Associate Senior Product Owner

Job Posting Organization:
The World Bank Group is a unique global partnership of five institutions established with the mission to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. Founded in 1944, the organization has grown to include 189 member countries and operates more than 120 offices worldwide. The World Bank is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, working with public and private sector partners to address the world’s greatest development challenges. The organization focuses on delivering transformative solutions through data, research, and technology, aiming to bring tangible and transformative change globally. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.

Job Overview:
The Associate Senior Product Owner for Operational Financial Management (OFM) plays a crucial role in leading the strategic vision and execution of next-generation, AI-enabled digital solutions within the financial management landscape of the World Bank. This position operates at the intersection of operational finance, advanced data engineering, and artificial intelligence, focusing on driving the digital transformation of financial governance, fiduciary controls, audit readiness, and financial reporting. The role requires translating complex business and financial requirements into scalable AI/ML solutions, including generative AI and intelligent process automation, while adhering to Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and Scrum methodologies. The Associate Senior Product Owner is responsible for defining and executing a comprehensive product strategy that integrates AI and ML into operational workflows, aligning product roadmaps with institutional financial policies and emerging technology trends to enhance data accuracy and automate financial processes.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the Associate Senior Product Owner include: A. AI Product Vision, Strategy & Roadmap: Define and execute a product strategy that incorporates AI, ML, and Intelligent Process Automation into financial workflows; align product roadmaps with financial policies and business strategies; evaluate emerging AI technologies for financial document processing. B. AI/ML Backlog Management & Agile Execution: Maintain and prioritize the product backlog for AI-driven financial tools; translate complex workflows into actionable user stories; oversee the model delivery lifecycle, including training data preparation and model validation. C. Fiduciary Governance, Responsible AI & Compliance Controls: Ensure AI models adhere to risk management and audit standards; support the development of Responsible AI frameworks; partner with auditors to maintain compliance. D. Core Financial Operations & Smart Automation: Collaborate with financial management specialists to modernize financial systems; design AI-driven anomaly detection engines; leverage NLP to automate data extraction from financial documents. E. Data Architecture & Infrastructure Alignment: Work with data engineering teams to define scalable data pipelines; ensure data governance and readiness for model fine-tuning. F. Stakeholder Collaboration & Change Enablement: Serve as a liaison between financial management specialists and IT teams; drive change management strategies to promote AI tool adoption.

Required Qualifications:
The required qualifications for the Associate Senior Product Owner position include:

• Education & Experience: A Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, AI, Information Systems, Finance, or a related field with at least 8 years of relevant experience; or a Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in AI product management or financial technology.
• AI & Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of AI paradigms, MLOps, and data engineering; proficiency in cloud data architectures and financial systems.
• Product Management & Agile Expertise: Proven track record as a Product Owner or Manager in shipping data-intensive applications; certification in Agile methodologies preferred.
• Leadership & Domain Competencies: Strong ability to evaluate technical trade-offs; exceptional communication skills; high ethical standards in implementing AI solutions.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess a Master’s Degree in relevant fields such as Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Information Systems, or Finance. A Bachelor’s Degree is acceptable if accompanied by significant relevant experience in AI product management or digital transformation.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience for candidates with a Master’s Degree, or at least 10 years for those with a Bachelor’s Degree. Experience should include AI product management, financial technology, or digital transformation, with a strong emphasis on managing AI/ML-driven enterprise applications.

Languages:
The mandatory language for this position is English. Proficiency in additional languages is considered a plus, although not explicitly stated in the job description.

Additional Notes:
This position is a local recruitment opportunity with a term duration of 2 years. The selected candidate's duty station will be determined based on organizational requirements and business needs, with potential locations including Chennai, India; Sofia, Bulgaria; and Singapore, Singapore. The World Bank Group offers a comprehensive benefits package, including retirement plans, medical and life insurance, paid leave, and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. The organization is committed to diversity and inclusion, ensuring equal opportunity for all candidates.