Business Analyst / Product Owner in McLean, Virginia at Anza Mortgage Insurance Company

About Anza

Anza is building a mortgage insurance company from first principles. Most mortgage insurers operate on decades-old technology, manual workflows, organizational structures, and operating assumptions that have evolved incrementally over time. We believe there is a fundamentally better way.

Our vision is to build the industry's most technology-enabled mortgage insurer, one where software, automation, AI, analytics, and thoughtful operating design create better experiences for customers while allowing the business to scale efficiently without simply adding people.

We are not interested in making legacy processes slightly better. We are interested in building the operating model that mortgage insurance should have had all along.

About the role

Anza is looking for driven, high-ceiling Business Analyst / Product Owners (BA/POs) to bridge the gap between our business stakeholders and software engineering teams. In this dual role, you will work closely with department leaders to translate strategic goals into detailed Business Requirements Documents (BRDs), decompose those requirements into actionable user stories, and serve as the day-to-day functional authority for our Scrum teams.

We are actively seeking candidates who approach problem-solving with fresh eyes and a passion for modern software practices. Prior experience in mortgage or insurance is not explicitly required - in fact, we prefer candidates coming from outside traditional mortgage tech who are eager to rethink legacy processes from the ground up.

What you'll do

• Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner with cross-functional department leaders to discover, gather, and align business needs and product vision.
• Requirements Authoring: Translate complex business processes and ideas into clear, comprehensive Business Requirements Documents (BRDs) and process maps.
• Backlog Management & Refinement: Decompose high-level BRDs into well-defined, testable user stories with clear acceptance criteria (using the Given-When-Then framework and/or User Stories where appropriate).
• Scrum Team Enablement: Act as the embedded Product Owner / Business Analyst during sprints, providing quick Q&A, clarifying intent, and unblocking developers and QA engineers.
• Product Grooming: Maintain, prioritize, and groom the product backlog to ensure the engineering team always has a healthy runway of ready work.
• Validation & Support: Assist with User Acceptance Testing (UAT) sign-offs and ensure delivered software matches the original business intent.

Qualifications

Minimum Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Minimum Experience

• Experience in a Business Analyst, Associate Product Manager, Product Owner or similar technical analyst role.

Preferred Experience

• Experience in a fast-paced technology company, modern SaaS environment, or high-growth startup.

Minimum Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication.
• Familiarity with Agile/Scrum concepts.
• Ability to translate business language into technical requirements.

Preferred Skills

• Proficiency with modern product tools (Jira, Confluence, Figma).

Preferred Certification(s)

• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) or Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA)

What we offer
We’re committed to creating an environment where our team members can thrive both professionally and personally. We currently offer:

• Competitive Compensation – Including salary and performance bonuses.
• Comprehensive Benefits – Health, dental, vision, and mental wellness support.
• Retirement Savings – 401(k) with company matching.
• Career advancement opportunities with business growth.
• Inclusive Culture – A diverse, collaborative, and supportive workplace where every voice is valued.
• Perks & Extras – Generous PTO, team events, wellness programs, and more.