Senior Associate - Product Owner (Banking & Finance Consulting)

Senior Associate – Product Owner (Banking & Finance Consulting) Location: Washington, DC, USA (Hybrid – 3 days/week onsite) About the Role As a Senior Associate – Product Owner, you will own product strategy, drive Agile delivery, and maximize business value through effective backlog and stakeholder management. You will serve as the critical bridge between business stakeholders and delivery teams, ensuring solutions are aligned to business goals and deliver measurable outcomes. You will be part of our consulting delivery team, working closely with clients, cross‑functional teams, and leadership to deliver customer‑centric digital products at scale. Key Responsibilities Product Ownership & Backlog Management Define and drive product vision, roadmap, and strategy aligned with business goals Own and prioritise the product backlog to maximise business value Create and refine user stories with clear acceptance criteria Make data‑driven prioritisation and trade‑off decisions Agile Delivery & Execution Lead and participate in Agile ceremonies (sprint planning, grooming, demos, retrospectives) Support sprint execution by providing clarity and removing blockers Ensure alignment between product vision and delivery outcomes Program Planning & Coordination (SAFe) Contribute to Program Increment (PI) Planning and align team objectives with ART goals Break down features into deliverable user stories Identify and manage cross‑team dependencies and risks Stakeholder Collaboration Act as the primary voice of the customer Partner with Product Managers, stakeholders, and cross‑functional teams Facilitate workshops, gather requirements, and validate solutions Build strong relationships and drive stakeholder alignment Value Delivery & Continuous Improvement Ensure delivered features meet business outcomes and acceptance criteria Track product performance using KPIs and user feedback Drive continuous improvement through retrospectives and feedback loops Key Skills & Competencies Strong knowledge of SAFe and Agile methodologies (Scrum/Kanban) Expertise in backlog prioritisation and value‑driven delivery Strong stakeholder management and communication skills Ability to translate business needs into technical requirements Analytical and data‑driven mindset Experience with JIRA, Confluence, Azure DevOps What You Must Have 6+ years of experience as a Product Owner Strong experience in Agile delivery and backlog ownership Consulting or client‑facing experience Proven ability to define product strategy and roadmap Nice to Have Experience in digital transformation or product‑led initiatives Exposure to data‑driven decision‑making Ability to influence without authority Work Model (Hybrid) Hybrid work is required: 3 days per week onsite at a Cognizant office in Washington, DC (downtown). We remain committed to supporting work‑life balance through wellbeing programs. Salary and Other Compensation The annual salary is expected to be between $85,000 – $101,000 USD, depending on experience and qualifications. The role is also eligible for discretionary incentive programs and a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, paid time off, and retirement benefits. Why Cognizant? Work on high‑impact consulting engagements with leading global clients Be part of a collaborative culture built on Work as One, Own It, and Raise the Bar Grow your career through continuous learning and development opportunities Contribute to innovative, product‑led transformation initiatives Application Details Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship. #J-18808-Ljbffr Cognizant