GDS - Business Analyst / Product Owner - Assistant Vice President

The Product Owner provides strategic business analysis to business partners. The focus of this position is to work closely with the business units to gain in-depth understanding of the business strategy, processes, services, roadmap and the context in which the business operates. This role is key to understanding and documenting capabilities needed to address business challenges.

The Product Owner is responsible for reviewing assigned business processes from end-to-end to identify and address operational, financial and technological risks. Identify opportunities to create efficiencies. Responsibilities includes a full range of activities from leading small to mid-size projects to assisting other project managers on larger more complex projects related to operational business functions that affect team members and providers at the market level.

Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate expertise in analyzing during the full project lifecycle to apply this to the development, execution and improvement of plans by providing advice and guidance to others in the application of information and best practices

• Support and align efforts to meet customer and business needs

• Problem solving:

• Identify, create and facilitate process design changes by conducting business and systems process analysis and design at a complex level focusing on quality improvement and data management ensuring data is reliable and valid developing process improvements or re-engineering and recommending elimination using tools eg Business Process Mapping (BPM) integrating new systems and processes with existing ones and partnering with internal and external customers to ensure systems provided meet the long-term business strategies

• Provide and support the implementation of business solutions by building relationships and partnerships with key stakeholders identifying business needs determining and carrying out necessary processes and practices monitoring progress and results recognizing and capitalizing on improvement opportunities and adapting to competing demands, organizational changes and new responsibilities

• Support system conversions, upgrades, enhancements

• Manage the backlog:

• Provide project level analysis - producing required project analysis documentation (stories, scope matrix, use cases, current and future state business process maps, UAT plans)

• The product backlog must be clearly defined

• Prioritize work items and product backlog based on users vision and goals.

• Develop user stories and define acceptance criteria to ensure the different skillsets within the development team are all fully utilized to maintain optimum velocity



• Set sprint goals

• Write acceptance criteria for testing

• Plan releases and upgrades

• Follow progress of work and address production issues during sprints

• Analyze requirements and requests from end users

• Refine agile methodology based on results and users feedback

• Keep track of industry trends

• Evaluate the work done by the development team and provide constant feedback.

• Ensure that the product backlog is communicated clearly to all team members so that the Scrum Team have clarity on the product requirements and user expectations.

• Create and maintain issue logs, meeting minutes, meeting schedules, project summaries and updates for traceability and accountability.

• Collaborate with the project manager to maintain project schedules by developing project plans and specifications, estimating time and resources, monitoring milestone completion, tracking all phases of the project lifecycle, providing timely reporting of risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies that impact project progress, coordinating actions and resolving conflicts

• Meet with the project team regularly to review project deliverables and deadlines

• Communication:

• Manage customer relationships (internal and external) and expectations by developing a communication process to keep others up-to-date on project results

• Stay current with customer needs and strategies utilizing formal and informal written communication methods (for example, emails, newsletters, PowerPoint presentations, executive updates, task lists, updates) to communicate updates and findings and facilitating project meetings and presentations to all types of diverse audiences (for example, senior management, Customers, technical staff)

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  Serve as a liaison between Operations and IT to assist or gather business requirements needed for system modifications, enhancements and implementations and provide necessary guidance to testers during QA process

• Lead or participate in analysis for multiple projects by completing and updating project documentation managing project scope adjusting schedules when necessary determining daily priorities ensuring efficient and on-time delivery of project tasks and milestones following proper escalation paths and managing (internal and external) relationships

• Collaborate with team members, peers, senior management or others by articulating ideas and viewpoints identifying and initiating projects driving the resolution of issues and holding self and team accountable for results

Requirements and skills

• Work experience as a Product Owner or similar role in projects

• Familiarity with agile is a plus

• Hands-on experience with all stages of the project lifecycle

• Knowledge of communicating with Technology teams for software development

• Able to work well independently but also a good team player with good communication skills.

• Good organizational, time management and problem-solving skills

• Experience working on medium/large scale projects as well as handling change requests from the business

• Strong analytical skills and the ability to successfully manage multiple tasks at any given point including data analysis eg. proficiency with SQL or Microsoft Excel

• Strong relationship building skills & communication skills

• Understanding of middle office processes is a plus