Job description:

We currently have an opening for an experienced HR Product Owner to join our global International Mobility structures. The individual will hold responsibility for Shell’s Assignment Pro and will be a key member of the team reporting to the VP Digital HR. S/he will work closely with VPs and other senior stakeholders in the International Mobility (IM) policy team and with IM Operations.

The individual will hold responsibility for Shell’s Assignment Pro vision and product roadmap continuously optimizing the product and looking for opportunities to maximize business value through improving employee productivity, providing better user experience and sustainable costs. S/he will stay connected with the product vendor and other customers of Assignment Pro to stay up to date with product evolution. The Product Owner will work within a natural team across HR and IT focused on shaping the International Mobility employee journey, providing leadership to HR and IT Development Operations team members by shaping priorities, removing roadblocks and assuring delivery to required business outcomes.

In the first few years of operation, this newly created role brings unique challenges:

• Manage Product roadmap for Assignment Pro after go-live in October 2020, while collaborating closely with Digital HR - Pay & Benefits Project - continuously assessing impact from deploying new functionalities, enhancing interfaces and data flow dependencies with other IT systems.
• Supporting Chef Product Owner and Chief Scrum Master in establishing a fully integrated DevOps organization, including capability building and providing strong leadership for A-Pro area.
• Regularly absorbing a new scope within DevOps (Development Operations) organization assuring effective knowledge transfer and smooth transition from hypercare to business as usual.
• Optimising (scaling up/down) DevOps team to meet the in-coming new scope and ongoing business requirements.
• Define change management needs and requirements for International Mobility, to ensure rapid adoption of new features for all end users (employees and HR community).
• The role of Product Owner Assignment Pro is a demanding position requiring liaison between a development team, International Mobility Policy Team, International Mobility Operations and end users – requiring strict prioritization and agile management when adjustments required due to conflicting priorities across other process areas or other IT solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Take accountability for product performance, compliance and product features management from concept to implementation and end-user adoption.
• Maintain the vision of the product and assure it is shared across all stakeholders in HR & IT.
• Liaise and consult with stakeholders in HR and HRIT organisation to drive alignment and coordinate with other HR technology related projects. In particular - understand IM Policy requirements and proactively monitor any International Mobility Policy changes, impacting functional requirements.
• Stay up-to-date with Product development, analyse new releases and recommend features that can contribute to enhancing user experience and more effective execution of business processes.
• Support International Mobility Process Owner, who represents Shell in the Client Advisory Board (CAB). Contribute to Vendor’s Product Roadmap by providing appropriate input to and cascading learnings from CAB.
• Create roadmap for Assignment Pro and associated interfaces in alignment with process owner and process architect and in collaboration and alignment with other Product Owners (on connected functionalities).
• Manage and prioritise product change requests for system updates from DevOps, HR Systems Support, Process Architects, IT BI, Process Owners, CI specialists and table for discussion in Scrum of Scrums wherever needed.
• Deliver solutions that enable process efficiencies, automation and cost effectiveness of the organization
• Ensure ongoing communication and upskilling of users, development of required documentation and engagement materials to reflect ongoing changes in the product.
• Assure solid understanding of user needs and translation of those into system features, with utilising employee centric design tools and methodologies as needed. Capture the business requirements into user stories for the scrum team to implement
• Assume ownership and proactive management of the product backlog items, working closely with the DevOps team on backlog development and grooming. Prioritisation of Project backlog items/features in the sprint planning sessions is a key area of responsibility
• Actively participate in the sprint planning meetings and retrospectives by providing clear priority setting on sprint backlog items as required
• Engage on a daily basis with the HRIT DevOps team and remain fully available for any clarifications and decisions required during sprints. Active participation in the key Scrum ceremonies (e.g. daily stand-up meetings/huddles) to ensure continuous progress towards the product vision.
• Inspire and motivate the HRIT DevOps team to deliver innovative and exciting solutions with an appropriate sense of urgency and act as an ambassador for the HR portal internally and externally

Requirements:

• The role requires a highly experienced HR professional with 10+ years’ experience within HR with solid experience in IT Projects
• 5-year experience in International Mobility – end to end experience in international relocations and expatriate assignment management and good understanding of IM data flows
• A solid understanding of the organization’s business, its service delivery model and understanding the general concepts of Customer Relationship Management (CRM).
• Knowledge of agile project management methodology and Scrum ceremonies
• Very strong stakeholder management & influencing skills, including coaching of senior stakeholders
• Proven ability to deliver through others within a natural team environment where direct authority outside immediate team where required.
• Demonstrated ability to look at the big picture (HR IT Landscape) and able to balance risk with value.
• Ability to bring in external perspectives, including awareness of IM system landscape solutions on external market

Required personal skills:

• Well-developed communication skills including the ability to communicate at all levels within the organisation and to establish and maintain good working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders
• Strong collaboration mindset, supporting cross functional (HR & IT) DevOps teams
• Strong facilitation skills
• Demonstrated effectiveness in driving change, influencing outcome and gaining senior management support

Number of Vacancies: