Product Owner - Freeway

Primary Job Responsibilities (including but not limited to);

• Creating and maintaining the product backlog: You are responsible for creating and maintaining the product backlog, which is a prioritized list of features and user stories that need to be implemented in the product. Reporting into the Product Manager, you will be responsible for refining validated and approved Product Requests from various stakeholders in order to create this backlog. You should work with the Product Manager and the development team to ensure that the backlog is properly prioritized based on business value, user needs, and technical feasibility.
• Communicating product vision and goals: Supported by the Product Manager, you will be required to articulate the product vision and goals to the development team and stakeholders. This involves creating and presenting product roadmaps, release plans, dashboards, product support matrices, and other materials that convey the product strategy and direction.
• Collaborating with stakeholders: You will often be required to work closely with the client and subject matter experts, to understand their requirements, incorporate their feedback into the product backlog, and manage expectations both internally and externally.
• Working with the development team: You should be comfortable working both independently at times and be able to collaborate with the development team to ensure that they have a clear understanding of the product requirements, and that they are working on the most important features and user stories. You should also be available to answer their questions and provide guidance on the product vision and goals.
• Participating in Agile ceremonies: You will be required to participate in Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives. These ceremonies provide opportunities to collaborate with the development team, provide feedback, and continuously improve the product and development process.
• Tracking and reporting progress: You will be required to track the progress of the product development and report on the status of the product backlog, release plans, and other key metrics. You should also be able to communicate any changes or delays to stakeholders and adjust the product backlog accordingly.
• Overall, as an Agile Product Owner, you are responsible for ensuring that the product meets the needs of the customers and stakeholders, while also aligning with the business strategy and goals. You should be able to balance competing priorities, communicate effectively, and collaborate with the development team to deliver high-quality products.
• Understanding and documenting the business and functional requirements as the technology evolves; working internally with our stakeholders and technical architects/lead developer to manage the workflows and priority.
• Staying current with payment industry trends and providing insight on new payment technologies.
• Maintaining relationships with Payment Processors, Acquirers and other financial services providers

Required Experience and Skills

• Strong Payment Industry Knowledge: 4 or more years working experience within the financial industry, preferably within Payment Gateways. Ideally you will have a good knowledge of the solutions generally available in the market and be able to understand and explain the various subjects such as Tokenization, Fraud Management, Terminal management of POI devices and typical payment flows. An understanding of payment industry certification processes would be advantageous.
• Experience of using tools such as Azure Dev Ops (ADO) for Feature and Story backlog management would be an advantage.
• Leadership: As an Agile Product Owner, you will need to provide leadership to the development team and stakeholders, motivating them to work towards a shared vision and goal. You should be able to inspire trust, collaborate effectively, and make tough decisions when necessary.
• Agile methodology: You should have a strong understanding of Agile methodology. You should be able to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and manage the product backlog using Agile tools and techniques.
• Communication: As an Agile Product Owner, you will need excellent communication skills to convey the product vision, goals, and requirements to the development team and stakeholders. You should also be able to listen actively, provide feedback, and resolve conflicts effectively.
• Product management: You should have a deep understanding of product management principles, including market research, product strategy, roadmap development, and customer validation. You should also be able to identify key performance indicators (KPIs) and use data to make informed decisions about product development.
• Technical knowledge: While you don't need to be an expert developer, you should have a basic understanding of software development principles and technologies. This will help you communicate effectively with the development team and make informed decisions about product development.
• Documentation and Writing: You will be required to support technical writers and BSA’s with reviewing and editing documentation that is consumable both internally and externally, that explains new features and functionality, sales, boarding, integration collateral.
• Analytical skills: You should have strong analytical skills to collect and analyze data, identify patterns, and make data-driven decisions about product development. You should also be able to track progress and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) to stakeholders.
• Creativity:  You should have a creative mindset and be able to think outside the box to come up with innovative solutions to problems. You should also be open to new ideas and feedback, and be willing to pivot the product strategy if necessary.
• Business acumen: You should have a good understanding of the business environment, including the competitive landscape, market trends, and customer needs. This will help you develop a product strategy that is aligned with the business goals and objectives.
• Bachelor degree in Engineering or Business, or similar comparable industry experience.
• Ability to collaborate with both internal teams and external partners as necessary to ensure that features are built to the highest level and remain a leading proposition against other competitor offerings.