Product Owner Contract

Job Title: Product Owner – Retail Banking

Duration: Contract (Extendable)

Location: Onsite – Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

What We’re Looking For:

A hands-on Product Owner who is deeply embedded in the UAE banking ecosystem, capable of owning user stories end-to-end, driving clarity across teams, and delivering within a highly regulated Retail Banking environment.

Role Summary:

We are seeking a seasoned Product Owner with mandatory experience within a UAE-based bank, bringing strong expertise in Retail Banking and a deep understanding of CBUAE-regulated environments.

This role is heavily focused on end-to-end ownership of business user stories, requiring someone who writes, refines, and manages user stories on a daily basis, while driving delivery across customer-centric and compliance-driven banking initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own and manage the product backlog, ensuring clear prioritization aligned with business and regulatory requirements
• Write and manage business user stories on a day-to-day basis, including detailed acceptance criteria and clear definitions of done
• Translate complex business and regulatory requirements into structured, actionable user stories
• Drive Agile ceremonies including sprint planning, backlog grooming, and stakeholder alignment
• Work closely with Technology, Business, Risk, and Compliance teams to ensure alignment with CBUAE regulations
• Lead requirements across Retail Banking domains, including Accounts, Payments, Cards, Lending, and Customer Journeys
• Drive initiatives related to Customer Onboarding, KYC, and Individual Customer Profile (ICP) processes
• Act as the key bridge between business stakeholders and technology teams throughout the product lifecycle

Key Skills & Experience:

• 10 – 12 years of experience
• Mandatory experience working within a UAE-based bank
• Strong Retail Banking domain expertise
• Proven experience as a Product Owner / Product Manager / Senior Business Analyst in Agile environments
• Hands-on expertise in:
  • Writing business user stories daily (end-to-end ownership)
  • Acceptance criteria definition, backlog management, and sprint execution
  • Tools such as Jira and Confluence
• Strong understanding of:
  • Central Bank of UAE (CBUAE) regulatory frameworks
  • Customer Onboarding, KYC / CDD, and ICP requirements within UAE banking
• Ability to break down complex banking processes into structured, deliverable requirements
• Strong stakeholder management across Business, Technology, and Compliance

Nice to Have:

• Experience in Digital Banking / Mobile Banking platforms
• Exposure to Open Banking, APIs, or Payments transformation initiatives
• Agile certifications (CSPO, SAFe Product Owner)