Director of Agile Product Management- Data and Analytics

Director Agile Product Management - BA06CE

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Director of Agile Product Management - Data and Analytics (APM)

This role will have a Hybrid work arrangement, with the expectation of working in the Hartford, CT office 3 days a week (Tuesday through Thursday).

The Hartford is seeking a Director of Agile Product Management - Data and Analytics (APM) to support our Global Specialty portfolio. The APM is a critical role that sets the strategic vision of the product(s) in a single Agile Release Train (ART) to deliver business outcomes. The APM represents the voice of the customer to the entire ART, and links program execution to the business vision. This role requires a high performing individual who is a thought leader able to prioritize multiple responsibilities, influence stakeholders, and collaborate across program teams. The role will report to the Head of Strategic Execution in Global Specialty.

• Lead product execution for the Data and Analytics agile release train (ART)

• Manage a team of 3 agile product owners (APOs) and a business data steward

• Responsible for ensuring data solutions deliver business vision

• Engage with business and technology stakeholders to identify product opportunities and implications

• Stay current on internal, competitive, and industry technology trends to be a subject matter expert

• Represent the voice of the customer to the entire ART

• Set product strategy and alignment to business strategy

• Provide product vision and develop features to achieve it

• Articulate product vision to key business and IT stakeholders to ensure alignment with direction

• Guide the ARTs in determining PI objectives, linking execution activities to business intent

• Manage the program backlog, breaking down epics into features and prioritizing features to maximize business value; independently drives feature roadmapping

• Independently make prioritize/pivot/persevere decisions

• Accountable for the health and readiness of the program backlog, which may span multiple Product Owners and agile teams

• Ensure the APOs in the ART understand the items in the program backlog and their business value

• Write Epics and features, including defining acceptance criteria

• Accept completed features that meet the "definition of done" and quality expectations

• Validate that the solution and feature functionality meet the product vision

• Incorporate feedback from system demos

• Partner with the RTE, Architects, APOs, and IT/business leads to ensure solutions will deliver the business vision.

• Maintain change management plans for all key stakeholders and impacted users

• Monitor and share execution, benefit realization, and post-release optimization progress, including risks and impediments

• Analyze program-level metrics to identify key trends and opportunities for continuous improvement within the ART

• Analyze business-level OKR/KPI impact of epics/features

• 7+ years of experience in product ownership, digital, technology, or related field
• 3+ years of people management experience

• Bachelor's degree required

• Experience in the insurance industry preferred

• Proficiency in agile methodologies and frameworks such as Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Scrum, Kanban, XP, etc.

• Experience with agile lifecycle management tools (e.g., Rally, JIRA)

• Experience with Excel, PowerPoint, and MS Teams

• Experience with SQL server, Snowlake, or similar data storage and management technologies

• Strong collaboration and influence skills, including ability to manage and negotiate with multiple stakeholders

• Effective at working in a matrix environment

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability understand audiences, tailor messages and influence outcomes

• Experience with analyzing data to identify insights, create hypotheses for testing, and drive new and enhanced customer experiences

• Experience coaching and mentoring APOs, significantly contributing to an Agile product management community of practice, and enhancing Agile product management maturity in their portfolio (e.g. hiring, upskilling)

• Self-motivated individual with experience handling multiple high-priority demands, managing expectations, and achieving objectives

• Experience as an effective decision-maker

• Experience with ADKAR or other change management frameworks required