Product Owner

Overview:

The role focuses on the full product lifecycle of applications and emerging technologies, working closely with cross-functional teams to translate business needs into prioritized development work and guide features from concept through release. This position reports to the Manager of Project Services and requires strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate across distributed teams and time zones.

Key Responsibilities:

• Write and refine detailed, well-structured user stories that clearly communicate the intent, context, and value of each feature or enhancement.
• Define clear, testable acceptance criteria for all user stories, ensuring all necessary details are captured and validated prior to Grooming Sessions.
• Review and confirm requirements with the Product Manager and relevant Stakeholders before approving stories for development implementation.
• Prioritize requirements based on client urgency as communicated by Project Managers, ensuring the backlog reflects current business priorities at all times.
• Continuously reorder and groom the backlog, ensuring it accurately reflects current project priorities and is always sprint-ready.
• Contribute to and co-own the product vision and roadmap in close collaboration with the Product Manager.
• Define sprint iterations and scope, translating the product roadmap into actionable, time-boxed delivery plans.
• Prepare for and facilitate Sprint Demo Reviews after each iteration, ensuring stakeholders have visibility into completed work.
• Facilitate Grooming and Sprint Planning Sessions to ensure the team is aligned, prepared, and confident in the upcoming sprint scope.
• Schedule and own all Scrum ceremonies: Daily Stand-Ups (DSUs), Grooming Sessions, Sprint Retrospectives, and Backlog Refinement meetings.
• Help facilitate Grooming and Backlog Refinement sessions ensuring the team fully understands requirements and implementation details.
• Promote correct use of Jira and adherence to Scrum methodologies, in line with organizational and industry best practices.
• Accountable for sprint execution, actively tracking progress toward sprint goals and ensuring commitments are met.
• Communicate risks, blockers, and their potential impacts to internal stakeholders and affected parties (client communication is managed separately by Project Managers).
• Proactively follow up with team members on any blockers, removing impediments to maintain sprint momentum.

Requirements:

• 3–6\+ years of experience in a Product Owner, Business Analyst, or Scrum Master role within an Agile/Scrum environment.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Demonstrated experience owning and delivering software products in a demanding, fast-paced setting.
• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) and/or Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and/or SAFe Product Owner / Product Manager (POPM) – Scaled Agile is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience writing detailed user stories and acceptance criteria for software development teams.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, Project); SharePoint experience preferred.
• Proficient in Jira for backlog management, sprint tracking, and reporting.
• Strong facilitation skills with experience running Scrum ceremonies effectively.