The Product Owner Lead (POL) is responsible for strategically managing the development of one of our newest products, a high-visibility, high-impact area of our portfolio with strong momentum and real room to make your mark. You will work closely with developers, designers and other stakeholders to ensure that all ideas become a reality. You will have a deep understanding of the technical aspects of the product; this means knowing how it works, what makes it unique, and how it fits into the larger picture of the company’s overall strategy. The POL will also work very closely with the Product Manager team to align business expectations with software development.
Main tasks and responsibilities:
- Working with the engineering team to clarify acceptance criteria and help them understand the business side of the product.
- Communicating with stakeholders to ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding features, functionality, and deadlines.
- Creating user stories and acceptance tests that clearly articulate acceptance criteria for each feature or change request.
- Collaborating with UI/UX designers to create mockups of what the final product will look like.
- Strategically prioritizing product backlog items based on business value, time needed to complete, and order in which they were created.
- Reviewing prototypes or other proofs of concept for feasibility before allowing them to move to the next stage of development.
- Coordinating with engineering managers, tech leads and developers to make sure that they understand the requirements for each project.
- Verifying that the finished product meets the needs of customers by conducting usability tests or reviewing customer feedback.
- Communicating project status and roadblocks to other team members.
Key requirements
Education Level
- Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or related.
Suggested Experience
- At least 2-4 years of experience as a Product Owner
Technical Skills
- Experience in delivering cloud-based software projects
- Knowledge of Agile methodologies and implementation experience.
- Knowledge of distributed programming models with web services and modular approach.
- Knowledge of JIRA, Confluence and other product and delivery collaboration tools.
- Experience in understanding/creating Open API is desirable.
- Comfortable using AI tools to support product work. Familiarity with prompting and applying AI assistants effectively in day-to-day delivery is a strong plus.
Soft Skills
- Communication skills: As a Product Owner Lead, you communicate with many different stakeholders, including other members of the product development team, marketing teams, sales representatives and customers. You need to be able to communicate effectively in written form, verbally and through visual means, such as presentations and infographics.
- Project management skills: Value delivery coordination is central to this role: keeping work flowing smoothly from idea to release, in close partnership with the Product Manager and the engineering team. As a Product Owner Lead, you help the team stay aligned on priorities, unblock dependencies, and maintain momentum, so that the right things ship at the right time.
- Technical Expertise. It’s essential that you have a good understanding of technology and how it works so that you can make informed decisions about which technologies to use for your product.
- Problem-solving skills. Product Owner Leads need to be able to solve problems and make decisions that benefit the company and the product. They need to be able to identify issues and find solutions that work for everyone involved. This can include finding ways to improve the product, to reduce costs and to meet the customer needs.
- Decision-making skills. Product Owner Leads make many decisions throughout the day, including those that affect the company’s goals and objectives. They need to be able to make informed decisions that align with the company’s goals and objectives. They also need to be able to explain their reasoning for each decision they make.
- Risk and Dependency management: Product Owner Leads need to be able to anticipate, assess, and address potential challenges, uncertainties or dependencies effectively. It requires critical thinking, adaptability, and good communication to navigate risks and make informed decisions, all while minimizing negative impacts and maximizing opportunities.
