Technical Product Owner

Job Summary:

The Product Owner / IT Director is a strategic leader responsible for maximizing the value of technology products and platforms that support core insurance operations. Acting as the bridge between business stakeholders and the IT delivery team, this role defines product vision, prioritizes features, and ensures solutions align with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and customer needs. The Director will assume full accountability for assigned product environments and related projects, serving as the singular point of responsibility for their overall success.

Key Responsibilities

Product Vision & Strategy

• Develop and communicate a clear product vision and roadmap aligned with business strategy, regulatory requirements, and market trends.

• Inform product strategy and feature prioritization.

• Collaborate with executives and business stakeholders (Underwriting, Claims, Policy Administration, Actuarial, etc.) to gather requirements and translate them into actionable user stories and product plans.

Backlog & Roadmap Management

• Own, prioritize, and maintain the product backlog, ensuring it is visible, transparent, and clear to all stakeholders.

• Refine and prioritize backlog items based on business value, risk, technical dependencies, and customer needs.

• Build and maintain project plans that anticipate blockers, manage dependencies, and keep momentum going.

Agile Delivery & Execution

• Serve as the primary point of contact for Agile development teams, providing clear guidance on feature prioritization and acceptance criteria.

• Participate in Agile ceremonies (Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-ups, Sprint Reviews, Retrospectives).

• Work closely with Scrum Masters, architects, engineers, and other product owners to plan and execute sprints, ensuring timely delivery of product features.

• Review and accept completed work, ensuring it meets business needs, acceptance criteria, and quality standards.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• Act as the voice of the customer, ensuring solutions meet user needs and deliver business value.

• Facilitate communication between business units, IT, vendors, and other stakeholders.

• Hold regular meetings with executive steering committees and key stakeholders to collaborate on strategies and key business objectives.

• Communicate progress, timelines, and changes to stakeholders at all levels.

Team Leadership & Management

• Manage and mentor a team of developers, analysts, and support personnel.

• Provide technical guidance, career development, and motivation to team members.

• Maintain high morale and foster a collaborative, high-performing team environment.

Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement

• Define and accept user stories and features, ensuring delivered solutions meet acceptance criteria andquality standards.

• Support user acceptance testing (UAT) and production rollout activities.

Job Requirements & Specifications

Education:

• Bachelor s degree in computer science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or related field required.

• Advanced degree or relevant certifications (e.g., PO/PM, Scrum Master) preferred.

Experience:

• 10+ years of experience as a Product Owner or similar role in IT, preferably within the insurance industry.

• Proven track record of delivering digital products from concept to launch.

• Experience working with Agile/Scrum methodologies.

• Familiarity with property and casualty insurance processes and systems.

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency with product management and project management tools (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps, Confluence, Rally).

• Advanced proficiency in computer applications: Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio.

• Understanding of software development lifecycle (SDLC) and ability to translate business requirements into technical specifications.

• Technical proficiency and the ability to understand complex IT systems and architecture.