Product Owner

Our client, a respected investment management company in the western suburbs of Chicago, is looking for a Product Owner to join their team as they continue to grow. This position is primarily responsible for assisting in the execution of the company’s comprehensive technology projects. Strategic initiatives will be focused on driving departmental objectives, which include evaluating the company’s operational systems and assisting in the implementation of a data management strategy. As a product owner, you will be responsible for maximizing the value of the products created by the scrum team and ensuring alignment with the company's vision and customer needs.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist in developing and communicating the strategic product vision and roadmap for project stakeholders and business partners.
• Work with project stakeholders and business partners, to understand, analyze, and documentdetailed functional and technical requirements.
• Create, prioritize, and maintain the product backlog, ensuring it is visible, transparent, and understood by the team.
• Develop user stories and acceptance criteria and ensure that backlog items are well-defined and ready for implementation.
• Lead sprint planning sessions, set sprint goals, and ensure the team understands the objectives.
• Monitor progress during sprints and address any production issues that arise.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to align the product roadmap with strategic goals. Serve as the primary liaison between stakeholders and the development team, ensuring clear communication of product goals and requirements.
• Develop comprehensive end-to-end test cases at the application and multi-application levels. This includes performing quality assurance testing, test case creation, and defect logging and closure.
• Assist in overseeing the implementation of approved process improvements, and participate in project meetings acting as a SME, providing guidance on business objectives.
• Communicate highly complex information effectively to staff, management, vendors, and other technology resources within and outside of the organization.
• Assess product progress at each iteration, making decisions on whether to proceed or adjust the development approach.
• Analyze user feedback and industry trends to refine the product and agile methodologies.
• Assist in managing vendor relationships to ensure systems, platforms, and applications continue to meet business needs. Evaluate new vendors as needed.
• Demonstrate the highest standards of personal and professional integrity, adhere to company’s policies and procedures, and comply with applicable laws, government rules and regulations.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, mathematics, data science, computer science or related field.

Master’s degree preferred

• 7 years of experience in financial services, alternatives, private equity and/or real estate, with associated knowledge of emerging technologies and industry trends and the ability to apply this knowledge to executing on business outcomes and delivering of business value.
• Proven track record of success in operational process improvements, data management, and/or IT project execution.
• Deep understanding of agile methodologies, with the ability to manage conflicting stakeholder needs and make informed decisions.
• Background in business analysis, requirements gathering, and working with project teams, vendors, business stakeholders, and engineering to develop and design solutions.
• Experience documenting test scripts in support of system implementations, enhancements, and upgrades.
• Ability to seek appropriate advice and information in support of optimal decision making, build consensus, and influence strategic direction.
• Strong project management and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical team members.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills with demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with all levels of an organization.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Intermediate skills in Microsoft Visio, Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook are required.
• Experience with eFront, Yardi, Salesforce, HubSpot, Dealpath, SQL, Power BI, Jira, or ServiceNow is a plus.
• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), or Professional Scrum Master (PSM) certification is preferred.
• Additional certifications in Agile methodologies (e.g., SAFe, Kanban) are a plus.