Product Owner - Gen AI

Job#: 2081503

Job Description:

Apex Systems has an immediate opening available for a Product Owner with one of our clients that is a large higher education organization. As a Product Owner, you will help to define the vision of the portfolio and products our client creates; drive the planning, prioritisation and execution of backlogs and deliver new features that support our strategic goals. You understand the relevant end to end business processes, underlying business capabilities and related journey maps and strategies that elevate both student and colleague experiences. You will be expected to understand, assess, and decompose prioritized initiatives into Portfolio and Product roadmaps. Working closely with your key stakeholders to ensure our planning closely aligns with overall business goals and objectives and with a mindset of driving focus to maximize value for both colleagues and customers.
Location: Remote, must work Eastern time
Duration: 6+ month contract with the opportunity to extend or convert to perm

Responsibilities

• Leading and collaborating with Digital Product Managers and peer group colleagues as well as other IT stakeholder groups towards finalizing short, mid and long terms initiative and product roadmaps aligned to business priorities and value, together with assessment of available capacity and indicative level of effort arising from the team landscape resulting in effectively sequenced and prioritized roadmaps
• Collaborate with architecture, engineering, and service management teams, to ensure the overall roadmaps are balanced to ensure a scalable, user experience optimised, stable, and performant technology products, that continually meet business needs, ensuring NFR's (Non Functional Requirements) and System enablers are considered and captured, and cascaded to the relevant teams
• Define methodology for the analysis and response to target metrics and value post-delivery, including recommended improvements, for use during retrospective work sessions, and with an overall goal of driving increased use and adoption
• Nurture and build relationships with senior colleagues across all business functions that are impacted by the assigned product and initiative portfolio and underlying business capabilities and technology solutions - use these relationships to collaborate on business outcome alignment, roadmap conceptualization and prioritization.
• Facilitate business process mapping and product mapping work sessions and actively participate in both functional and technological changes that can enhance the student and colleague experience as well as enable business growth and value
• Working in partnership with applicable product vendors to understand vendor product roadmaps and how these can be exploited to deliver business goals and outcomes as well as ensuring timely feature/product upgrades, maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of the assigned products. Minimize bespoke customization, and influence business process changes to best utilize vendor supplied products.
• Maintain the quality and integrity of all new product introduction and existing product enhancements within their technical and team boundaries, ensuring identification and contribution of risks and dependencies, ensuring appropriate roadmaps reflect any impact
• Responsible for progressing all deliverables to "done" status and meet acceptance criteria by coordinating production deployment, post-implementation analysis/feedback, and ongoing support plan.
• Support definition of objectives, definition of success metrics and articulation of business outcomes for assigned initiatives and product enhancements, ensuring KPIs and targets are tracked, reported on and support identifying impediments that are preventing from the realization of defined benefits
• Use approved tools and methodologies to manage workloads, communicate progress, ensure timely completion of deliverables and team adherence to maintaining accurately and consistently all delivery related metrics for assigned initiatives.
• Completes other duties as assigned and complies with all policies and standards

Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field
• 3+ years of Product Owner or Product Management experience, with a background as a Business Analyst
• Experience with Generative AI preferred, Machine Learning or traditional AI is acceptable
• Extensive experience writing user stories and acceptance criteria
• Experience working in with agile and waterfall methodologies
• Understands technical and functional design requirements.
• Technical depth of understanding deep enough to fluently converse with developers
• Experience in Higher Education is preferred

EEO Employer

Apex Systems is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, genetic information, registered domestic partner status, marital status, disability, status as a crime victim, protected veteran status, political affiliation, union membership, or any other characteristic protected by law. Apex will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law. If you have visited our website in search of information on employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation in using our website for a search or application, please contact our Employee Services Department at or .

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 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.