Employee Benefits Agile Product Owner

thehartford; Hartford (CT); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The Hartford is seeking an experienced Agile Product Owner to support the Employer Experience Value Stream within the Employee Benefits Transformation Office. The APO maximizes value delivered by 1-2 teams and ensures backlog priorities align with business objectives and the product vision.

Working across multiple business teams, the APO partners with business leaders and technology teams to define, prioritize, and refine the backlog, while communicating strategy and progress at all levels.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of Insurance experience in an Agile Product Ownership or similar role.

Responsibilities

• Lead product execution for 1-2 Agile teams, ensuring alignment with business objectives and product vision.
• Engage with business and technology stakeholders to identify product opportunities and implications.
• Represent the voice of the customer to the Agile team(s) and ensure customer-centric delivery.
• Partner with the Agile Product Manager to provide perspective on portfolio and value stream vision and roadmap.
• Articulate the product vision and roadmap to the Agile team(s) and guide them in determining sprint goals.
• Manage the product backlog: break down epics into features, features into stories, and prioritize to maximize business value.
• Aid the Agile Product Manager in feature road mapping and strategic planning.
• Ensure the Agile team(s) understand backlog items and their business value.

Skills

Agile methodologies

SAFe

Scrum

Kanban

XP

Roadmap planning

Backlog management

Stakeholder communication

Tools

Rally

JIRA

MS Teams

Job description

Agile Product Owner - BA07DE We're determined to make a difference and are proud to be an insurance company that goes well beyond coverages and policies. Working here means having every opportunity to achieve your goals - and to help others accomplish theirs, too. Join our team as we help shape the future.

Job Summary

The Hartford is seeking an experienced Agile Product Owner to support the Employer Experience Value Stream within the Employee Benefits Transformation Office.

The Agile Product Owner (APO) is a critical role responsible for maximizing the value delivered by 1-2 Agile teams. Acting as the voice of the customer, the APO ensures that team priorities align with business objectives and the overall product vision. This role works across multiple business teams and product value streams, with a primary focus on delivering business value within the Employer Experience value stream, specifically supporting Billing and Member Management capabilities.

As a key partner to the Agile Product Manager, the APO collaborates daily with business leaders, subject matter experts, and technical teams to define, prioritize, and refine the product backlog. Success in this role also requires clear, consistent communication across all levels-from stakeholders to delivery teams-ensuring alignment and transparency throughout the product lifecycle. This position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to a high-performing team, apply existing expertise, and develop new skills in a dynamic environment.

To excel, the APO must demonstrate strong ownership, curiosity, and a passion for customer experience, combined with a data-driven approach to decision-making. The APO should be a proactive thought leader who can balance multiple priorities, foster collaboration across stakeholders, and drive outcomes that deliver measurable business value. This position reports to the Agile Product Manager for the program, and prior experience as an Agile Product Owner or Business Analyst within a Scrum team is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead product execution for 1-2 Agile teams, ensuring alignment with business objectives and product vision.
• Engage with business and technology stakeholders to identify product opportunities and implications.
• Represent the voice of the customer to the Agile team(s) and ensure customer-centric delivery.
• Partner with the Agile Product Manager to provide perspective on portfolio and value stream vision and roadmap.
• Articulate the product vision and roadmap to the Agile team(s) and guide them in determining sprint goals.
• Manage the product backlog: break down epics into features, features into stories, and prioritize to maximize business value.
• Aid the Agile Product Manager in feature road mapping and strategic planning.
• Ensure the Agile team(s) understand backlog items and their business value.
• Write user stories with clear acceptance criteria and validate completed stories against the definition of done and quality expectations.
• Validate that delivered solutions meet the product vision and incorporate feedback from sprint demos into the backlog.
• Partner with Scrum Masters, Architects, Tech Leads, and business stakeholders to ensure solutions deliver the intended business outcomes.
• Maintain a deep understanding of the voice of the customer, industry trends, and competitor insights.
• Drive business readiness and change management activities to support successful adoption.
• Monitor and communicate execution progress, including risks and impediments, to stakeholders.
• Analyze delivery metrics to identify trends and opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Own communication across all levels-from stakeholders to Agile teams-ensuring consistency, transparency, and alignment throughout the product lifecycle.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of Insurance experience in an Agile Product Ownership or similar role is required; knowledge of Employee Benefits Life & Voluntary Products a plus.
• Strong knowledge of Agile methodologies and frameworks such as SAFe, Scrum, Kanban, XP.
• Proficiency with Agile lifecycle management tools (e.g., Rally, JIRA).
• Experience with Excel, PowerPoint, and MS Teams for reporting and collaboration.
• Strong collaboration and influence skills, including ability to manage multiple stakeholders effectively.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to understand audiences, tailor messages, and influence outcomes.
• Experience analyzing data to identify insights and create hypotheses for testing.
• Familiarity with mentoring junior APOs and contributing to a product management community of practice.
• Clear preference for working collaboratively in a team environment.
• Self-motivated individual with ability to handle multiple high-priority demands, manage expectations, and achieve objectives.
• Experience with ADKAR or other change management frameworks preferred.
• Willingness to travel 10%-25% as needed.

Compensation

The listed annualized base pay range is primarily base