Product Owner & Data Governance Lead

Foundational layer is the backbone of data organization. It focuses on ensuring data quality, establishing robust data governance, building up the analytical data platform to enable business intelligence and reporting. 

The Product Owner Foundational Layer (and Data Governance Lead) will be responsible for the success of the implementation of the foundational layer for Data Value Stream. Purpose of the role is to contribute to the creation and delivery of the overarching value stream vision together with the Head of Data Value Stream, based on active inquiry of stakeholders needs, ensuring that we are building the right product that is valuable for our customers and viable for our business.  This role is responsible for coordinating and evaluating the data steward team to implement and maintain data governance to ensure efficient and compliant data management and increase data democratization within the company while ensuring the data is owned, accurate, accessible, and protected, thus contributing to informed decision-making and compliance with legal regulations. 

Responsibilities: 

As a Product Owner:  

• Deploys the vision for the product within the boundaries of the overall value stream vision (as defined by Head of Value Steam). Works closely with the Head of Value Stream and peer Product Owners to enhance the overall value stream vision and roadmap. Has a deep knowledge of the business context in which the product resides. Knows the market and understands trends influencing the entrusted product domain. 

• Conveys the vision and strategy to the members of the scrum team and data governance community, inspiring them to create extraordinary results and contribute to the vision.  

• Owns the product roadmap that is derived from the value stream strategy and defines on a high-level when key milestones and product features will be available. Aligns this roadmap with stakeholders and with other departments in the organization.  

• In collaboration with the Head of Value Stream and Value Management Office, the Product Owner coordinates the sequencing and delivery of features over time based on the maximum impact for the end user and the highest value impact.  

• Defines which other product teams are required to execute the product strategy and ensures alignment of roadmaps for end-to-end delivery of scope. Negotiates key results in relation to planning with other product teams. 

• Builds and prioritizes the product backlog with input from epic owners, business owners and other Product Owners by continuously preparing the next-in- line scope. Ensures that the features and user stories are well described, with clear acceptance criteria in alignment with the value stream roadmap and objectives. 

• Works with the team to conclude, based on the acceptance criteria, on readiness of the features and user stories for development and for accepting their completion. This includes validating that the scope meets the defined acceptance criteria, that it has the appropriate and persistent acceptance tests. 

• Sponsors and drives initiatives and activities that promote the culture where teams are empowered. Develops and inspires other leaders within the area to create and support the culture of product teams 

• Develops, maintains, and ensures transparency of a product backlog with prioritized features and user stories. Ensures frequent MVPs release, according to each BRP scope.  

• Manages expectations of stakeholders regarding the product in ownership through continuous negotiation and influencing. Continuously gather feedback from customers and stakeholders to improve the product, while ensuring an ongoing user testing and validation process, in line with our software development processes. 

• Owns all aspects of the product quality of the product in the value stream: customer value, costs, reliability, changeability, security. Safeguards balanced change and run to ensure that the product is reliable and secure yet keeps meeting evolving customer expectations.  

• Acts as a mentor for the other POs and trains and supports them to better understand and develop the Product Owner role and practice, in alignment with the SAFe methodology, tools and the new way of working defined by the Value Management Office team.  

As a Data Governance Lead: 

• Responsible for establishing and maintaining standards and best practices for Product Owner practice area and growing the knowledge on prioritization frameworks, user story mapping techniques, customer journey mapping etc.. Unapologetically proud of his/her team and product developments. 

• Responsible for setting Data Governance policies and standards by aligning with internationally defined standards within NN. Creates and maintains local policies and procedures necessary for ensuring correct and compliant data management, ensuring their implementation at NN Romania. 

• Provides direction and guidance regarding methodology, interdependencies, and best practices in data governance, by  promoting a data-driven culture and ensuring that the data governance principles are well understood and embraced by all stakeholders. Sets Data Quality Policies for NN Romania, ensures compliance with own NN policies and Legislations. 

• Assesses the effectiveness of the Data Quality framework, propose initiatives and coordinates improvements, implements and maintains Data Governance practices and tools with the chain data stewards team. Offers guidance for key data roles within the data governance framework, sharing concrete best practices adapted to the maturity level and organizational size of NN Romania. Ensures all involved parties understand and respect their data governance responsibilities. 

