Product Owner

NOTE: ALL APPLICANTS NOT LOCATED IN ST. LOUIS, MO WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

About the Role:

• This position is hybrid, 3 days/week in-office (Tues/Wed/Thur) in St. Louis, MO.
• 14-month contract-to-hire.
• Full-time hours expected, not a part-time contract.

We are seeking an experienced Product Owner to partner closely with Product Management and Engineering to translate business requirements into clear user stories and acceptance criteria, and to manage release execution within an Agile environment. This role plays a key part in ensuring our teams deliver high-quality, impactful product increments that meet business commitments and drive adoption.

Key Responsibilities:

Backlog & Sprint Management

• Manage and prioritize the team backlog in alignment with Product Management.
• Review and refine user stories, ensuring clarity of requirements and acceptance criteria.
• Lead sprint planning, establish sprint goals, and maintain plans for the current sprint and two future sprints.
• Drive alignment with upstream teams and dependencies to ensure successful delivery.

User Story Quality & Acceptance

• Ensure strict adherence to acceptance criteria and readiness checklists.
• Partner with QE and Engineering Leads to define the testing approach, scope, and planning.
• Provide final sign-off and acceptance of completed stories.

Demos & Stakeholder Communication

• Review and co-prepare sprint and quarterly demos with Product Management.
• Present demos to stakeholders as needed.

Release Planning & Execution

• Lead release planning and execution to ensure delivery to production meets business timelines and expectations.

Feedback, Metrics & Continuous Improvement

• Capture and synthesize demo feedback into actionable backlog items.
• Participate in retrospectives, analyzing team velocity, quality issues, incidents, and delivery delays.
• Identify root causes and collaborate with technology partners to propose and prioritize improvements.
• Monitor adoption KPIs and incorporate insights into upcoming releases to maximize product value.

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• 5–7 years of Product Owner experience in a cloud-based and/or SaaS environment.
• 5 years of hands-on experience with Atlassian tools (Jira, Confluence).
• Strong experience working in Agile environments, facilitating ceremonies, and applying Lean product management principles.
• Proven ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, including engineering, QE, and product partners

Preferred

• Experience with data structures, data analytics, and AI concepts.
• Experience monitoring capacity and tracking budgets for product initiatives.
• Cloud certification (AWS, Azure, or GCP).

What We’re Looking For:

• A collaborative, detail-oriented leader who excels at translating business needs into actionable work.
• Someone who thrives in fast-paced, iterative environments and is passionate about delivering value.
• A strong communicator who can confidently present to stakeholders and drive continuous improvement.