SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 130 offices and 80,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges.

In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by the capital strength of SMBC Group and the value of its relationships in Asia, the Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization’s extensive global network. The Group’s operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC MANUBANK, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd.

The anticipated salary range for this role is between $188,000.00 and $235,000.00. The specific salary offered to an applicant will be based on their individual qualifications, experiences, and an analysis of the current compensation paid in their geography and the market for similar roles at the time of hire. The role may also be eligible for an annual discretionary incentive award. In addition to cash compensation, SMBC offers a competitive portfolio of benefits to its employees.

Role Description

SMBC is hiring a Features Product Owner for the US Cash Management division’s Product team.

The Features Product Owner will help to define the product vision and roadmap, prioritize features for each release, and work closely with other groups within the organization using a Scrum framework to build and launch products within tight deadlines. The ideal candidate will have experience working in agile methods. This role is pivotal in developing and executing product strategies for SMBC’s new cash management initiative, ensuring the delivery of innovative and effective cash management solutions.

Role Objectives: Delivery

• Manage and execute a client-backed and robust suite of cash management products, (e.g., payments, receivables and channel solutions)

• Write detailed feature specifications and user stories, including acceptance criteria, to guide product development efforts

• Generate and refine feature ideas based on client feedback focus groups, market research, and competitive analysis, ensuring alignment with business goals

• Ensure all features comply with relevant regulations and industry standards, particularly in the context of cash management and financial services

• Collaborate with UX/UI designers to create feature prototypes and conduct usability testing to validate feature concepts

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including sales, technology, operations, and marketing, to ensure seamless product delivery

• Manage the entire product lifecycle from ideation to launch, ensuring client-centric solutions that target a gap in the cash management landscape

• Tailor solutions for multinational clients across a variety of industries and needs

• Apply agile methodologies throughout the product lifestyle, as well as collaborate with scrum teams to deliver products to market efficiently and effectively

• Work closely with the Head of Product and other senior leaders to align product vision and strategy

• Engage with stakeholders, including enterprise clients, non-technical business users, and internal teams, to gather requirements and ensure successful product implementation

Role Objectives: Interpersonal

Form strong partnerships with business stakeholders to influence, define and agree on program scope, timelines and target deliverables. Set a tone of collaboration and transparency between program work-streams by communicating a clear vision of target outcomes. Ensure alignment and awareness of over-arching program objectives. Oversee impact assessments of program outcomes and engage relevant process owners to encourage buy-in on target end state. Incorporate process owner feedback to refine approach as required. Work with business and infrastructure leaders to identify and engage subject matter experts throughout the organization and solicit contributions where required. Promote alignment with program management teams in other regions or business verticals to share best practice and collaborate on cross-divisional or cross-regional initiatives as appropriate.

Role Objectives: Expertise

• Extensive experience in product management, with a strong understanding of cash management concepts, including payments, receivables, liquidity, and fraud management

• Experience working in an agile environment and comfort facilitating sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and sprint reviews

• Client-backed, design-based, and modern approaches to product conception, design and delivery

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage teams virtually and deliver comprehensive training programs

• Experience working within FinTech's and/or global transaction banking

• Experience working with digital collaboration tools like Miro and JIRA

• Strong business acumen, technical skills, and leadership abilities

• Experience working in a matrixed business organization

• Collaborative, startup mindset and willingness to push for innovative solutions

Qualifications and Skills

Recommended years of experience: 15

Additional Requirements

D&I Commitment

Responsible for fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion, holding leaders accountable for creating an inclusive environment through awareness and practice of equity in recruiting, developing, and promoting diverse talent.

SMBC’s employees participate in a Hybrid workforce model that provides employees with an opportunity to work from home, as well as, from an SMBC office. SMBC requires that employees live within a reasonable commuting distance of their office location. Prospective candidates will learn more about their specific hybrid work schedule during their interview process. Hybrid work may not be permitted for certain roles, including, for example, certain FINRA-registered roles for which in-office attendance for the entire workweek is required.

We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. SMBC provides reasonable accommodations for employees and applicants with disabilities consistent with applicable law. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application process, please let us know at accommodations@smbcgroup.com.