Overview:
Serves as the Product Owner for an Agile component team supporting the Bank’s Credit Card application [TSYS]; representing the voice of the stakeholders to ensure that product delivery provides value, while aligning with business strategy. The Product Owner of Card work closely with their Product Management partners to define and execute on product vision and roadmap, prioritizes the product backlog, anticipates client needs and serves as primary communicator between competing product stakeholders and delivery teams, while evaluating and sharing progress at each iteration. In addition, the Product Owner plays a key role in the company’s strategic direction, defining and articulating new opportunities, and working in close concert with key stakeholders, including senior leadership across the business and technology as well their dedicated agile team.  

Primary Responsibilities:

• Own the product backlog through continuous grooming and prioritization in collaboration with product stakeholders to ensure alignment with changing/competing priorities. 

• Write user stories and groom the backlog in partnership with the team.  Specify acceptance criteria for each user story in support of moving the team to Acceptance Test-Driven Development (ATDD).

• Work directly with Product Management [Delivery] teams to understand and define requirements such that features/stories are created at an appropriate level on the team’s backlog for further collaboration and refinement.

• Collaborate across business partners around product roadmap and vision to ensure the team and stakeholders are aligned on priorities.

• Collaborate across teams and other Product Owners to align across dependent backlogs.

• Build information radiators for transparency around the work the team is actively working or has in the pipeline as ‘next up’ work

• Advocate empowerment across the team to support autonomy; Encourage ownership and  thoughtful decision making to move delivery forward in alignment with overall product vision and strategy.

• Work within the Agile team to define metrics meaningful to the team for self reflection and improvement. 

• Consistent communication with all stakeholders. 

• Represent the voice of the customer within the team

• Participate in all team activities and ceremonies.

• Use a matrixed influencing approach to work with essential business partners throughout the organization irrespective of hierarchy or divisions, advocating for the benefit of the customer.

• Understand and engage with your customers.

• Focus on outcomes over outputs, incorporating design thinking methods and analytics to inform product design.

• Understand and adhere to the Company’s risk and regulatory standards, policies and controls in accordance with the Company’s Risk Appetite.  Identify risk-related issues needing escalation to management.

• Promote an environment that supports diversity and reflects the M&T Bank brand.

• Maintain M&T internal control standards, including timely implementation of internal and external audit points together with any issues raised by external regulators as applicable

• Complete other related duties as assigned

Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities:
No direct management responsibility, but while an individual contributor, the jobholder must manage activities through influence, accountability and ownership, functioning in an agile environment

Education and Experience Required:

• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent work experience

• Minimum of 4 years’ business, analytical, technical and/or product experience

Education and Experience Preferred:

• Prior experience (2 years) as a Product Owner leveraging Scrum and/or Kanban frameworks

• Experience navigating an IBM mainframe environment.

• Familiarity with the Bank’s Core systems would be ideal

• Demonstrated leadership ability working across lines, stakeholder and technology, top ensure alignment with an Agile team management approach, intake, and prioritization 

• Prior experience prioritizing across competing priorities and quickly-changing landscape

• Prior experience actively seeking out multiple opinions, yet making independent decisions to  influence positive outcomes

• Understanding of Design Thinking principles

• Knowledge of basic product design and development best practices

• Knowledge of Agile and Lean principles and practices

• Experience working in partnership with user experience teams on product design

• Experience designing/managing digital capabilities

• Strong verbal and written communication skills

• Specific subject matter expertise as required by assigned product

Location/Working Model:

• This is a hybrid position requiring three days per week in the office

• Our office (Seneca One) is located at 1 Seneca Street, Buffalo, NY 14203

• Eligible candidates must live within commuting distance to the office

M&T Bank is committed to fair, competitive, and market-informed pay for our employees. The pay range for this position is $97,869.52 - $163,115.87 Annual (USD). The successful candidate’s particular combination of knowledge, skills, and experience will inform their specific compensation.

Location

Buffalo, New York, United States of America