Sr Product Owner - Microsoft Dynamics
Protective Life Insurance Company, Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35223
The work we do has an impact on millions of lives, and you can be a part of it.
We help protect our customers against life's uncertainties. Regardless of where you work within the company, you'll be helping provide protection and peace of mind when our customers need it most. The Senior Product Owner (SPO) serves as a member of the Agile Team(s) and is responsible for many facets of the teams' workload including collaboration, intake, elaboration of multiple features (3+), business value and prioritization.
The SPO is accountable for creating and grooming the backlog, working with business stakeholders to define acceptance criteria and ensuring the criteria is met once the story is completed.
The Senior Product Owner works with Leadership, Business and Agile teams to maximize the value of the work being performed in any given sprint.
This integral position is also responsible for aiding in the development and growth of strong partner relationships with key business stakeholders and driving adoption of capabilities to increase business unit satisfaction. The Senior Product Owner function understands and represents the "voice of the customer" internally by communicating and overseeing the prioritization of work across the multiple Agile Development teams within its purview.
In maintaining the backlog, the Senior Product Owner will ensure that the teams are working on stories that deliver against the product vision, maximize business value, and deliver necessary functionality to customers. This role represents a key Agile function as the Senior Product Owner is responsible for guiding the Development teams in understanding the business need, value, and success criteria for each prioritized initiative, managing the backlog, and serving as point of contact coordination of testing and Sprint Reviews. The SPO is also responsible for driving the adoption of Agile internally and externally within the organization.
This includes being a champion of Agile to cultivate continuous improvement, as well as being a thought leader and looking for opportunities to grow in Agile maturity. This role also must possess leadership qualities that will be utilized to mentor junior team members.
The role influences others in IT by driving the delivery of features forward and is sought out for their expertise. This role is expected to support and expand a culture of operational excellence. Responsibilities:
Manage the Sprint
Backlog Define the product backlog and work with
business stakeholders to create and clarify actionable user stories for the
development team as needed Groom the work in the backlog in collaboration
with the Planning Manager and the Agile Development Team Understand and maintain relative
prioritization and guide the Development team when priorities change In partnership with the Release Train Engineer, ensure all sprint backlog stories have defined business need, value, MVP, acceptance
criteria, story points and tasks to support the Development team Work with assigned team(s) to hold sprint
planning, define sprint goals, direct focus and prepare for sprint review Manage intake of sprint interruptions, including understanding of need, value, item priority and relative priority
of committed work Coordinate with business owners and Dev team
to set expectations, commit and deliver
Value Delivery in each Sprint Drive to completion multiple features (3+)
during any one quarter Interact with customers and stakeholders to
elaborate and understand needs in current user stories Respond to teams' questions about requirements
or assist in the facilitation of requirement feedback Clarify user stories, product vision and
specification Collaborate with teams daily to ensure the goals
of the sprint are met Evaluate completed user stories to ensure the
acceptance criteria is met prior to delivering to business stakeholders Accept or reject iteration results Testing Serve as a point of contact for testing requests
for the development team Work to anticipate testing needs during a
given sprint Coordinate testing completion based on priority
and team capacity PI Planning, Sprint
Planning, and Sprint Review Assist in quarterly planning activities, support the assigned development team in preparing for and engaging in quarterly
planning, and facilitate communication and tracking of assigned features Facilitate agile team ceremonies Prepare sprint backlog ahead of sprint
planning and lead the Development team in creation of and focus on sprint goals Coordinate sprint review with other agile
development teams to ensure involvement and alignment across all EDS agile
teams Assist team with the presentation of value delivered in the sprint.
