Senior Director Product Owner

Senior Director Product Owner

We are seeking a Senior Product Owner to lead the strategy and execution of CME’s Globex Platform. In this high-impact role, the individual will not only assume ownership of the Globex backlog and delivery but also function as a strategic leader, collaborating with Business, Technology, Operations, and other stakeholders to ensure our solutions are innovative and deliver meaningful value for CME and its customers.

This role is instrumental in maximizing value delivery by defining, maintaining, and prioritizing the POD's backlog, which encompasses user stories, enablers, and technical debt. The Sr Product Owner is also responsible for articulating the "definition of done," driving comprehensive documentation, and working closely with Product Managers and other Product Owners to ensure alignment on strategy, vision, and the overall roadmap. This position typically entails ownership of multiple PODs, mentoring of junior product owners, and providing leadership across the markets portfolio.

Principle Accountabilities

• Serves as the primary business representative to the Pod, clearly defining the customer problem, articulating the proposed solution, and quantifying the value delivered to the customer.

• Defines and maintains the Pod Backlog, in close collaboration with the Product Manager, Solution Architect, and Delivery Team.

• Proactively mitigates dependencies between Product Owners and other stakeholders to ensure cohesive value delivery across the markets portfolio.

• Responsible for defining and prioritizing User Stories, Enablers, and Technical Debt items within the scope of a Sprint; articulates Acceptance Criteria and drives documentation efforts.

• Scopes, refines, and prioritizes Urgent Requests (e.g., production issues) received during an existing Sprint, in conjunction with the Product Manager.

• Participates in Sprint and System Demos to share early feedback, and PI Retrospectives to reflect on progress, improvement opportunities, and outcomes.

• Supports Domain/Solution Architects in defining and delivering Non-Functional Requirements.

• Supports the Product Manager in ensuring an efficient deployment of resources across pods to achieve the overall strategic vision for Globex.

Skills & Software Requirements:

• Demonstrated ability to influence and lead cross-functional teams, cultivating robust collaborative relationships across the organization.

• Exceptional communication and presentation acumen, adept at translating highly complex technical concepts into clear, actionable insights for diverse audiences, including senior leadership.

• Profound and comprehensive domain expertise in electronic trading workflows.

• Expert-level comprehension of the technology stack underpinning high-performance, real-time customer interfaces, encompassing architectural considerations and performance optimization strategies.

• Advanced proficiency in business analysis, evidenced by a consistent track record of identifying critical customer needs and translating them into precise and, comprehensive product requirements.

• Proven expertise in both quantitative and qualitative analysis, consistently leveraging data to drive strategic product direction and decision-making.

• Extensive experience in defining and meticulously articulating highly technical and non-functional product requirements for sophisticated systems.

• Proficient utilization of JIRA, Confluence, and other advanced Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) tools, with a strong grasp of their capabilities for managing large-scale product backlogs and roadmaps.

• Expert knowledge of Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) methodologies, possessing certifications in SCRUM and/or SAFe; experience in leading Agile transformation initiatives is a distinct advantage.

• Strong leadership presence with a demonstrated capacity to manage complex client and stakeholder relationships across all organizational levels.

Experience:

• 7+ years of experience in Product Management or Product Ownership.

• 3+ years specifically within the Financial Services industry 

• Proven tr