Product Owner

Role Value Proposition: 

The Product Owner (PO) is responsible for prioritizing the stories to be developed by the agile team so the team can incrementally develop valuable solutions that maintain conceptual and technical integrity. Individuals in this role are responsible for working in a team of agile teams that contribute to larger solutions. While they collaborate with their agile team members to define stories, the PO has the responsibility for prioritizing the Team Backlog to streamline execution. The PO has the responsibility for accepting the team’s work as done. As such, you help the team realize its commitment to quality. You provide complete visibility into processes, priorities, and workflow, and ensure it is sequenced correctly. You create shared understanding and clarity to reduce operational friction and provide the team with a clear view of their environment. This is a critical role with significant accountability to build and manage relationships and responsibilities across businesses stakeholders and within the team. POs work closely with the Scrum Master, Product Management, Customers, Business Owners, team members and other stakeholders to create viable and sustainable plans, and constantly seek feedback from multiple stakeholders and incorporate it into the solutions. POs share accountability with Product Managers for delivery outcomes and make decisions to solve product related problems. You lead the creation of business scenarios and supporting details for stories and related testing, so they are clearly understood by fellow team members. As needed, you will work with Product Managers, to slice epics into features, and with the team as a content expert, partner to create and prioritize stories. POs strategically solution at the team level in service of the broader ART-level solution, and do so by partnering with Product Management and other Product Owners within the ART. POs are effective at helping the team deliver on its commitments by: working with others to actively explore solution options, ensuring decisions are taken by those with accountability for delivering outcomes, and dedicating their effort to delivering value, that meet the needs of MetLife’s customers and our business goals.   This PO is focused on leading Three Scrum teams on the Employer Solution Train.  These teams work closely with the Case Set Up, Billing, and Eligibility Agile Release trains.  Experience working with Salesforce software, or other Workflow systems (Bizflow, GSP) as well as with Service and Operations partners is preferred.       

Key Responsibilities:  

The Work:

1. Work with Product Managers to understand customer needs and business objectives that inform features

and stories

2. Ensure work focuses on those stories with a maximum value, aligned with product strategy,

roadmap, and key milestones

3. Help define, refine, prioritize, and accept the work delivered by an Agile team to ensure the outcome

meets the defined feature acceptance criteria while the team works at a sustainable pace

4. Answer questions from the agile team so the team’s work flows without delay.

5. Collaborate with POs on other teams to help the ART achieve its shared objectives.

6. Make decisions to solve product related problems, trade-off discussions, to stay on track to committed

outcomes. (Acceptance, prioritizing, making trade-offs, etc.)

The Interactions:

1. Collaborate with the team to create viable and sustainable plans

2. Manage stakeholders’ expectations through iterative demonstrations of completed work

3. Hold the team accountable for what has been defined as set criteria, receiving, and incorporating feedback

from multiple sources

4. Active interaction with Product Managers, fellow POs, and other partners to protect the integrity of the solution

Essential Business Experience and Technical Skills:

Able to take all forms of input and synthesize (not influenced by “hierarchy”) – Seek Diverse Perspectives

Willing to observe, analyze, and make recommendations - Seek Diverse Perspectives

Communicate factually. Navigate conversations to align on a set of data inputs that drive identification and prioritization of work.

Take ownership, influence at all levels, access all stakeholders equally (don’t ask for permission) – Seize Opportunity

Maintain stability throughout the iterations and add appropriate feedback as needed – Enable Solutions

Understand that they don’t have to be the technical expert but can work with the team members to understand and prioritize technical stories – Enable Solutions

Able to identify, access and connect among key stakeholders and experts - Seek Diverse Perspectives

Know how to get things done through others, and provide the clarity needed to accomplish it – Deliver what matters

Driven and motivated by our customers and the business to focus on the right outcomes – Deliver Results

Able to make decisions on information that is available at that time. Be comfortable with progressive elaboration and discovery (Progress over perfection) – Manages Ambiguity

Product Owners are primarily leaders not managers. POs do not direct the team but see themselves as a member of the team and are able to adapt their leadership approach to enable and empower the team to solve problems and deliver outcomes.

Some POs may have direct reports on an exception basis based on the needs of the ART – Empowerment & Collaboration

Experience with Underwriting processes, Underwriting systems, managing projects that cross multiple capabilities and enhance technology is desired.  Experience with SAFe Agile framework desired.  Knowledge of group benefit products, operational processes and systems is also a benefit.

Salary Grade

12 M

Contact Information

Bernadette Jones -bernadette.jones@metlife.com

At MetLife, we’re leading the global transformation of an industry we’ve long defined. United in purpose, diverse in perspective, we’re dedicated to making a difference in the lives of our customers. 

The role is eligible for incentive compensation under the MetLife Annual Variable Incentive Plan ("AVIP").  Your eligibility for and award of incentives are governed by the terms of the plan. MetLife offers a comprehensive benefits program that includes Medical, Dental, Life, Vision plus Retirement benefits and Paid Time Off.

MetLife:

MetLife, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, is one of the world’s leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 countries and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

We are one of the largest institutional investors in the U.S. with $642.4 billion of total assets under management as of March 31, 2021. We are ranked #46 on the Fortune 500 list for 2021. In 2020, we were named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for the fifth year in a row. DJSI is a global index to track the leading sustainability-driven companies. We are proud to have been named to Fortune magazine’s 2021 list of the “World’s Most Admired Companies.”      

MetLife is committed to building a purpose-driven and inclusive culture that energizes our people. Our employees work every day to help build a more confident future for people around the world.

The wage range for applicants for this position is 87K-117K. This role is also eligible for annual short-term incentive compensation. MetLife offers a comprehensive benefits program, including healthcare benefits, life insurance, retirement benefits, parental leave, legal plan services and paid time off. All incentives and benefits are subject to the applicable plan terms.

We want to make it simple for all interested and qualified candidates to apply for employment opportunities with MetLife.  For further information about how to request a reasonable accommodation, please click on the Disability Accommodations link below.

MetLife is a proud Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer dedicated to attracting, retaining, and developing a diverse and inclusive workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment at MetLife without regards to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, national origin, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status, uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

MetLife maintains a drug-free workplace.