Associate Director, Product Owner

Fitch Group; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Learning & mobility programs

Retirement planning

Healthcare offerings

Parental leave

Volunteer days

Job summary

Fitch Group is seeking an Associate Director, Product Owner to lead AI-enabled capabilities and workflow automation within Shared Technology Services in Chicago. You will oversee discovery, prototyping with AI tools, and the delivery of scalable features that improve product quality and impact across business units.

You will build and maintain a prioritized roadmap, partner with stakeholders, document product releases, and drive adoption metrics through data-driven experiments and continuous

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in product ownership and end-to-end delivery.
• Experience translating user insights into product requirements.
• Proven ability to influence across teams and stakeholders.
• AI-first mindset with prototype/poc experience using AI tools.
• Familiarity with ML basics, GenAI architectures, APIs, and security models.

Responsibilities

• Lead product discovery: framing problems, validating with user research, translate insights into backlog items.
• Use AI and low-code tools to build prototypes and test ideas before engineering.
• Define and deliver AI-enabled capabilities and workflow automation to standardize processes.
• Maintain a prioritized product roadmap in partnership with business units.
• Lead backlog, acceptance criteria, and sprint planning; drive go-to-market activities for releases.

Skills

Product ownership

Stakeholder influence

Communication skills

Leadership

AI-first mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Requisition ID: 50732

Business Unit: Fitch Group

Category: Information Technology

Location: Chicago, IL, US

Date Posted: Sep 28, 2026

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 CHICAGO ROLES ONLY: Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $130,000 and $140,000 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.