Associate Director, Product Owner (Toronto)

Fitch Ratings, Inc.; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 140,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Learning & mobility programs

Retirement planning

Comprehensive healthcare offerings

Parental leave policy

Volunteer days with company support

Job summary

Fitch Ratings, Inc. in Toronto is seeking an Associate Director, Product Owner to lead AI enablement initiatives within Shared Technology Services. You will drive discovery, prototype AI capabilities, and build a roadmap balancing business needs with technical delivery.

Join a team that values independent thinking and collaboration, delivering systems that automate workflows and reduce manual effort across the organization.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in product ownership with ideation through launch.
• Deep understanding of product lifecycle and best practices.
• Experience partnering with engineering to translate insights into requirements.
• AI‑first approach with prototypes and proof‑of‑concepts.
• Solid knowledge of ML fundamentals and GenAI architectures.
• Familiar with APIs, MCP protocols, and auth models.
• Experience with Claude, M365 Copilot, and Figma Make.
• Proven ability to influence across teams and stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including leadership presentations.
• Proficient in Jira, Confluence, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field.

Responsibilities

• Lead product discovery including problem framing and backlog outcomes.
• Use AI and low‑code tools to build prototypes before engineering.
• Define and deliver AI capabilities and workflow automation.
• Build and maintain a product roadmap with business units.
• Maintain a clear backlog with acceptance criteria and metrics; lead sprint planning.
• Lead go‑to‑market activities with documentation, client communication and training.
• Track adoption, efficiency and quality; drive continuous improvement with data.

Skills

Product ownership

AI‑first approach

Data‑driven decisions

Cross‑functional collaboration

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related field

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Associate Director, Product Owner - AI Enablement

Fitch Group is currently seeking an Associate Director, Product Owner to join Shared Technology Services (STS), a team that connects business needs, product strategy, and technology to deliver capabilities that internal teams and external clients rely on. In this role, you will lead the discovery and delivery of AI-powered capabilities and workflow automation solutions, partnering across business units to improve the quality and impact of our products.

What We Offer

• A unique opportunity to drive how AI capabilities are designed and scaled across STS.
• A hands‑on role spanning the full product cycle, from experimentation and prototyping through to delivery.
• A chance to partner with business units, technology teams, and stakeholders across the organization.
• An environment that values independent thinking and collaboration in equal measure.

We’ll Count on You To

• Lead product discovery, including problem framing, opportunity validation through user research, and insight translation into backlog items and outcomes.
• Use AI and low‑code tools to build quick prototypes and test ideas before engaging engineering.
• Define and deliver agentic AI capabilities and workflow automation that reduce manual effort and standardize processes.
• Build and maintain a product roadmap in partnership with business units and product teams, balancing priorities and surfacing dependencies.
• Maintain a clear, well‑prioritized backlog; define acceptance criteria and success metrics; lead sprint planning and reviews.
• Lead go‑to‑market activities for product releases, including product documentation, client and stakeholder communication, training, and post‑launch support.
• Track metrics for adoption, efficiency, and quality; use data and structured experiments to drive continuous improvement.

What You Need to Have

• 5+ years of experience in product ownership, with a proven track record of delivering products from ideation through launch and iteration.
• Strong grasp of the product lifecycle and product development best practices, distinct from program or project management.
• Experience working closely with engineering teams and translating user insights into clear product requirements.
• An AI‑first approach to working, with demonstrated experience building prototypes and proof‑of‑concepts using AI and low‑code tooling to validate ideas prior to development.
• Solid understanding of ML fundamentals and GenAI architectures including retrieval‑augmented generation, vector databases, orchestration frameworks, and agentic AI.
• Familiarity with APIs, MCP protocols, and authentication and authorization models.
• Working knowledge of AI tools including Claude, M365 Copilot, and Figma Make.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and deliver across teams and functions, align stakeholders, and shape product decisions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present to leadership and produce clear documentation.
• Proficiency in Jira, Confluence, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field.

What Would Make You Stand Out

• Hands‑on AI or machine learning product management experience.
• Knowledge of AI governance, responsible AI principles, or model risk considerations.
• Experience with cloud technologies such as AWS.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• A customer‑centric mindset, with an emphasis on understanding and advocating for user needs.
• Passion for driving value through product enhancements and continuous improvement.
• Product Owner certification.

Why Choose Fitch

• Hybrid Work Environment: 2 to 3 days a week in office required based on your line of business and location
• A Culture of Learning & Mobility: Dedicated trainings, leadership development and mentorship programs designed to ensure that your time at Fitch will be a continuous learning opportunity
• Investing in Your Future: Retirement planning and tuition reimbursement programs that empower you to achieve your short and long‑term goals
• Promoting Health & Wellbeing: Comprehensive healthcare offerings that enable physical, mental, financial, social, and occupational wellbeing
• Supportive Parenting Policies: Family‑friendly policies, including a generous global parental leave plan, designed to help you balance career and family life effectively
• Inclusive Work Environment: A collaborative workplace where all voices are valued, with Employee Resource Groups that unite and empower our colleagues around the globe
• Dedication to Giving Back: Paid volunteer days, matched funding for donations and ample opportunities to volunteer in your community

Fitch is committed to providing global securities markets with objective, timely, independent and forward‑looking credit opinions. To protect Fitch’s credibility and reputation, our employees must take every precaution to avoid conflicts of interest or any appearance of a conflict of interest. Should you be successful in the recruitment process at Fitch Ratings you will be asked to declare any securities holdings and other potential conflicts prior to commencing employment. If you, or your immediate family, have any holdings that may conflict with your work responsibilities, you may be asked to divest yourself of them before beginning work.

FOR TORONTO ROLES ONLY: Expected base pay rates for the role will be between CAD 140,000 and CAD165,000 per year. Actual salaries will be determined on an individualized basis and may vary based on factors including but not limited to education, training, experience, past performance, and other job‑related factors. Base pay is one part of Fitch’s total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, discretionary bonuses, long‑term incentives, and other benefits sponsored by Fitch.