Product Owner

Job#: 3028455

Job Description:
Product Owner

Location: Austin, TX (2-3 days onsite)

Employment Type: 12-month Contract

Client: a major Americanvideo game holding and publishing company

Qualifications:

• 3+ years as a Product Owner, ideally for a technical product (API, SaaS, Platform, etc).
• Experience with agile workflows (Scrum/Kanban)
• Experience applying prioritization frameworks (RICE, WSJF, etc)
• Ability to read an architecture diagram and understand how solutions work
• Ability to write simple scripts to accelerate your own work.

Summary: The Product Owner at a major American video game holding and publishing company focuses on identifying the right problems to solve and guiding teams to deliver meaningful, high-value outcomes. This role leads product discovery, validates customer needs through data and user research, and prioritizes work using clear frameworks to ensure maximum impact.

Partnering closely with engineering and cross-functional teams, the Product Owner manages the backlog, communicates priorities, and serves as the voice of the customer in Agile ceremonies. Success is measured by product adoption and value delivered - not just features shipped

Internal Platforms & Tools

• Product teams would own tools used by other teams (developers, designers, live ops, analytics).
• Examples:
  • Build and deployment pipelines
  • Developer tooling or internal dashboards
  • Workflow systems that support game production or live operations

Technical Platforms (SaaS / APIs / Services)

• The emphasis on APIs, architecture diagrams, containers vs VMs, and backend or platform ownership.

Responsibilities:

• Own the Problem, Not Just the Solution
• Lead Product Discovery efforts: Conduct customer interviews with engineering teams to validate pain points before we build.
• Distinguish between "feature requests" (output) and "problems to be solved" (outcome). You will have the authority to say "No" to features that do not solve a validated problem.
• Utilize a prioritization framework (e.g. RICE) to prioritize our backlog, ensuring we are working on the highest value items first.
• Master the Backlog and Workflow
• Ruthlessly prioritize the backlog using data (RICE) to say 'no' to low-value work.
• Write clear, concise work items.
• Partner with the Tech Lead to balance innovation against technical debt.
• Bridge the Gap (Stakeholder Management)
• Act as the primary translator between Leadership and the Squad.
• Communicate progress using a variety of modes, including Demos, Reviews, Presentations, and Writeups, focusing on value delivered.
• Empower the Squad
• Work with a cross-functional team to deliver vertical slices of value.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies as the voice of the customer.

We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Apex uses a virtual recruiter as part of the application process. Click for more details.

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Apex Systems is a world-class IT services company that serves thousands of clients across the globe. When you join Apex, you become part of a team that values innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning. We offer quality career resources, training, certifications, development opportunities, and a comprehensive benefits package. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in many awards, including ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing in Talent Satisfaction in the United States and Great Place to Work in the United Kingdom and Mexico. Apex uses a virtual recruiter as part of the application process. Click for more details.

Apex Benefits Overview: Apex offers a range of supplemental benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and other insurance plans that offer an optional layer of financial protection. We offer an ESPP (employee stock purchase program) and a 401K program which allows you to contribute typically within 30 days of starting, with a company match after 12 months of tenure. Apex also offers a HSA (Health Savings Account on the HDHP plan), a SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with up to 8 free counseling sessions, a corporate discount savings program and other discounts. In terms of professional development, Apex hosts an on-demand training program, provides access to certification prep and a library of technical and leadership courses/books/seminars once you have 6+ months of tenure, and certification discounts and other perks to associations that include CompTIA and IIBA. Apex has a dedicated customer service team for our Consultants that can address questions around benefits and other resources, as well as a certified Career Coach. You can access a full list of our benefits, programs, support teams and resources within our 'Welcome Packet' as well, which an Apex team member can provide.