Job Description

Job Title: Product Owner

Location: This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement in Omaha, Nebraska.

WoodmenLife is looking to hire a Product Owner I to join our team!

In this role, you will have a leading role in maximizing the value produced by the team and ensuring stories meet the user’s needs and comply with the Definition of Done. This role has significant relationships and responsibilities outside the local team, including working with Product Management, Customers, Business Owners, and other stakeholders.

The Product Owner is the member of the Agile team who serves as the business owner or customer proxy responsible for working with Product Management and other stakeholders, including other Product Owners, to define and prioritize stories in the team backlog. This allows the solution to effectively address program priorities, which support the organization's strategic vision (Features and Enablers) while maintaining technical integrity.

WoodmenLife is one of the best places to work in Omaha, with more than 135 years of service rooted in purpose and community. Since 1890, WoodmenLife has been dedicated to helping hardworking Americans secure their families’ financial futures and leave a lasting legacy. As a purpose driven, not for profit life insurance company, our commitment is to our members and the communities they call home.

As a member of the WoodmenLife family, you’ll join others who share a commitment to family, community, and country. We offer a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, 401(k), life insurance, and more. Apply today to learn more!

We are looking for someone to:

• Drives the execution of the program vision as a participant within a support or enterprise project development team.
• Reviews and contributes to the program vision, Roadmap, and content presentations in preparation for Program Increment Planning.
• Assesses product usefulness and explains functionality to users. Coordinates resolutions that involve system or application-level changes for incidents reported by the business.
• Monitors new features and releases, and coordinates with Business Technology and stakeholders to plan and initiate upgrades.
• Acts as a liaison between the development team, stakeholders, and senior leadership in defining product features and user stories necessary to execute the program vision.
• In partnership with the Product Manager, System Architect/Engineering and key Stakeholders, the Product Owner is responsible for managing the backlog and prioritizing stories for future implementation.
• Negotiates scope, priority, commitments, and schedule as needed in relation to all work within the backlog from multiple stakeholders and subject matter experts.
• Inspects and evaluates product progress through each iteration- demos and determines whether the final product is acceptable.
• Participates in agile ceremonies such as program increment planning, sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and sprint reviews to provide input on sprint accomplishments.
• Collaborates with other WoodmenLife product owners to exchange ideas on necessary product features.
• Understands how related project risks, assumptions, dependencies, or constraints can impact the delivery team and overall release plan.
• Based on the platform, may perform functional level configurations within the product. Sets and adapts administrative rules for product usage; monitors and reports on product usage, performance, and productivity.
• Sets up users and assigns rights to users within the product. Creates user level and administrative level workflows within the product.
• Meets expectations for attendance and punctuality in accordance with the expectations established by your manager and WoodmenLife policy.
• Performs other duties as assigned by management and/or occasional tasks to help the dev team meet their release commitments.
• Abides by all company security policies and procedures.

We need someone who has:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with 2+ years of experience as an Agile Product Owner or as an Agile Business Analyst in a product-facing capacity.
• Knowledgeable and experienced with agile user story management, user story elicitation, stakeholder management, and backlog grooming /management, and change management.
• Ability to create meaningful features and user stories that are independent, negotiable, verifiable, estimable, small, and testable (I.N.V.E.S.T standards.)
• Possesses an understanding of techniques for applying splitting patterns to larger stories to produce user value within each iteration or release.
• Solid understanding of Agile practices and principles which includes but is not limited to the ability to create meaningful user stories that align with the I.N.V.E.S.T Standards and possess a strong understanding of techniques for applying split patterns to larger stories to provide value within iterations or releases.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and product management skills required.
• Proficiency in MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio; ability to work with appropriate technical tools and methods to effectively fulfill responsibilities.
• Experience with solution development with cross-functional teams using Scrum, Kanban, or hybrid of the two.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment and with business customers. Must be able to quickly establish credibility while working in new subject areas and with various areas of business.
• Ability to meet established deadlines and be proactive in achieving desired outcomes with supporting technology applications across a broad user base.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills, including the ability to interact and collaborate professionally with a diverse group including executives, management, project team members, subject matter experts and front-line users.
• Willingness to learn and take on new challenges, with ability to work effectively with little or no supervision yet be an integral part of the team.
• Ability to provide seamless, trustworthy, attentive, and resourceful (S.T.A.R.) customer service.
• Engages well with others and are passionate about providing an exemplary customer experience.
• Ability to maintain highly confidential and sensitive information (Include in jobs that work with customer and/or employee personal information.

If you're ready to make an impact in your community, we’d love to hear from you. Apply today!

As part of WoodmenLife’s employment process, candidates will be required to complete a criminal background check, credit check (when required for position), fingerprint check (when required for position), drug screen and reference checks. Any offer of employment will be contingent upon successfully passing the above.

WoodmenLife is welcoming to all regardless of background and beliefs. WoodmenLife respects every associate’s unique perspective and contribution. We are committed to creating an environment that values differences, and creates opportunities for growth, leadership and service. This commitment includes providing equal opportunity in recruitment, employment and promotion, training and community outreach. WoodmenLife is also dedicated to strengthening the communities in which its employees live.

APPLICANTS WITH DISABILITIES SHOULD ADVISE THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION IF SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS ARE NEEDED.

Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society (WoodmenLife) is an equal opportunity employer.