Senior Product Owner

The Senior Product Owner will have accountability across the Agile Product Lifecycle and ultimate responsibility for delivery of products and services to Wholesale Banking customers.

Product Strategy and Roadmap:

Define product vision, roadmap and growth opportunities. Develop and maintain a clear and actionable product strategy and roadmap that aligns with the overall business strategy and objectives of the bank. Own the product requirements and roadmap, prioritize and manage the product backlog, ensuring that it reflects user needs, business priorities, and aligns with the overall bank strategy.

Value creation:

Assess value, develop cases, and prioritize stories, epics and themes to ensure the bank focuses on those with maximum value / ROI and optimum customer experience.

Requirement Gathering:

Collaborate closely with stakeholders, including customers, internal teams (such as products, contract center, IT engineering and technology, compliance, operations and governance), and external partners, to gather and prioritize requirements.

Backlog Management:

Prioritize and maintain the product backlog, ensuring that it reflects the priorities and needs of various stakeholders and is groomed and refined regularly.

Feature Definition:

Define clear and concise user stories and acceptance criteria based on business requirements and user feedback, ensuring that the development team understands the scope and goals of the product features.

Release Planning and Coordination:

Plan and coordinate product releases, including defining release goals, coordinating with cross-functional teams, and ensuring timely delivery of features and enhancements.

Product Development Oversight:

Act as the primary point of contact for the development team, providing guidance, clarification, and support throughout the development lifecycle to ensure successful delivery of product features.

Market and Competitive Analysis:

Conduct market research and competitive analysis to identify opportunities for product innovation and differentiation, staying informed about industry trends and best practices.

User Experience and Quality Assurance:

Collaborate with UX/UI designers and QA analysts to ensure that the product meets high standards of usability, accessibility, and quality.

Performance Monitoring and Optimization:

Monitor product performance and KPIs, conduct data analysis to identify areas for improvement, and drive continuous optimization and iteration of products based on user feedback and data insights.

Stakeholder Management and Communication:

Work closely with stakeholders, customers, and development teams to define and communicate detailed product requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria. Lead and manage business analysts, assigning tasks, providing guidance, and ensuring effective communication within the team. Communicate product updates, progress, and strategy effectively to stakeholders at all levels of the organization, including senior leadership.

Desired Candidate Profile

Qualifications and Experience

Proven experience (8 - 10 years) in Digital Banking, Digital Transformation, FinTech, Mobile and Online Banking, Financial Services as a Product Owner or similar role in a Financial Services environment, with a track record of successfully delivering digital products and services.

Minimum of Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field; MBA or relevant certifications preferred.

Proven experience in delivering onboarding capability, digital and assisted journeys.

Highly Proficient with mobile banking apps, online banking platforms, payments systems, or other fintech solutions.

Solid understanding of banking concepts, products, procedures and operations.

Solid understanding of agile methodologies, including Scrum or Kanban, and experience with agile tools such as JIRA or Azure DevOps.

Strong knowledge of regulatory landscape, requirements and compliance standards in the financial services industry in UAE.

Highly effective change agent who engages with senior stakeholders to deliver the programs across organizations.

Strong relationships with vendors and external stakeholders to ensure effective delivery of digital technologies/systems.

Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions.

Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.