Technical Product Owner

Are you looking for more than just a job? Do you want to have a voice and feel a sense of belonging? At ICW Group, we hire innovative people who consistently adapt, grow and deliver. We believe in hard work, a fun work environment, and embracing creativity that only comes about when talented people collaborate to develop solutions. Our mission is to create the best insurance experience possible.
 

Headquartered in San Diego with regional offices located throughout the United States, ICW Group has been named for seven consecutive years as a Top 50 performing P&C company offering the stability of a large, profitable and growing company combined with a small-company entrepreneurial spirit. Our purpose-driven ethos provides team members with opportunities to contribute, develop, and belong. 

PURPOSE OF THE JOB 

The Product Owner plays a pivotal role in driving the successful development and delivery of innovative products that meet the needs of our customers and aligns with the company’s strategic goals. This role acts as the bridge between business stakeholders, development teams and end-users, ensuring clear communication and effective prioritization of features and enhancements throughout the product lifecycle.  

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Maximizes the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum team. 

• Defines and communicates product vision, overall strategy and growth opportunities to business and IT stakeholders, with guidance from leadership and other Product team members.
• Drives the continuous refinement of the product vision, roadmap, and strategy to drive optimum business value.
• Works closely with business stakeholders across the organization to convert product ideas into a prioritized backlog according to business value or return on investment (ROI).
• Participates in agile ceremonies such as sprint planning, iteration reviews, and retrospectives to ensure continuous improvement and iterative development.
• Facilitates Product Grooming Backlog sessions to align priority & strategy for better cross functional collaboration.
• Validates roadmap items prior to starting development work with guidance from business stakeholders as needed.
• Remains accountable for each stage of the development process and the final product, evaluating progress and performance at each iteration and deciding whether the team can move on to the next steps.
• Works closely with Technical Product Managers and Scrum master to ensure the successful execution of the product roadmap.
• Anticipates product’s future needs by maintaining user personas and journey maps.
• Owns and drives user-centric product outcomes collaboratively with business and IT leadership.
• Researches and analyzes market trends and user needs to develop and shape the roadmap for the product.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES 

This position has no supervisory responsibility.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE 

Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university is required with a major or emphasis in Business, Finance, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field. Minimum 6 years of related experience inclusive of leading technical teams, collecting business needs, and translating requirements to a technical audience. Experience in the insurance industry highly desired. Minimum 3 years of experience as a Product Owner, Product Manager, or similar role, with a track record of successfully launching and managing products or platforms.   

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS 

Certified Product Owner (CPO) required, SAFe preferred.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Knowledge of Agile processes and principles. Understanding of the Insurance industry. Ability to map value stream across business lines. Possess technical expertise and understanding of product development practices. Ability to balance technical constraints and a differentiated product that meets the needs of the marketplace. Knowledge of mobile and web platform design conventions and technology limitations and opportunities. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, experience working with cross-functional teams, and presenting to leadership. Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Word, Visio, Excel, Project, and PowerPoint. Excellent organizational and time management skills. Advanced analytical, qualitative, quantitative, and problem-solving skills. Ability to apply critical thinking and analytical skills to recommend creative solutions to business and technical challenges. Strong attention to detail. Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS  

Office environment – no specific or unusual physical or environme