Guardian India Operations - Product Owner

Job Title: Product Owner

About Guardian:

Every day, Guardian helps more than 29 million customers achieve financial security and peace of mind through a comprehensive range of insurance and financial products. Our purpose, to inspire well-being, drives our commitment to colleagues, consumers, and communities. With more than 160 years of history and the strength of being one of the largest mutual insurance companies, Guardian is a trusted brand that focuses on overall well-being-mind, body, and wallet.

Role Overview:

- We are seeking a highly experienced and passionate Product Owner to join our Enterprise Business & Technology Services (EBTS) Applied Innovation Team in Chennai.

- As a Product Owner, you will play a pivotal role in shaping product strategy, defining and prioritizing requirements, and ensuring delivery of innovative solutions that enhance both customer and business outcomes. This is a leadership-oriented role that demands strong analytical thinking, customer empathy, and stakeholder management skills.

Key Responsibilities:

- Define, refine, and communicate the product vision and roadmap aligned with business goals.

- Collaborate with cross-functional teams including user experience, engineering, and quality assurance to deliver impactful solutions.

- Serve as the product and project owner on multiple high-visibility deliverables, ensuring alignment with enterprise objectives.

- Partner with technology and business stakeholders to translate requirements into actionable user stories.

- Manage and prioritize the product backlog, continuously grooming based on evolving needs and feedback.

- Develop release and launch plans, working closely with engineering and business teams for seamless execution.

- Monitor and analyze KPIs, incorporating user feedback into iterative product improvements.

- Stay ahead of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in insurance and digital innovation.

- Balance competing requests, making trade-offs where needed to maximize impact and customer value.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field (or equivalent experience).

- Minimum 12 years of digital or technical experience, preferably as a Product Owner or Product Manager in a regulated environment.

- At least 3 years of demonstrable Agile experience (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe).

- Proficiency with backlog management tools such as Jira.

- Strong technical foundation with experience in customer-facing and backend systems (DBs, APIs).

- Familiarity with data privacy regulations and security practices.

- Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills.

- Proven track record of driving strategic initiatives and delivering measurable results.

Leadership Competencies & Culture Fit:

- Output-Oriented: Strong bias toward execution and delivering quantifiable results.

- Data-Driven & Customer-Focused: Ability to balance quantitative data and qualitative insights for decisions.

- Team Player: Skilled at collaboration and building long-term professional relationships.

- Intellectually Curious: Embraces change, ambiguity, and continuous learning.

Why Join Guardian:

Guardian is recognized globally for its people-first culture and strong values. In India, Guardian has consistently been ranked among Great Places to Work, India's Best Workplaces in IT & IT-BPM, and Best Workplaces for Women. By joining Guardian, you will have access to learning opportunities, leadership mentoring, health and wellness programs, and an inclusive culture that empowers you to thrive.

This role is based in Chennai. Compensation for the role is highly competitive