with multiple stakeholder groups across product, marketing, sales, technology and others to deliver market-leading digital experiences. PO responsibilities will span 

Partnership with stakeholder groups to develop digital product/experience strategy, conduct customer/market research, define multi-year roadmaps and develop business cases to seek investment from the company
Collaboration with the design team for Customer Experience design
Partnership with the architecture & technology teams to design and build technical solutions
Close-collaboration with operations/services teams to deliver operations-ready IPEx capabilities.

In addition, this role will be responsible for defining high-level IPEx experiences and requirements for projects and major enhancements to product experiences. This role will have direct-reports such as Digital Product Owners and Digital Product Analysts to manage; and is expected to be hands-on and execute operations responsibilities at times of need.
The position's primary purpose is to ensure that Investment Product experiences are built to be legally compliant with accurate and latest content + data. The Sr. PO also coordinates with business partners to plan for product launches and major regulatory changes; and oversees the coordination and implementation of those capabilities in partnership with the relevant teams.
As an individual, the suitable candidate is expected to actively participate broadly across business initiatives, development of the product owner function, and professional training to invest in their careers actively.

Responsibilities

Digital Product Strategy (Ideate, define)

Responsible for ideating features and capabilities to support enterprise IPEx
Collaborates with consultants/vendors on strategic initiatives to define the future of IPEx, develop business cases and roadmaps to pitch for funding and capacity expansions
Leads/participates in user research, competitor research and market-trends analysis. Develops deep customer insights and business knowledge
Develops Digital Product and Experience Strategy – Identifies product opportunities / enhancements, facilitate / coordinate ideas from stakeholders, team members and audience members
Defines target state and prepares artifacts to support business-case development. Develops, tracks and updates a robust product roadmap and an integrated milestone implementation plan

Product Roadmaps (Design, plan and build)

Requirements and Design

Works with stakeholders and technology teams to define the product roadmap, develops the agile team backlog, writes detailed requirements by the way of Epics and Stories and prioritizes the product backlog
Partners with the creative team/agencies to define user experience needs, develops visuals and prototypes
Partners with Architecture and IT teams to design the technical solution with an eye towards a 3-5 yr sustainability, re-use and ability to shorten time-to-market
Partners with legal and compliance teams to secure necessary approvals, oversees legal, FINRA filings, record-keeping and other required regulatory process requirements
Partners with Marketing and Journey teams to support the go-to-market strategy, promotions across multiple channels
Defines an implementation roadmap based on business/digital priority

Execution

Oversees the efforts of Product Owners and Product Analysts to execute on the roadmap and is accountable for the delivery of value and efficiency for the firm
Owns and is accountable for the product roadmap, develops and retains business and conceptual technical knowledge for IPEx
Partners with the IT team to build and test the solution iteratively 
Oversees internal and external testing, user pilots and documents feedback. Refines requirements and loops back to adjust scope for the IT team

Launch

Oversees launch activities with partner teams (Product, Marketing, Legal, IT, etc.). Communicates launch results to stakeholders and other teams in the business unit
Monitors user engagement and report analysis/insights/trends at stakeholder discussions
Partners with business operations teams to develop user training material, conducts “train the trainer” sessions and acts as subject-matter-expert for the Digital Product Experience

Stakeholder Management

Builds and nurtures highly valuable working relationships with various internal stakeholder groups (e.g., GBS, Product Marketing, Investment Product, Compliance, Global Communications Compliance, and others) to represent business needs within the roadmap and launch relevant features/capabilities. 
Participates in relevant stakeholder discussions, steering committees and other forums as required to provide an update on the product roadmap, accomplishments and what is coming in the near future.

Team Management

Assists the Director in developing communications for various group and leadership forums
Manages a team of Product Owners and Product Analysts, establishes performance and development goals; and actively pursues excellence for self and the team.
Coaches, leads and encourages team members to actively pursue efforts and contributions towards the success of the Global Digital Solutions, Global Marketing and Global Distribution organizations.
Creates a positive working environment and manages conflicts objectively for positive outcomes.

Typical Qualifications

Required

Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 15+ years of related work experience
Hands-on experience driving strategic discovery and definition efforts, analyzing user and market research results and developing business cases influences by stakeholder/SME/research inputs
Hands-on experience in the development, management and delivery of digital product roadmaps preferably in a global digital capability
10+ years of experience working in Financial Services/Investment Management/Asset Management
Demonstrated experience in complex digital initiatives
Deep understanding of the investment management industry, the range of investment products and vehicle types; and data detail
Experience working with content and data management systems
Experience in working to manage complex data sets, data display, and / or complex data visualization challenges
Ability to work in an agile product development environment and lead/collaborate with various internal and external partners/stakeholders.
Exceptionally strong communication (written/verbal/presentation) and interpersonal skills
The ability to manage multiple priorities and navigate sensitive organizational hierarchies with a high EQ
Strong collaboration skills across numerous partners and delivery teams
Excellent oral and written skills
Strong interpersonal skills, positive, practical, and proactive
Independent worker who is results-driven, can work in a fast-paced environment and juggle multiple projects and priorities
Experience leading/managing teams

Desired

Masters Degree
Prior experience in full life-cycle technology delivery or technical architecture/solutions design in Investment Management/Asset Management/Financial Services
Excellent negotiation and influencing skills; influencing without authority

Work Flexibility

This role is eligible for remote work up to two days a week.

FINRA Requirements

FINRA licenses are not requires and will not be supported for this role.

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)

Our policies may change as our working lives evolve. Yet, our commitment to supporting our associates’ well-being and addressing the needs of our clients, business, and communities is unwavering.