Description
At Thrivent, we are focused on a digital transformation that will deliver modern, innovative experiences for our clients, financial advisors, and employees. We are investing in data and technology, using DevOps practices, and building an engineering culture of empowered technical experts. Our technologists are involved in work that includes cloud native development, digital architecture and integration, automation, cloud data platforms, artificial intelligence, and machine learning as well as maximizing platforms such as Salesforce, AWS and Microsoft.
This Product Owner will be part of our Engineering Productivity team. The Product Owner works on a cross functional team to create meaningful and simple experiences for their product’s customers. They own the direction-setting, discovery, and prioritization of customer wants and needs. A PO-I typically is new to the role of Product Owner, and as such likely manages products with limited scope and impact.
The Product Owner role is highly collaborative working closely with several key partners. The Product Owner articulates, translates, and executes the Product Manager’s long-term strategy and vision of the product through tactical strategies and solutions to drive necessary business outcomes. This requires the right alignment and regular, transparent communication to ensure both roles deliver on their goals. Additionally, the Product Owner works closely with stakeholders, end users, and functional and technical team members to rapidly deliver quality solutions to customers.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Works as a key team member on a cross functional team, responsible for continuous delivery of value to the customer through compelling and empowering customer experiences.
- Collaborate with Product Manager and stakeholders to ensure work prioritization is aligned with Thrivent’s priorities and overall product roadmap as well as to provide product development feedback and direction.
- Continuously innovates and evolves the product in alignment with strategic priorities. Is responsible for creating, maintaining, and evolving the product roadmap.
- Maintain and refine product backlog: Create user stories and acceptance criteria and prioritize all stories to ensure work focuses on those with maximum business value that align with product strategy.
- Ensure stories clearly communicate the customer and stakeholder needs to meet key business objectives and strategies for the product. Is available for consultation during agile team planning and grooming sessions as needed.
- Works with other product teams/owners to align product roadmaps and sprint plans, and to focus on delivering the maximum business value to the organization.
- Working as a part of an agile team, ensures the team is aligned around similar goals and objectives and attending all team meetings.
- Engages with customers and users on a regular basis to uncover implicit and explicit needs.
- Develop and track key value drivers that measure effectiveness of product discovery and overall product performance and communicate these to stakeholders and business leaders on a regular basis.
- Foster a sense of urgency to achieve goals and leverage resources to overcome unexpected obstacles.
- Inspire others to achieve challenging goals and high standards of performance while committing to the organization’s direction (Product/Agile/DevOps).
- Models Thrivent’s leadership competencies – courage, collaboration, and commitment by demonstrating resiliency, working together to make the best decisions, and holding yourself and others accountable.
- Supports and/or develops an environment in which Thrivent employees and colleagues are focused on continuous improvement, exceptional employee engagement, and an unwavering commitment to our clients. Shapes and/or supports a culture that represents the Thrivent purpose, promise and values, ensuring that Thrivent’s trust and reputation remain strong with its clients.
QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS:
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
- 4-6 years relevant business experience
- Understand fundamentals of iterative development, software development process and procedures
- Familiarity with principles of Agile Product Management, stakeholder management, market and user research, technology management, and process design
- High level of organization and attention to detail
- Passion and understanding of new technology and trends
- Strong communication abilities to all levels of seniority and disciplines within the organization
Preferred:
- Certified Product Owner or similar certification
- Experience developing business cases, roadmaps, product execution strategies
- Ability to prioritize work against enterprise, division, and product strategies. Can effectively communicate rationale and impact for prioritization choices
- Experience in defining high-quality business requirements and proficient in Agile story writing
- Experience with foundational product management tools, techniques and principles across discovery, design, build, release, and measure cycle
- Strong leadership skills to coordinate and motivate product teams, even outside direct reporting relationships
- Demonstrated experience with user interface design and best practices for usability
- Experience working in large, complex organizational initiatives
- Advanced skills in MS Office Suite with particular emphasis on Excel and PowerPoint
Thrivent provides Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, marital status, citizenship status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable local, state, or federal law. This policy applies to all employees and job applicants.