Agile Product Owner - Small Business

The Hartford•Charlotte, NC

28d•Hybrid

About The Position

We're determined to make a difference and are proud to be an insurance company that goes well beyond coverages and policies. Working here means having every opportunity to achieve your goals - and to help others accomplish theirs, too. Join our team as we help shape the future. The Small Business Transformation Office team is seeking an Agile Product Owner (APO) to support investment in the E&S Value Stream. The APO is a critical role that acts as a liaison between the business and IT. The role is primarily an individual contributor, however leadership skills to guide teams, drive conversations, determine business requirements, and provide expertise on the Small Business flow are critical. The candidate will set priorities for 1 or more agile team(s), represent the voice of the customer, link execution to the business vision and be comfortable balancing multiple responsibilities and priorities. To be successful in this role, the individual needs to have a high level of self-motivation, curiosity and ownership. Passion for customer experience and bias for data-driven insight to guide decisions and actions are also crucial. Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, and a clear preference for working collaboratively in a team environment are essential.

Requirements

3+ years of Insurance Industry experience in product-related role, digital, technology, or related field such as underwriting is required
Knowledge of agile methodologies and frameworks such as Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Scrum, Kanban, XP, etc.
Experience with Agile lifecycle management tools (e.g., Rally, JIRA)
Experience with Excel, PowerPoint, and MS Teams preferred
Strong collaboration and influence skills, including ability to manage multiple stakeholders
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability understand audiences, tailor messages and influence outcomes in a collaborative manner
Experience with analyzing data to identify insights and create hypotheses for testing
Self-motivated individual with demonstrated ability to handle multiple high-priority demands, manage expectations and achieve objectives
Experience with ADKAR or other change management frameworks preferred
Prior Product Ownership experience a plus
CSPO, PSPO or SAFe POPM certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead product execution for 1 or more agile team(s), depending on line of business
Engage with business and technology stakeholders to identify product opportunities and implications
Stay current on internal, competitive, and industry technology trends to be a subject matter expert
Represent the voice of the customer to the agile team(s)
Provide perspective on portfolio / value stream vision and roadmap
Articulate the product vision and roadmap to the agile team(s)
Guide the agile team(s) in determining sprint goals, linking execution activities to business intent
Manage the product backlog, breaking down features into stories and prioritizing stories to maximize business value. Regularly assist APM with feature road mapping
Accountable for the health and readiness of the team backlog
Ensure the agile team(s) understand the items in the backlog and their business value
Independently write user stories, including defining acceptance criteria, without requiring coaching and oversight
Accept completed stories that meet the "definition of done" and quality expectations
Validate that the solution and functionality meet the product vision
Incorporate feedback from sprint demos
Partner with the Scrum Master, Agile teams, Architects, APMs, Tech Leads, and business stakeholders to ensure solutions will deliver the business vision
Drive business readiness and change management activities
Monitor and share execution progress including risks and impediments
Analyze delivery metrics to identify key trends and opportunities for continuous improvement within the agile team(s)
Leverage data, Voice of Customer and Voice of Business to manage and prioritize the Product Backlog
Strong Communication skills that can adapt and adjust for different audiences.