Product Owner - Digital Operations

Sunrise Banks•Saint Paul, MN

4h•$65,331 - $93,330•Onsite

About The Position

The Product Owner – Digital Operations is a highly execution-focused individual contributor who serves as a key partner to the Director of Digital Operations in delivering the bank’s digital banking strategy. This role supports approved digital enhancements by managing intake, requirements analysis, prioritization of the product backlog, and overall release readiness. The Product Owner works closely with internal stakeholders (Marketing & Communications (MarCom), Enterprise Risk, IT, Treasury Sales, Consumer Banking, etc.) and collaborates with external digital banking vendors to ensure the bank is prepared to deliver exceptional, secure, scalable digital experiences. The Product Owner translates prioritized initiatives into actionable requirements and orchestrates cross-functional efforts to execute on strategy that improves customer experience, strengthens risk and compliance, and increases operational efficiency. This role is designed as an execution-focused individual contributor and does not include responsibility for digital strategy, vendor ownership, or Director-level leadership functions, which remain within Digital Operations leadership.

Requirements

Minimum 5 years in digital banking, fintech products, or related product/operations roles (banking or payments industry strongly preferred).
Proven experience with product lifecycle management – specifically, owning a backlog and roadmap, coordinating cross-functional delivery of technology enhancements, and managing release cycles (including UAT coordination and go-live readiness).
Ability to capture business needs and translate them into user stories, detailed requirements, and test cases.
Familiarity with digital banking platforms and core banking integrations (e.g., Q2 digital banking, Fiserv systems, Centrix fraud management) and experience coordinating with vendors on deliverables.
Working knowledge of banking regulations, risk management, and change control processes in a regulated financial environment; demonstrated ability to ensure compliance in execution of digital initiatives.
Proficiency with collaboration and work management tools (e.g., Jira or Azure DevOps for backlog management, Microsoft 365/SharePoint for documentation, data analysis tools like Excel or Power BI).
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to create clear documentation (release notes, SOPs) and effectively present updates to both technical teams and senior leadership.
Demonstrates the ability to work with AI tools and maintains an open, curious approach to emerging technologies.

Responsibilities

Own and maintain the digital product backlog, including intake, triage, prioritization, dependency mapping, and release sequencing (Now/Next/Later). Ensure alignment of the backlog with strategic priorities set by Digital Operations leadership.
Elicit detailed business requirements and translate them into well-defined user stories and acceptance criteria. Maintain comprehensive configuration and release documentation for digital banking platform changes.
Lead release planning activities and ensure operational readiness for each digital banking release. Coordinate UAT (user acceptance testing) and regression testing, track and resolve issues, document test results, and provide go/no-go recommendations to leadership. Oversee change communications and post-release evaluations to capture lessons learned and measure outcomes.
Maintain and operationalize the digital banking roadmap based on strategic direction established by Digital Operations leadership, ensuring delivery alignment and execution readiness.
Own the Digital Operations documentation lifecycle in partnership with team members – including SOPs, FAQs, release notes, user guides, and integration diagrams. – and ensure that internal knowledge bases (e.g., SharePoint) remain current and accessible. Coordinate any needed training or internal communications.
Work with internal teams and external vendors (e.g., Q2, Fiserv, Centrix) on executing integrations and platform releases. Manage cross-team issues, risks, and dependencies related to vendor deliverables to ensure smooth implementation of digital enhancements.
Ensure all digital banking enhancements and processes adhere to established security standards, regulatory requirements, and internal risk/compliance guidelines. Collaborate with Enterprise Risk, Information Security, and Compliance teams to incorporate necessary controls and approvals into the delivery process.
Establish and monitor product performance and operational metrics (e.g., user adoption, feature utilization, SLA compliance, incident rates). Use data-driven insights to inform prioritization decisions and drive continuous improvement of digital services.
Facilitate a regular operating rhythm for digital initiatives (e.g., weekly progress syncs, biweekly portfolio reviews, monthly leadership updates) to track status, surface risks, and drive decisions. Ensure transparent communication of progress, issues, and results to stakeholders at various levels.
Work closely with Digital Operations leadership on vendor-related activities. Participate in key vendor calls and meetings for digital banking platforms (e.g., Q2, Urban FT) to support execution – for example, tracking deliverables, following up on action items, and clarifying requirements – while primary vendor relationship management and strategic direction remain under the purview of Digital Operations leadership.