• Responsible for the continuous update of business glossaries, data directories, and documentation of data flows. This includes maintaining comprehensive documentation to support data governance initiatives in order to ensure data consistency and understanding across the organization. 

• Provides continuous support for the implementation and optimization of data governance processes. 

• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the effectiveness of the Data Governance structure and processes. 

• Responsible for developing and maintaining the data management backlog, including prioritizing of data management tasks, ensuring that data quality and governance initiatives are continuously improved. 

• Ensures awareness programs to educate stakeholders about data governance policies, procedures, and standards.  

• Prioritizes and sets the team's activity plan according to the importance, impact, complexity and available resources and manages the interdependencies with other strategic or compliance and regulatory initiatives in compliance with legal deadlines; 

• Responsible the performance monitoring process of the chain data stewards team:  evaluating skills and results at team level, identifying areas for development and determining improvement plans both at individual and team level and provides constructive feedback to team members, sets goals in line with the organization's strategy, periodically reviews progress, establishes corrective actions and provides performance evaluations;  

• Responsible for recruitment while ensuring a more efficient process of integration into the team. 

• Perform any other tasks related to the natural flow of activities and the mission of the position (applies to all levels of specialization). 

Norms, Policies, Procedures: 

• knows and respects the provisions included in the internal work Norms, Policies, Procedures (including those referring to mechanisms and procedures for preventing and combating money laundering/terrorism financing (ML/TF) and international sanctions, in accordance with internal notifications received).  

• reports to the MLRO Officer at the general address: aml_insurance@nn.ro, all cases where clients/participants with anomalies are identified from the perspective of the policy for preventing and combating economic-financial crime and applying international sanctions. 

• participates annually in the training program regarding the activity of preventing and combating money laundering and financing acts of terrorism, by going through the training material and passing the related testing. Participates in all mandatory training programs, within the prescribed term, according to internal communications. 

Experience & Background Requirements  

• University degree (technical or economical background preferably). 

• At least 3 years of experience in a similar role, preferably in the insurance industry (including experience in Data Governance, Data Management, or related field with extensive exposure to different people categories, both on horizontal and vertical structure). 

• Having previously worked on either establishing a data governance framework or expanding/maintaining a successfully implemented one, as an individual contributor on at least one occasion. 

• Ability and versatility to understand, analyse and connect all sides of the organisation (IT and business, operations, compliance, legal, etc.). 

• Familiarity with the financial services sector (insurance/pensions) represents an advantage. 

• Background of working using Agile methodologies would be a plus.   

• Azure DevOps knowledge  

• Willingness to embrace change and to fast adapt to new contexts. 

• Customer focused and results driven. 

• Ability to internalize customer & stakeholder feedback and understand underlying problems that need to be solved by a cross-functional team.  

• Continuous improvement mindset 

• Negotiation skills  

• Strong ability to define short, medium, and long-term goals and to prioritize based on each of them. 

• Deep understanding of customer needs, market trends and opportunities. 

• Fluent in English.   

What we offer   

• We are a Top Employer certified company and we strive to constantly become better for both our clients and employees; 

• We value expertise, creative ideas, and curiosity, so you will always find support in implementing new and more efficient ways of doing things; 

• We have great ambitions, so you will have the chance to make a visible impact; 

• We have a very nice office in a non-crowded, central area of Bucharest, very close to the subway; 

• We offer a hybrid way of working, flexible working hours, and the option to work from abroad for up to 60 days per year, so you can make the most out of your time; 

• We offer a great benefits package to help you protect yourself and the ones that matter most to you, including surgery insurance, private healthcare subscription, dental subscription, life insurance, voluntary pension, massage and fruits in the office, and Bookster and HILIO (ex-ATLAS) memberships; 

• We offer development programs (if you come with the desire to grow, we stand by you); 

• Up to 27 vacation days according to your tenure, because fun and relaxation are also important. 

At NN we believe a diverse workforce allows us as a company to better serve our customers. NN Romania employs a variety of nationalities, languages and cultures, and we aim to create an environment where diversity can flourish. We foster a culture that welcomes and respects everyone. 

NN wants to ensure equal opportunities and reward for all employees and extends employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees regardless of their age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.