Anticipate the appropriate level of detail needed and likely questions IT
Influence/Leadership: Be a champion of Agile in growing the maturity of
Agile across the organization Provide leadership by modeling excellence in
high productivity, strong work ethic, and positive interaction with others Act as a thought leader and look for
opportunities to grow in Agile maturity Represent the team in interdepartmental
projects and corporate initiatives; consult with the business area on the
most complex system-related issues and make recommendations for better utilizing
the available technology Collaborate with peers and business partners
as a subject matter expert in their assigned area(s) and share business and
systems knowledge with others Agile Service
Delivery Participate as part of a team to mature Agile
in an ITIL-based service organization to increase the frequency, predictability, and quality of services delivered to our customers Promote IT and Agile best practices with
organization POs and business stakeholders' interactions to ensure alignment
with IT and Agile standards and effective use of investments Analyze business systems and processes; identify improvement opportunities to increase efficiency and productivity Reporting Maintain detailed knowledge and communicate
the status of specific features assigned that affect business partner groups At regular intervals, meet with business
partners, discuss status updates, gather information on upcoming initiatives
and relative priorities of each Create and provide relevant customer reports
to key internal stakeholders as needed Coordinate the involvement of key stakeholders
in Agile ceremonies across the assigned agile team(s) and in project meetings
through the PMO Relationship
Management Develop and maintain strong relationships with
business units and team members to understand and identify tactical/strategic business needs and optimize solutions based on MVP Interact with clients to mitigate risks and to
resolve problems Provide transparency to business partners on
scope, schedule and resource constraints to a plan Coordinate with the business in analyzing and recommending technology solution alternatives. Provide coordination in the
effective use of existing IT resources Work with the IT organization and other
stakeholders to support development of, prioritize and execute the IT project
portfolio in alignment with corporate strategic priorities Retain expertise and remain current on key
business and technical issues facing the client's organization Mentorship/Continuous
Improvement Utilize
leadership abilities and vast business/technical knowledge to mentor fellow
team members Participate
in training junior resources to get up to speed Continuously improve team process and
procedures by frequently providing feedback and ideas Work Experience, Education, Certification / Training Required:
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required. Master's degree, PMP, CSPO, and CSM certifications preferred Demonstrated professional level abilities in driving
culture change, process management, effective tool usage, evangelizing
product technologies and related application capabilities Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly, negotiate,
listen, mitigate conflict, build alliances and achieve results Minimum 3+ years demonstrated experience in project
management or support roles for IT solutions in customer facing environments
requiring complex relationship management and diagnosing complex support and
service issues Minimum 3+ years working with integrated project teams
using varied delivery methodologies Minimum 3+ years' experience using the ITIL framework for IT service management Certifications in industry-related or discipline-related organizations are desirable and may substitute for some work and/or technical experience. (Organization could include Scrum Alliance, LOMA, SILA, American
College, PMI, IIBA, IIST) Microsoft Dynamics and CRM experience highly preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:
Ability to build relationships and establish credibility
quickly with key stakeholders internally and externally Sound understanding of software development life cycle and successful management of multiple full lifecycle projects is required, Agile experience is highly preferred. Meaningful experience and expertise working with front and
back-office processes and technologies, integrating business and technology, and managing demand and prioritization is required Experience/in-depth knowledge of business requirements
analysis and IT processes required Demonstrate broad knowledge of multiple business areas, and industry to identify and communicate how IT solutions can support the
achievement of short-and long-term business goals Leadership and negotiation skills, with driving desire and
high propensity to learn quickly and develop oneself Ability to work with stakeholders to proactively identify
and evaluate risks associated with business decisions Ability to communicate clearly, negotiate, listen, mitigate conflict, build alliances and achieve desired results using strong
interpersonal and diplomacy skills Self-Starter and autonomous within a team environment Able to work productively under high levels of ambiguity Skilled at asking questions and professionally challenging
to uncover important facts and information Has the courage to make decisions, but also has the wisdom
to know when a decision needs to be escalated Builds consensus among diverse groups of stakeholders; highly skilled at facilitating resolution across functions and departments Has the confidence to engage and work productively with
business leaders Strong team orientation and willingness to work to earn the trust of the team Other related skills and/or abilities may be required to perform this job. Protective's targeted salary range for this position is $84,000 to $128,000. Actual salaries may vary depending on factors, including but not limited to, job location, skills, and experience. The range listed is just one component of Protective's total compensation package for employees. This position also offers additional incentive opportunities through an annual incentive based on individual and Company performance.
Employee Benefits:
We aim to protect the wellbeing of our employees and their families with a broad benefits offering. In addition to offering comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance, we support emotional wellbeing through mental health benefits and an employee assistance program. Work/life balance is important and Protective offers a variety of paid time away benefits ( e.g. , paid time off, paid parental leave, short-term disability, and a cultural observance day). The financial health of our employees is just as important as physical and emotional health.
Some of the financial wellbeing benefits include contributions to healthcare accounts, a pension plan, and a 401(k) plan with Company matching. All employees are encouraged to protect their overall wellbeing by engaging in ProHealth Rewards, Protective's platform to improve wellbeing while earning cash rewards. Eligibility for certain benefits may vary by position in accordance with the terms of the Company's benefit plans. Accommodations for Applicants with a Disability
:
If you require an accommodation to complete the application and recruitment process due to a disability, please email . This information will be held in confidence and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the application and recruitment process. Please note that the above email is solely for individuals with disabilities requesting an accommodation.
