Product Owner - Affinity Solutions Technology

Product Owner - Affinity Solutions Technology

Overview: As a Product Owner in Affinity Solutions Technology (AST) you will lead a cross-functional agile team implementing technology solutions for Securian's Affinity Solutions and Securian Canada markets. AST teams demonstrate passion for delivering innovative solutions for clients, customers, and internal partners, driven by creative problem-solving skills, strong collaboration, and analytical abilities. You need to be passionate about delivering business value through technology while remaining flexible to adapt to evolving and emerging needs. You will partner with stakeholders to define your team's strategy and roadmap, owning your team's prioritization and delivery. You will work closely with your team, other Product Owners, business stakeholders, engineering leaders, and technology partners to deliver solutions using a blend of methodologies.

Responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Partners with the business to build trust and translate operations, customer needs, and technology into impactful digital solutions-resolving trade-offs, managing risks and dependencies, creating and driving product roadmaps with a focus on measurable outcomes, and communicating transparently.
• Maintains a backlog to prioritize work/stories for the team by synthesizing all relevant data, research and any other available information.
• Engages stakeholders through ongoing collaboration to understand evolving customer needs, advocate for the business, and share insights with teams to drive alignment and optimal outcomes.
• Leverages emerging best practices and market trends to drive operational efficiencies and align technology strategies with business goals.
• Uses all available resources (e.g., analytics, reporting, surveys, ethnographic research, qualitative data, usability testing) to understand product performance and customer satisfaction.
• Effectively communicates product value through storytelling, connecting to business/customer impact and engages stakeholders in strategic decisions to optimize outcomes.
• Cross functional understanding of how their work integrates with other business workstreams and initiatives.
• Understands how to leverage team effectiveness metrics (e.g., velocity/cycle time) to drive value.
• Contributes to strategic product decisions by incorporating total cost of ownership and providing input into operating budget planning.
• Participates in governance meetings and communicates technical and business product status and progress with senior leaders.
• Creates product delivery commitments such as service level agreements and BCM plans to support resiliency requirements.
• Engages in product discovery efforts to identify strategic opportunities.
• Proactively develops and demonstrates advanced knowledge of and experience with the technical product(s) and is conversant in the product architecture to drive growth and improve customer experience.
• Directly responsible for implementation, configuration, and/or continuous improvement of a technical product based on value.
• Anticipates and identifies new product opportunities to drive value.
• Provides input and leads the design of meaningful tests and learning opportunities.
• Ensures project delivery is in conformance with company methodologies and standards; leads and provides guidance for project management for initiatives, ensuring business objectives are met and business benefits are delivered.

Qualifications:

• Working knowledge of agile practices.
• Understands the fundamentals of iterative development, incremental delivery, backlog management, burndown metrics, velocity, and task definition.
• Leadership skills to gain credibility, garner respect, guide the creation of a self-organizing team, being assertive with business priorities and opposing viewpoints while adhering to agile concepts and principles.
• Ability to influence teams to deliver great customer experience without direct authority.
• Working knowledge of Product Management practices.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills to engage agile team and stakeholders, facilitate discussions, negotiate, and resolve conflict.
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, creative problem-solving skills, and attention to detail.
• Ability to work with minimal direction, flexibility to adapt to shifting priorities and schedules, handle multiple issues simultaneously, and manage stressful situations for self and team.
• Strong knowledge of technology and architectural principles to drive implementation of scalable, maintainable, and resilient solutions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven track record as a Product Owner or individual contributor responsible for value and viability of technology solutions.
• Proven track record working in an agile environment while delivering results based on effective prioritization.
• Experience with stakeholder management and collaboration.
• Ability to quickly learn new domains and adapt to changing business needs.
• Knowledge of product and project and portfolio management best practices.
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences including executives, customers, and technical teams.
• Experience identifying critical emerging business needs and service challenges and ability to quickly and effectively shift/coordinate resources to deliver immediate impact.
• Proven ability to engage with both individual contributors and leaders of the highest levels in constructive and collaborative relationships.
• Demonstrated results of gaining credibility, gaining respect and building trust, guiding the creation of self-organizing teams and being assertive with business priorities and opposing viewpoints while adhering to agile concepts and principles.

This position will be in a hybrid working arrangement. Securian Financial believes in hybrid work as an integral part of our culture. Associates get the benefit of working both virtually and in our offices. If you're in a commutable distance (90 minutes), you'll join us 3 days each week in our offices to collaborate and build relationships. Our policy allows flexibility for the reality of business and personal schedules.

The estimated base pay range for this job is: $84,000.00 - $155,000.00 Pay may vary depending on job-related factors and individual experience, skills, knowledge, etc. More information on base pay and incentive pay (if applicable) can be discussed with a member of the Securian Financial Talent Acquisition team.

Securian Financial Group, Inc. considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, age, marital or familial status, status with regard to public assistance, disability, or Veteran status. All applicants will be considered solely on the basis of their qualifications.