Agile Product Owner

Agile Product Owner - BA07DE

We're determined to make a difference and are proud to be an insurance company that goes well beyond coverages and policies. Working here means having every opportunity to achieve your goals - and to help others accomplish theirs, too. Join our team as we help shape the future.

The Hartford's EE Benefits organization is seeking an Agile Product Owner (APO) to support our multi-year transformation effort aimed at improving customer experience through implementation, ongoing service, and speed to market. The APO will play a vital role in driving priorities, removing blockers, managing dependencies, and readying work for 1-2 Agile Scrum Teams. The Strategic Data and Partner Connections value stream plays a pivotal role in driving business growth, operational efficiency, and market competitiveness across Employee Benefits at The Hartford.

The Strategic Data and Partner Connections value stream is responsible for:

• Enhancing market competitiveness through integrations with strategic HR technology platforms. Driving growth through APIs for EOI, Absence, Member, and Plan data.
• Optimizing customer acquisition, implementation, and service experiences via robust data exchange capabilities, process improvements, consultation, and risk management.
• Improving data quality, continuity, and governance across the Employee Benefits portfolio
• Strategic partnerships: Deepening connectivity with tech vendors to streamline implementation and increase scalability.
• Operational dashboards and KPIs: Building transparency into data exchange volumes, close ratios, and integration performance.

• Lead product execution for one or more Agile teams.
• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of the "voice of the customer," "voice of the business," and industry/competitor trends.
• Articulate the product vision, roadmap, and voice of the customer to the agile teams.
• Guide the agile teams in determining sprint goals aligned to the product vision and roadmap.
• Manage the team's product backlog, breaking down features into stories, defining acceptance criteria, and prioritizing based on changing requirements.
• Ensure the Agile teams understand the items in the backlog and their business value.
• Lead, coach, mentor, and assist other agile team members when necessary.
• Obtain input and agreement from subject matter experts and stakeholders throughout the product lifecycle.
• Validate that the solution and functionality meet the product vision; incorporate feedback from sprint demos.
• Partner with the Scrum Master, agile teams, architects, APMs, RTEs, Tech Leads, Delivery Leads, and business stakeholders to ensure solutions will deliver the business vision and value.
• Create an inclusive and collaborative team environment where team members can bring creative and innovative ideas to the table.

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• 3+ years of experience in Agile product owner or related role, digital, technology, or related field.
• Experience in the insurance industry preferred.
• Proficiency in agile methodologies and frameworks (SAFe, Scrum, Kanban, XP) preferred.
• Experience with agile lifecycle management tools (e.g., Rally).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong leadership skills, with prior leadership experience highly preferred.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Self-motivated, highly organized, and able to handle multiple high-priority demands.