General employment questions should not be sent through this process. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to being inclusive and attracting, retaining, and growing an inclusive workforce.
We help protect our customers against life's uncertainties. Regardless of where you work within the company, you'll be helping provide protection and peace of mind when our customers need it most. The Senior Product Owner (SPO) serves as a member of the Agile Team(s) and is responsible for many facets of the teams' workload including collaboration, intake, elaboration of multiple features (3+), business value and prioritization.
The SPO is accountable for creating and grooming the backlog, working with business stakeholders to define acceptance criteria and ensuring the criteria is met once the story is completed.
The Senior Product Owner works with Leadership, Business and Agile teams to maximize the value of the work being performed in any given sprint.
This integral position is also responsible for aiding in the development and growth of strong partner relationships with key business stakeholders and driving adoption of capabilities to increase business unit satisfaction. The Senior Product Owner function understands and represents the "voice of the customer" internally by communicating and overseeing the prioritization of work across the multiple Agile Development teams within its purview.
In maintaining the backlog, the Senior Product Owner will ensure that the teams are working on stories that deliver against the product vision, maximize business value, and deliver necessary functionality to customers. This role represents a key Agile function as the Senior Product Owner is responsible for guiding the Development teams in understanding the business need, value, and success criteria for each prioritized initiative, managing the backlog, and serving as point of contact coordination of testing and Sprint Reviews. The SPO is also responsible for driving the adoption of Agile internally and externally within the organization.
This includes being a champion of Agile to cultivate continuous improvement, as well as being a thought leader and looking for opportunities to grow in Agile maturity. This role also must possess leadership qualities that will be utilized to mentor junior team members.
The role influences others in IT by driving the delivery of features forward and is sought out for their expertise. This role is expected to support and expand a culture of operational excellence. Responsibilities:
Manage the Sprint
Backlog Define the product backlog and work with
business stakeholders to create and clarify actionable user stories for the
development team as needed Groom the work in the backlog in collaboration
with the Planning Manager and the Agile Development Team Understand and maintain relative
prioritization and guide the Development team when priorities change In partnership with the Release Train Engineer, ensure all sprint backlog stories have defined business need, value, MVP, acceptance
criteria, story points and tasks to support the Development team Work with assigned team(s) to hold sprint
planning, define sprint goals, direct focus and prepare for sprint review Manage intake of sprint interruptions, including understanding of need, value, item priority and relative priority
of committed work Coordinate with business owners and Dev team
to set expectations, commit and deliver
Value Delivery in each Sprint Drive to completion multiple features (3+)
during any one quarter Interact with customers and stakeholders to
elaborate and understand needs in current user stories Respond to teams' questions about requirements
or assist in the facilitation of requirement feedback Clarify user stories, product vision and
specification Collaborate with teams daily to ensure the goals
of the sprint are met Evaluate completed user stories to ensure the
acceptance criteria is met prior to delivering to business stakeholders Accept or reject iteration results Testing Serve as a point of contact for testing requests
for the development team Work to anticipate testing needs during a
given sprint Coordinate testing completion based on priority
and team capacity PI Planning, Sprint
Planning, and Sprint Review Assist in quarterly planning activities, support the assigned development team in preparing for and engaging in quarterly
planning, and facilitate communication and tracking of assigned features Facilitate agile team ceremonies Prepare sprint backlog ahead of sprint
planning and lead the Development team in creation of and focus on sprint goals Coordinate sprint review with other agile
development teams to ensure involvement and alignment across all EDS agile
teams Assist team with the presentation of value delivered in the sprint.
