Lead Technical Product Owner

Extensive Experience (15 - 20 years):

• Proven background as a Technical Product Owner, Product Manager, Business Analyst, or Quality Assurance professional within diverse organizations and fast-paced environments.
• Deep understanding of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and project lifecycle, with strong expertise in both Waterfall and Agile methodologies.
• Demonstrated success in implementing and refining Agile methodologies using the Scrum framework, leading to predictable and rapid software delivery.

Product Ownership & Strategy:

• Ability to define, own, and align the product roadmap with organizational goals and strategic objectives.
• Expertise in implementing data-driven solutions and defining Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).
• Experience collaborating with product management and UX research teams to identify and prioritize user needs and shape product strategies.
• Proficiency in conducting GAP analysis, Business Process Modeling (BPM), and Process Reengineering, with a keen awareness of developer and end-user needs.

Technical Acumen & Cloud Expertise:

• Extensive knowledge in identifying, developing, and documenting Business Requirements, translating them into Functional Specifications, and contributing to System/Technical Design Specifications.
• Expertise in APIs and Microservices, including proficiency in running API test scripts using tools like Postman and MR KAFKA.
• Strong hands-on experience with AWS cloud services, particularly in managing user authentication and authorization (e.g., AWS Cognito for user pools, MFA, social/enterprise identity providers, custom Lambda triggers, OAuth 2.0).
• Experience configuring access control using AWS IAM roles and policies.
• Familiarity with AWS Lambda, AWS API Gateway, AWS CloudTrail, and AWS CloudWatch for secure, serverless application integration and monitoring.
• Proficiency in creating Use Cases, User Stories, Flow Charts, Sequence Diagrams, Activity Diagrams, and Class Diagrams using UML. 

Agile Leadership & Collaboration:

• Exceptional ability to facilitate all Scrum ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily scrums, sprint reviews, and retrospectives, ensuring effective team collaboration and impediment resolution.
• Proven track record of serving as the main point of contact for effective communication across all project phases, including engaging with C-Suite executives and managing offshore development teams.
• Skilled in backlog grooming, prioritizing features and stories, and assisting teams with making appropriate commitments.
• Experience balancing workloads for onshore and offshore development and QA teams.

Quality Assurance & Data Analysis:

• Proficiency in creating test suites, tracing requirements, and experience in User Acceptance Testing (UAT), including creating test plans and test cases.
• Sound knowledge in data analysis and reporting frameworks using tools like Tableau, including designing and developing stored procedures, queries, and views.
• Experience with two-factor/multi-factor authentication projects and developing Single Sign-On (SSO) functionalities using Identity and Access Management (IAM) services like OKTA.
• Tools & Technologies:
• Proficient in JIRA, Confluence, GitLab, Azure DevOps (TFS/VSTS), MS Project, Visio, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Smartsheets, ALM, and MongoDB.
• Travel:
• Ability to travel 0-30% for meeting with clients and leadership meetings.

Expected Responsibilities:

Product Strategy & Roadmap Ownership:

• Define, communicate, and drive the technical product vision, strategy, and roadmap, ensuring alignment with overarching business goals and market needs.
• Lead the discovery, analysis, and definition of complex business and technical requirements, translating them into clear, actionable user stories and functional specifications.
• Own and manage the product backlog, meticulously prioritizing features, technical debt, and enablers to maximize delivered value.

Agile Team Enablement:

• Facilitate all Agile ceremonies (sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, retrospectives) to ensure efficient workflow and continuous improvement.
• Work directly with Development and QA teams to clarify requirements, resolve impediments, and ensure a consistent understanding of the product vision and goals.
• Collaborate with engineering leadership to balance technical feasibility, architectural integrity, and business value in product delivery.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication:

• Serve as the key liaison between technical teams, business stakeholders, and clients, ensuring transparent and effective communication throughout the product lifecycle.
• Present product vision, roadmap updates, and progress reports to diverse audiences, including C-Suite executives and external partners.
• Partner with UX research teams to integrate user insights into product development and enhance the overall user experience.
• Quality & Operational Excellence:
• Ensure product quality by collaborating with QA teams on test strategy, test case development, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
• Drive operational readiness for product launches, coordinating with support teams to define support models, workflows, and SLAs.
• Monitor product performance, analyze data, and identify opportunities for optimization and continuous improvement.