Product Owner Big Data at Safaricom Kenya

Key Role Responsibilities

Owns the team backlog in line with mission:

• Provide Big Data product management and alignment with commercial tribes
• Provides priorities, success measures to Big Data Agile team based on agreed criteria and in line with Big Data product delivery  road map
• Drive company-wide AI appreciation metric

Represents the end-user:

• Works with SME’s to understand requirements, supporting the definition of features, and co-creating user stories and other required artefacts
• Understand the core technology platform capability and collaborate with developers in the best way to meet product objectives, acts as the customer for developer questions
• Leads the system demo together with the chapter leads for their agile team after each iteration

Inputs into iteration planning session:

• Reviews and reprioritises backlog in preparation for Iteration Planning, including coordination of dependencies with other Product Owners and earliest delivery of value to our customers
• Collaborates with the team to detail stories with acceptance criteria and associated acceptance tests
• Communicates story detail and priorities, ensuring the team aligns and agrees on the final iteration plan

Understands enabler work:

• Collaborates with the Systems Architect, Business Analysts to assist with decision-making and sequencing/prioritisation of technical enablers

Accepts stories as done:

• Validates the story meets the acceptance criteria and complies with the definition of done

Works closely with product management team:

• Works alongside the product manager to ensure features are well documented, and that business priority is understood and aligned with team activities
• Actively participates in program ceremonies, PI Planning, PO-Sync, System Demos, Backlog refinement sessions, and Inspect and Adapt Workshop
• Performs preparation activities for quarterly business reviews (QBRs), helps drive quarterly objectives at Tribe level

Exhibits Lean-Agile leadership:

• Exhibits the behaviors of a Lean-Agile Leader with a Lean-Agile Mindset and deep understanding of analytical models and business strategy 
• Helps the team embrace SAFe Core Values, adopt, and apply SAFe Principles, implement SAFe practices

Core competencies, knowledge, and experience

• Strong understanding of / experience with business intelligence, big data,  reporting and AI concepts and technologies.
• Experience of software development lifecycle in complex, data-driven initiatives is essential, especially within agile methodologies (e.g. Scrum, SAFe)
• Experienced in leading agile feature teams to deliver both new and continuous improvements to customers
• Strong data analytical skills, able to identify solutions to complex problems.
• Business and customer focus and an appreciation of customer-led design and user experience techniques
• Ability to work proactively within a demanding environment, being a key contributor to a fast-moving product development process
• Able to communicate and influence with tact and diplomacy.
• Able to understand and explain complex technical concepts to business stakeholders
• Demonstrable numerical, analytical, and verbal skills, in particular well-developed written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Contagious passion for, and commitment to, driving mobile money growth and innovation
• Demonstrated communication and relationship management experience
• Contagious passion for, and commitment to, driving mobile and GSM growth and innovation
• Demonstrated communication and relationship management experience
• Excellent problem analysis and resolution skills to support work in reactive and proactive environments

QUALIFICATIONS

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in any IT or Quantitative relevant field
• Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• Agile Experience – minimum 2 years
• Relevant certified Product Owner or Business Analysis qualification, for example, SAFe Product Owner or equivalent is a must.
• Experience with business intelligence, big data, data lake, reporting, and AI concepts and technologies.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience in Mobile Payment or Financial Services and Telecommunication