Requisition ID 34409 Office Country United Kingdom Office City London Division Finance - Strategy, Planning & Control Contract Type Fixed Term Contract Length 2 years Posting End Date 12/03/2024
Purpose of Job
The Principal, Product Owner works in partnership with business stakeholders and is responsible for supporting the Lead Product Owner in the discovery, implementation and adoption of business and technology solutions that impact the Bankโs organisation and/or operations.
Aligned to one or more development teams, the job holder develops the product roadmap and prioritizes based on value, the related backlog of user requirements, for approval by the Lead Product Owner, ensuring that the needs of all business areas engaged with are met. These should be aligned to the broader Finance Target Operating Model vision and goals for all key customers and supporting processes and activities.
The Principal, Product Owner will support the Lead Product Owner build value-driven proposals among diverse stakeholders, leveraging shared values and managing conflicting priorities. This is a highly visible role requiring strong negotiation skills and coordinating with Banking and non-Banking departments, the CTO Office (Data Management, ePMO, D&T, and IT teams) and the relevant development teams.
Accountabilities & Responsibilities:
Shape the vision for a set of FP&A value streams
- Understand the broader FP&A vision and goals, the overall value-driven roadmap and ensure alignment of the initiatives they are accountable for.
- Build an overall value-driven roadmap and prioritisation approach to support discovery and delivery of specific value streams under an initiative/platform/project and have it validated with the Senior Responsible Owner / Sponsor and key business stakeholders.
- Work closely with relevant POs to manage and monitor dependencies between the various value streams.
- Have a holistic view of the processes available on the platform and ability to represent product at any giving point.
Support Business Change Management
- Influence business to drive process simplification, standardization, new ways of working and help in managing changes. Ability to build solid working relationship and work closely with designated Subject Matter Expert(s) (SMEs) in the business to arrive at common understanding of requirements and direction for the feature being developed in the platform.
- Work closely with colleagues within the CTO office on dependencies between work streams, coordinate with other change initiatives within the Bank, and monitor the impact of their work stream on day-to-day business delivery within the area/department their work stream affects.
- Establish good practice in terms of Business Change Management, develop overall communication and trainings plans to support changes, articulating and tracking related benefits.
- Identify barriers to change in the organisation and provide strategic solutions, facilitating effective collaboration across departments as required, escalating blockers if required.
Manage the development and implementation (discovery/delivery) of specific value stream(s):
- Work with the business to identify high value features based on user needs, proposing changes where applicable, refining with them the product vision, specifications and roadmap development, ensuring alignment to the Bankโs strategic goals. Working closely with the development teams, guiding and organising work leading to realistic release plans.
- Develop the product roadmap, develop scope (MVP/enhancements) and define backlog items (epics/features/user stories) that guide the Agile software development team for review and approval by the Lead Product Owner
- Assess value, develops cases, and prioritize stories, for review and approval by the Lead Product Owner, to ensure work focuses on those with a maximum value that are aligned with product strategy.
- Communicate and promote the product roadmap within the development team/s and with the respective business areas aligned to the development team.
- Working under the Lead Product Owners direction, develop and maintain an appropriately prioritized backlog of user stories for implementation, with detailed specifications/acceptance criteria for the product features so they are clearly understood by the development teams.
- On behalf of the Lead Product Owner, engage with Data Management to ensure alignment with the Bankโs data model and expand it if required.
Qualifications & Skills / Experience & Knowledge
Knowledge, experience & qualifications:
- Qualified accountant / CFA qualified/ relevant Masters and / or strong practical experience in Finance / FP&A
- Experience working in a project-based environment; programme/project management (agile desirable) experience desirable with respective qualifications (e.g. Prince 2, SCRUM certification etc.) a plus.
- Good understanding of enterprise/business architecture; ability to provide holistic and multidimensional business views essential.
- Understanding of data management and data governance principles.
- Domain expertise in at least one functional area (e.g. banking, policy, legal, risk management, finance, operations etc.); capable of providing advice and consultancy services drawing on in-depth professional expertise and experience.
- Experience managing project teams, including specialist consultants and/or matrix responsibility for internal staff on a functional basis.
- Experience of agile product ownership approaches and techniques, or a willingness to embrace new ways of working desirable.
- Strong accounting knowledge and financial background
- Extensive practical experience in P&L drivers and FP&A for Financial Services
Skills:
- Good judgement; skills and track record of strong solution-orientation and problem-solving.
- Demonstrated strong analytical and decision-making skills with a structured approach to delivery.
- Experience in project and/or programme management, as well as change management principles
- Strong data analytics skills; proficiency in MS excel and/or reporting/analytics software e.g. Tableau, Cognos desirable.
- Business process modelling skills essential; familiarity with BPM design/modelling software desirable. Strong user-based knowledge of bank systems and processes.
- Familiarity with finance, processes and systems; strong organisational and time management skills
- Strong oral and written presentation skills; proficiency in MS PowerPoint desirable.
- Experience in technology enablement (agile) is desirable.
- Strong stakeholder management skills.
- Proven ability to influence and work well with others, with the personal authority to effectively harness the cooperation of peers across departments.
- Team player, able to work with and manage through others in a matrix and collegiate style.
- Excellent active listening skills and interpersonal and communication skills in English to communicate with a wide variety of people at all levels in the Bank.
What is it like to work at the EBRD?
Our agile and innovative approach is what makes life at the EBRD a unique experience! You will be part of a pioneering and diverse international organisation, and use your talents to make a real difference to people's lives and help shape the future of the regions we invest in.
The EBRD environment provides you with:
- Varied, stimulating and engaging work that gives you an opportunity to interact with a wide range of experts in the financial, political, public and private sectors across the regions we invest in;
- A working culture that embraces inclusion and celebrates diversity;
- An environment that places sustainability, equality and digital transformation at the heart of what we do.
Diversity is one of the Bankโs core values which are at the heart of everything it does. A diverse workforce with the right knowledge and skills enables connection with our clients, brings pioneering ideas, energy and innovation. The EBRD staff is characterised by its rich diversity of nationalities, cultures and opinions and we aim to sustain and build on this strength. As such, the EBRD seeks to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and given equal opportunities and works in an inclusive environment. The EBRD encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of the EBRD member countries to apply regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious and cultural background, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities. As an inclusive employer, we promote flexible working and expecting our employee to attend the office 50% of their working time.