Product Owner at Iress

Job Description

About the role

• The IRESS Product Owner will manage the product from requirements to operational activities to ensure the ultimate success of the product. The candidate will be responsible for ensuring successful deployment and best practice implementations of product based on strategic and tactical plans. The Product Owner will be responsible for ensuring that the business requirements are captured and documented correctly before the solution is developed and implemented. Once the solution is developed the Product Owner is responsible for verifying and validating that the product meets the business and technical requirements and functions as expected, by conducting an objective assessment of the product based on appropriate criteria, real and perceived quality, conformance to standards and detection of defects, thereby ensuring development and release of a quality product. Engagement with overseas clients and teams at times outside of normal business hours is expected in this position.

System Analysis and Design

• Preparing detailed User Requirements and Business Specifications as per the agreed templates which covers business processes, business rules, system requirements, reports and concept designs of screens which will be used to generate the Technical Specifications, this may require working directly with users to assess the requirements.
• Research new products where applicable from the various Product Providers considering the impact of the new products on the assigned products and if necessary prepare communication on findings and timeously provide information for the updating of the various products in the IRESS offerings
• Stay up to date on legislation that affects the assigned products.
• Advise on system requirements based on legal and strategic requirements from the market place
• Pro-active compilation of communication on any areas defined that may be (or become) shortcomings in the products.
• Pro-active involvement directly with corporate and/or Independent users in order to assess and document user requirements accurately.

Testing

• Proactively test items and products according to the agile method of development, keeping up to date with items that are assigned and supporting team members where necessary.
• Functional and business process testing to be performed specifically relating to financial calculations and the interpretation and subsequent implementation of industry rules and regulations.
• Work with the relevant resources in the Quality Assurance team to: set up test data and complete test cases as part of the business specification document. Compile and maintain a testing checklist for the relevant assigned areas (including automated testing if applicable).

Implementation, Support and Training

• Prepare Release Notes for the assigned products and projects, to be done at the end of the testing phase. This will be done in conjunction with the greater global team.
• Creating and keeping help files and user manuals updated for assigned products
• Second level functional support to Knowledge Centre
• Assist with training preparations and queries where agreed upon with line managers

Data Maintenance and Updates

• Pro-actively sourcing and maintain relevant data for the assigned products (e.g. Tax data, Product Data etc)
• Assessment of the impact of gathered data or data changes on the assigned products.
• Coordinating distribution of gathered data at ad-hoc times where necessary, otherwise during a normal release.

Project Management

• Construction of project plan for new projects (leverage from project management team where necessary)
• Ongoing management of all aspects of the project plan
• Weekly Management reporting on the assigned projects
• Change Request control for any delays or scope changes
• Sign off control for each phase and milestone of the project.

About you

• Good verbal and written communication skills, including active listening skills.
• Analytical with a solid mathematical aptitude
• Awareness and general understanding of web technology and software development
• A good understanding of the software development process
• A good understanding of the business approach
• Good judgment skills
• The ability to work in a team and as an individual
• The ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
• You'll also need to be tactful, diplomatic and non-judgmental to maintain a good working relationship with the software developers whose months of hard work you'll be picking apart

What you’ll bring to the team:

• 3+ years’ experience in financial markets with an strong understanding of Portfolio management
• B.Com / CFA or relevant post graduate qualification preferable
• Financial planning industry experience
• Understanding of Investment Management, including asset allocation modelling, portfolio building, portfolio compliance and Capital Gains Tax (from a portfolio perspective)
• An understanding of data feeds e.g. Market Data, Morningstar, BDA (from JSE)
• What we offer you in return
• It’s a cliché, but we work hard and we play hard. We recognise and reward hard work with a great benefits package. On top of a good remuneration package we’ll give you a generous holiday allowance, retirement fund, life assurance and income protection cover plus a performance related bonus. We also provide seriously good coffee and plenty of other perks to brighten your day including a casual dress code, vibrant open workspaces with areas to relax including pause areas, table tennis; plus free fruit every day. There are always sports and social events happening and chances to get involved in our charity work if you want to. Oh, and every Friday the drinks are on us!
• With offices worldwide, we offer exciting opportunities for you to learn, grow and progress. A career at IRESS really can take you anywhere.
• Join us and be part of something amazing.