Head of Digital Product Development

About

We are hiring for a Head of Digital Product Development to lead and shape the strategic direction of digital products at the headquarters of a well-known German banking group in Frankfurt. This is a senior leadership role that requires a visionary mindset, strong technical expertise, and exceptional people management skills. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in IT product ownership, project management, and digital transformation within the financial services sector. Additionally, experience in retail banking is essential, along with deep familiarity with IT infrastructure and the digital customer journey. Business fluency in both German and English is required.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Product Ownership:

• Take full end-to-end ownership of the strategic development of digital products, including application flows, policy and contract management systems, customer self-service portals, CRM platforms, and conversational AI solutions.
• Define and implement product roadmaps aligned with organizational goals and market trends to drive innovation and growth.

Team Leadership & Management:

• Lead two product teams (IT & AI product development, and Digital Customer Journey) comprising several product managers, providing guidance, mentorship, and fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence.
• Offer functional leadership for software engineers across multiple development teams to ensure seamless execution of projects.

Customer Experience Enhancement:

• Drive complex IT programs aimed at enhancing the digital customer journey and overall customer experience.
• Leverage your retail banking expertise to identify opportunities to improve usability, efficiency, and satisfaction across all digital touchpoints.

Stakeholder Engagement & Negotiations:

• Represent the department in negotiations with insurers, service providers, and agencies to secure partnerships and define service scope.
• Present product strategies, market trends, and innovation opportunities (e.g., LLM applications, insurance product market analyses) to C-level stakeholders within the organization.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Lead cross-functional initiatives with Controlling, Analytics, Design, and Holding functions to ensure alignment between business objectives and delivery outcomes.
• Act as a bridge between technical teams and business units to achieve shared goals effectively.

Agile Development & IT Project Management:

• Serve as Product Owner for software development projects using SCRUM methodologies.
• Oversee IT project management activities with a focus on delivering high-quality solutions on time and within budget.

Qualifications & Experience

• Excellent degree from a university in an IT-related field such as computer science, natural sciences, or business administration.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in product development and/or top-tier strategy consulting.
• At least 3 years of leadership experience, preferably in the FinTech sector or similar environments involving coordination of complex project settings.
• Proven track record of leading end-to-end strategic development of digital products in complex environments.
• Strong leadership experience managing product teams and providing functional guidance to software engineering teams.
• Expertise in steering large-scale IT programs focused on improving customer journeys and experiences.
• Experience in retail banking is essential, with a deep understanding of its unique challenges and opportunities.
• Strong familiarity with IT infrastructure and its role in enabling seamless digital customer journeys.
• Advanced technical and analytical skills with expertise in digital products, AI-driven systems, data models, and modern technology stacks.
• Methodical understanding of process automation as well as identifying potential opportunities and deriving related business cases.
• Business fluency in both German and English (written and spoken).

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinking combined with a customer-centric approach to problem-solving.
• Strong analytical skills paired with creativity to identify innovative solutions for complex challenges.
• Outstanding communication skills for effective stakeholder management at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple priorities simultaneously.

What We Offer

• A senior leadership role at the headquarters of a respected German banking group in Frankfurt.
• Opportunities to drive innovation and make a significant impact on the bank's digital transformation journey.
• Competitive compensation package including benefits tailored to your needs.

If you are ready to take on this exciting challenge and lead the future of digital product development in one of Germany's most reputable banking groups, we would love to hear from you!