Product Owner

South State Bank is looking for a Product Owner to manage a product backlog tied to assigned Commercial Salesforce CRM, nCino, or related AI capabilities product areas. This role translates business needs into actionable backlog work, aligning delivery with product strategy, platform standards, and an agile operating model.

Working closely with a Lead Product Owner, business stakeholders, and technology teams, you will shape backlog items from intake through sequencing, collaborate through sprint and release execution, and ensure teams have clear scope, intent, and acceptance criteria.

What you’ll do

• Own and manage the product backlog for assigned Salesforce CRM, nCino, or related AI capabilities product areas
• Translate business needs into well-defined backlog items, user stories, and acceptance criteria
• Prioritize backlog items based on business value, risk, dependencies, and capacity
• Ensure backlog items are refined, ready, and sequenced appropriately for delivery
• Partner with delivery teams to support sprint and release execution
• Clarify scope, intent, and acceptance criteria throughout delivery
• Participate in refinement, planning, reviews, and retrospectives as needed
• Identify and surface risks, dependencies, and delivery challenges early
• Serve as the primary product contact for business stakeholders at the execution level
• Gather input, feedback, and validation to inform backlog priorities
• Communicate progress, changes, and tradeoffs clearly and consistently
• Escalate delivery or priority conflicts through the Lead Product Owner as needed
• Partner with Architecture, Data, and Engineering teams during solution shaping
• Ensure backlog items and solutions align to defined business capabilities and platform standards
• Support testing and validation activities by clarifying expected outcomes
• Contribute to release readiness, documentation, and change communication
• Operate within the established product and agile operating model, following standard intake, prioritization, and refinement practices
• Continuously improve backlog quality and execution effectiveness
• Support consistent application of product practices across teams
• Manage workload across competing priorities and deliverables
• Communicate effectively with business and technology partners, including participation in knowledge sharing and continuous improvement activities
• Represent the product organization in a professional and collaborative manner

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• 4+ years of experience in FinTech or other software delivery environment
• 4+ years of experience in a Product Owner, Business Analyst, or similar role
• Experience working in agile delivery environments required
• Experience in financial services or regulated industries preferred
• Experience with Salesforce CRM and/or related AI capabilities
• Strong background in Commercial Lending CRM processes, including sales processes, client relationship management, pipeline and opportunity management
• Proven experience supporting transformational initiatives with lending or credit practices
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with Business, Technology, Operations, and Risk partners
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and requirement gathering skills
• Experience writing user stories, defining acceptance criteria, and managing technology delivery in an agile environment
• Excellent communication skills and ability to translate complex workflows into clear, actionable requirements
• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) or equivalent
• Salesforce Platform - Administrator
• Understanding of agile product ownership and delivery practices
• Knowledge of backlog management and prioritization techniques
• Familiarity with solution design concepts and business capability alignment
• Awareness of SDLC, risk, and compliance requirements in regulated environments
• Knowledge of commercial banking processes and platforms preferred
• Strong backlog grooming and requirements definition skills
• Ability to facilitate conversations around scope, priorities, and tradeoffs
• Effective stakeholder communication and collaboration skills
• Strong organizational and analytical skills
• Ability to work effectively within cross-functional delivery teams
• Ability to translate business needs into actionable backlog items
• Ability to ensure solutions align to business capabilities and platform standards
• Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, iterative environments
• Ability to identify risks and escalate appropriately
• Ability to balance competing stakeholder needs within delivery constraints

Location and logistics

• Location: Winter Haven, FL (onsite)
• Supervisory responsibility: No direct supervisory responsibilities
• Physical demands: Ability to communicate in person, on the phone, and through electronic channels; use a computer on a frequent basis; sit, walk, and/or stand for extended periods; bend and reach

Technology scope

• Salesforce CRM
• nCino
• Related AI capabilities
• Salesforce Platform - Administrator

Work environment

• Office environment, with remote or hybrid alternatives only where a secure, distraction-free setting is available and a reliable internet connection is provided
• Hybrid positions will report to a physical company location as directed by the manager