Product Owner

Job description

Who are we? At Finastra, we’re a global leader in financial services software, dedicated to expanding access to financial services and shaping what’s next for the industry. Our technology powers mission‑critical solutions across Lending, Payments and Universal Banking, supporting over 7,000 customers, including 80% of the world’s top 50 banks, in more than 110 countries. Disclaimer: Finastra has signed an agreement to sell its Universal Banking business to Pollen Street Capital, with completion expected end 2026 / early 2027, subject to consultation and customary closing conditions. Upon completion, this role is expected to transition to the standalone Universal Banking business, creating opportunities to support its future growth and success. Role OverviewAs a Product Owner for Core Banking (Techno-Functional), you will support Product Director by focusing on  Core Banking, Data & AI  and translating cross-product solution objectives into actionable product backlogs, solution blueprints, epics, user stories, acceptance criteria, and delivery-ready increments. The role operates across core banking domains, including legacy and modern cores, lending, payments, data, reporting, AI/ML, APIs, events, migration and extensibility frameworks. This role bridges product strategy, execution, and customer outcomes, requiring deep collaboration across Payments, Lending, digital channels, Data, Analytics  and integration ecosystems. You will play a critical role in executing the product direction, ensuring readiness across the product lifecycle—from requirement intake through delivery and adoption. Key Responsibilities1. Techno-Functional Requirements & Product DevelopmentLead end-to-end requirement lifecycle, translating business needs into integrated functional and technical specifications, including system interactions, APIs, and data models. Collaborate with engineering team squads to deliver scalable features. Perform detailed impact and dependency analysis across core modules, upstream/downstream systems, integrations, and data flows, ensuring end-to-end solution integrity. Decompose complex capabilities into epics, user stories, and technical tasks with clear acceptance criteria. 2. Stakeholder & Customer EngagementAct as a key liaison across product, engineering, implementation teams, and customers. Engage with product owners, functional consultants, and client stakeholders to validate requirements and refine solutions. Gather, analyze, and reconcile inputs from multiple sources to drive aligned decisions. Conduct product demos and walkthroughs for internal and external stakeholders. 3. Product Quality & Delivery ExcellenceOwn business acceptance testing and validation of delivered features to ensure alignment with requirements. Distinguish between defects and enhancements and ensure proper prioritization. Drive delivery accountability by working closely with cross-functional teams during release cycles. Drive clarity on functional vs. technical dependencies and constraints. 4. Cross-Product Solution Pattern ExecutionConvert cross-product solution themes into practical artefacts, including solution blueprints, capability maps, journey maps, dependency views and implementation-ready product requirements. Support solution patterns spanning Midas, Equation, Essence, Lending, Payments, Data, Analytics, Reporting and AI/ML capabilities. Identify cross-product dependencies and ensure they are visible, prioritized and managed through the relevant product backlogs. 5. Migration and Modernization SupportSupport the productization of migration and coexistence frameworks, including legacy-to-modern core transition, progressive migration and multi-core operating models. Define backlog items for migration accelerators, reconciliation controls, transformation playbooks and cutover-supporting product capabilities. Partner with Professional Services and Architecture to capture migration lessons learned and convert them into reusable product assets. 6. Core Banking Product Technology Stack Alignment - Product PerspectiveTranslate product-side technology needs into clear business and product requirements for APIs, events, data architecture, integration patterns, cloud readiness, SaaS readiness, AI readiness and interoperability. Provide product ownership support for technology governance items without taking over CTO, Architecture or Engineering decision rights. Ensure technology evolution supports customer value, implementation efficiency, upgradeability and product differentiation 7. Integration & Ecosystem AlignmentCollaborate with adjacent product domains such as:Payments systems Lending interactions Digital banking channels ATM/Switch integrations Ensure seamless interoperability across APIs, services, and partner systems. 8. Data, Analytics & Regulatory AlignmentDefine data ownership, lineage, and processing considerations across systems Ensure product supports auditability, traceability, GDPR, data protection and data for the regulatory reporting Collaborate with analytics teams to support:Operational dashboards Customer analytics and ML use cases Ability to define and validate data flow across transaction data → reporting → Analytics layers. 9. Extensibility and Customization DesignAbility to define and govern customization approaches including:Extensions over core product modifications Plug-in v/s microservice-based enhancements Ensure customizations are loosely coupled, upgrade-safe and scalable Define, evolve, and govern a product-aligned customization framework (SDK) that enables extensibility of core banking capabilities while preserving product integrity, scalability, and upgradeability including:Define Extensibility patterns (configuration, APIs, events, plug-ins, microservices) Collaborate with engineering and architecture teams to design and deliver a robust, secure, and scalable SDK/tooling ecosystem Developer tooling, documentation, and sample implementations Alignment with architecture standards (API-first, event-driven, cloud-native) 10. Documentation & Knowledge EnablementPartner with technical writers to produce clear, comprehensive product documentation. Ensure documentation supports both internal teams and client implementations. Enable consistent product knowledge across teams. 11. Adoption, Training & EnablementIdentify training needs across internal teams and customers. Design and deliver product training programs and feature enablement sessions. Act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) across both domain and technical capabilities. Required Experience & SkillsDomain Expertise5+ years of experience in core banking  product management or solution architecture. Strong understanding of:Core banking systems (CASA, lending, deposits) Payments ecosystems (clearing, real-time, cards) Digital and channel integrations ATM/Switch/Gateway integrations Experience with legacy and modern core banking platforms, preferably including coexistence, migration or transformation contexts. Technical & Analytical SkillsSolid understanding of:REST APIs and service-based architectures Microservices fundamentals SQL and data analysis basics Cloud-native environments like Azure Integration patterns (middleware, ESB, event streaming) Ability to interpret and influence high-level and detailed architecture designs. The role requires strong expertise in designing and governing core banking customization frameworks that enable client-specific flexibility while preserving product integrity, scalability, and upgradeability Product & Delivery SkillsHands-on experience with:Agile/Scrum methodologies SDLC processes and release management Requirement lifecycle management (intake → refinement → delivery → validation) Ability to handle multiple parallel initiatives in a fast-paced environment. Stakeholder ManagementExcellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work across technical and business teams. Proven ability to influence without