Product Owner

Job Description

Job Description

Title:  Product Owner

Location: Columbus, OH(Hybrid)

Duration: 06+ Months Contract high chances of extension and Manager is looking for Conversion here

Industry: Banking
Pay rate- 60-65/hr

We are seeking experienced Product Owners with a strong background in Core Banking to lead strategic product initiatives from concept through delivery. The ideal candidate will work closely with business stakeholders and Agile delivery teams to define product vision, prioritize features, and ensure successful implementation of business objectives.

This role is ideal for candidates who currently serve (or have recently served) as a Product Owner or Product Manager. Product Owner and Product Manager titles are considered interchangeable for this opportunity.

Candidates whose most recent role is Software Engineer, Scrum Master, or Program Manager will not be considered unless they have successfully transitioned into Product Ownership with several years of relevant experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and manage the product roadmap for Core Banking initiatives.
• Partner with business stakeholders to understand strategic objectives and customer needs.
• Gather, analyze, and refine business requirements into actionable product features.
• Translate high-level business goals into well-defined user stories and acceptance criteria.
• Prioritize and maintain the product backlog based on business value.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Architecture, QA, and Business teams throughout the product lifecycle.
• Drive product initiatives from concept through design, development, testing, and production release.
• Make informed product decisions balancing customer experience, technical feasibility, and business priorities.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies including Sprint Planning, Backlog Refinement, Reviews, and Retrospectives.
• Ensure alignment between business objectives and technical implementation.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of Product Owner or Product Manager experience.
• Recent experience as a Product Owner or Product Manager is required.
• Strong experience within Core Banking environments.
• Proven experience owning products strategically rather than acting solely as a Business Analyst.
• Experience driving products through the complete Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
• Strong stakeholder management and executive communication skills.
• Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments.
• Hands-on experience using Jira or similar Agile management tools.

Required Domain Experience

Core Banking (Highly Preferred / Near Mandatory)

Candidates should have experience with one or more of:

• Checking Accounts
• Savings Accounts

• Certificates of Deposit (CDs)

• Consumer Deposits
• Retail Banking products

Consumer Lending experience is acceptable but less preferred.

Technical Knowledge

The ideal candidate should possess a solid understanding of modern application architecture, including:

• REST APIs
• API integrations
• Microservices architecture
• Backend systems integration
• Request and Response lifecycle
• Payload structures
• Integration between frontend applications and backend services

Note: This is not a software development role. Candidates should have enough technical knowledge to communicate effectively with engineering teams and make informed product decisions.

Agile Experience

Required experience with:

• Agile/Scrum methodologies
• Sprint Planning
• Backlog Grooming/Refinement
• User Story creation
• Acceptance Criteria
• Jira (preferred) or equivalent Agile tools
• Cross-functional Agile teams

Preferred Skills

• Financial Services or Banking experience
• Experience working with distributed engineering teams
• Product roadmap planning
• Feature prioritization
• Data-driven product decision making
• Customer-centric product development

Soft Skills

Successful candidates will demonstrate:

• Exceptional stakeholder management
• Strategic thinking
• Product ownership mindset
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Cross-functional leadership
• Ability to influence without direct authority
• Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills

The Company offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, short-term disability insurance, paid parking/public transportation, paid time off, paid sick and safe time, hours of paid vacation time, weeks of paid parental leave, and paid holidays annually – as applicable.