Anticipate the appropriate level of detail needed and likely questions IT
Influence/Leadership: Be a champion of Agile in growing the maturity of
Agile across the organization Provide leadership by modeling excellence in
high productivity, strong work ethic, and positive interaction with others Act as a thought leader and look for
opportunities to grow in Agile maturity Represent the team in interdepartmental
projects and corporate initiatives; consult with the business area on the
most complex system-related issues and make recommendations for better utilizing
the available technology Collaborate with peers and business partners
as a subject matter expert in their assigned area(s) and share business and
systems knowledge with others Agile Service
Delivery Participate as part of a team to mature Agile
in an ITIL-based service organization to increase the frequency, predictability, and quality of services delivered to our customers Promote IT and Agile best practices with
organization POs and business stakeholders' interactions to ensure alignment
with IT and Agile standards and effective use of investments Analyze business systems and processes; identify improvement opportunities to increase efficiency and productivity Reporting Maintain detailed knowledge and communicate
the status of specific features assigned that affect business partner groups At regular intervals, meet with business
partners, discuss status updates, gather information on upcoming initiatives
and relative priorities of each Create and provide relevant customer reports
to key internal stakeholders as needed Coordinate the involvement of key stakeholders
in Agile ceremonies across the assigned agile team(s) and in project meetings
through the PMO Relationship
Management Develop and maintain strong relationships with
business units and team members to understand and identify tactical/strategic business needs and optimize solutions based on MVP Interact with clients to mitigate risks and to
resolve problems Provide transparency to business partners on
scope, schedule and resource constraints to a plan Coordinate with the business in analyzing and recommending technology solution alternatives. Provide coordination in the
effective use of existing IT resources Work with the IT organization and other
stakeholders to support development of, prioritize and execute the IT project
portfolio in alignment with corporate strategic priorities Retain expertise and remain current on key
business and technical issues facing the client's organization Mentorship/Continuous
Improvement Utilize
leadership abilities and vast business/technical knowledge to mentor fellow
team members Participate
in training junior resources to get up to speed Continuously improve team process and
procedures by frequently providing feedback and ideas Work Experience, Education, Certification / Training Required:
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required. Master's degree, PMP, CSPO, and CSM certifications preferred Demonstrated professional level abilities in driving
culture change, process management, effective tool usage, evangelizing
product technologies and related application capabilities Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly, negotiate,
listen, mitigate conflict, build alliances and achieve results Minimum 3+ years demonstrated experience in project
management or support roles for IT solutions in customer facing environments
requiring complex relationship management and diagnosing complex support and
service issues Minimum 3+ years working with integrated project teams
using varied delivery methodologies Minimum 3+ years' experience using the ITIL framework for IT service management Certifications in industry-related or discipline-related organizations are desirable and may substitute for some work and/or technical experience. (Organization could include Scrum Alliance, LOMA, SILA, American
College, PMI, IIBA, IIST) Microsoft Dynamics and CRM experience highly preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:
Ability to build relationships and establish credibility
quickly with key stakeholders internally and externally Sound understanding of software development life cycle and successful management of multiple full lifecycle projects is required, Agile experience is highly preferred. Meaningful experience and expertise working with front and
back-office processes and technologies, integrating business and technology, and managing demand and prioritization is required Experience/in-depth knowledge of business requirements
analysis and IT processes required Demonstrate broad knowledge of multiple business areas, and industry to identify and communicate how IT solutions can support the
achievement of short-and long-term business goals Leadership and negotiation skills, with driving desire and
high propensity to learn quickly and develop oneself Ability to work with stakeholders to proactively identify
and evaluate risks associated with business decisions Ability to communicate clearly, negotiate, listen, mitigate conflict, build alliances and achieve desired results using strong
interpersonal and diplomacy skills Self-Starter and autonomous within a team environment Able to work productively under high levels of ambiguity Skilled at asking questions and professionally challenging
to uncover important facts and information Has the courage to make decisions, but also has the wisdom
to know when a decision needs to be escalated Builds consensus among diverse groups of stakeholders; highly skilled at facilitating resolution across functions and departments Has the confidence to engage and work productively with
business leaders Strong team orientation and willingness to work to earn the trust of the team Other related skills and/or abilities may be required to perform this job. Protective's targeted salary range for this position is $84,000 to $128,000. Actual salaries may vary depending on factors, including but not limited to, job location, skills, and experience. The range listed is just one component of Protective's total compensation package for employees. This position also offers additional incentive opportunities through an annual incentive based on individual and Company performance.
Employee Benefits:
We aim to protect the wellbeing of our employees and their families with a broad benefits offering. In addition to offering comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance, we support emotional wellbeing through mental health benefits and an employee assistance program. Work/life balance is important and Protective offers a variety of paid time away benefits ( e.g. , paid time off, paid parental leave, short-term disability, and a cultural observance day). The financial health of our employees is just as important as physical and emotional health.
Some of the financial wellbeing benefits include contributions to healthcare accounts, a pension plan, and a 401(k) plan with Company matching. All employees are encouraged to protect their overall wellbeing by engaging in ProHealth Rewards, Protective's platform to improve wellbeing while earning cash rewards. Eligibility for certain benefits may vary by position in accordance with the terms of the Company's benefit plans. Accommodations for Applicants with a Disability
:
If you require an accommodation to complete the application and recruitment process due to a disability, please email . This information will be held in confidence and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the application and recruitment process. Please note that the above email is solely for individuals with disabilities requesting an accommodation.
General employment questions should not be sent through this process. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to being inclusive and attracting, retaining, and growing an inclusive workforce.