Innovation Product Owner II

Job Summary   The Innovation Product Owner is responsible for the day-to-day execution and progression of fintech initiatives within the Innovation Pod. Operating within UFCU's fintech strategy and organizational priorities, this role translates strategic direction into executable work, manages the pod backlog, and drives initiatives from initial hypothesis through validated pilot and, when appropriate, into implementation.

  This role operates in a high-ambiguity environment where speed of learning is critical. The Innovation Product Owner defines scope, sets success criteria, runs delivery ceremonies, and coordinates internal teams and cross-pod dependencies to keep work moving.   The Innovation Product Owner also leads a readiness and capacity track, identifying system dependencies and signaling resource needs through quarterly planning to ensure the right technical resources are available when an initiative is ready to move forward.

This role manages the lightweight, discovery-oriented intake process that initiates exploration rather than requiring full definition upfront.   The Innovation Product Owner is an exempt position and reports to the Director, Fintech Strategy and Partnerships.     About UFCU    Our Credit Union was founded in 1936 and has grown to serve members throughout Texas and beyond.

At UFCU, we are more than just a financial institution, and our people are more than just employees. We are dedicated to our purpose of  empowering our Members to achieve financial success and build brighter futures .    In pursuit of our aspiration that  UFCU is   loved by millions of Members and built to thrive for generations , we are guided by our values:   Purposefully Member-Obsessed   We are driven by a profound sense of empathy to deeply understand our Members’ needs and preferences, what brighter futures means to them, and the obstacles in their way.

We act in our Members’ best interests, forever seeking to empower their financial success.   Possibilities Reimagined   We are inspired to courageously experiment, learn, and iterate in pursuit of positive impact for our Members, UFCU, and coworkers. We challenge assumptions, embrace diverse perspectives, and make use of data and insights.

  Performance Excellence Rooted in Unwavering Integrity   We do the right thing, always. We champion teamwork, accountability, continuous improvement, and celebrate successful outcomes of others, fostering an inclusive environment of excellence and collaboration.     Essential Functions   Product Ownership & Strategy   Manages and maintains the pod backlog, ensuring work is clearly defined, properly sequenced, and aligned with the strategic priorities set.

  Runs day-to-day delivery operations including standups, backlog refinement, sprint planning, and reviews.   Translates ambiguous, early-stage ideas into testable hypotheses with clear scope, success criteria, and integration approach.   Drives initiatives through time-boxed discovery and pilot cycles, ensuring each phase produces measurable learning that informs the decision to scale, pivot, or sunset.

  Defines and tracks success metrics for each initiative, grounded in speed of learning, decision quality, and validated member and business impact.   Manages the discovery-oriented intake process, working with the Fintech Partnership Lead and Director to determine which opportunities enter the pod's pipeline.     Agile Delivery Partnership   When the pod carries an initiative beyond pilot, defines the implementation scope, success criteria, and progression decisions required to move from validated learning to production readiness.

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