Product Owner

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Kforce has a client that is seeking a Product Owner in New York, NY.

Responsibilities:
* Manage a clear, prioritized, and well-defined product backlog
* Ensure Product Backlog Items meet the Definition of Ready and are properly sized for upcoming iterations
* Work with Product Managers and SMEs to decompose high-level features into actionable Product Backlog Items with clear acceptance criteria; This includes capturing user needs, edge cases, and non-functional requirements
* Often acts as proxy to a Product Manager and defines features aligning with the product roadmap and vision
* Manage backlog for multiple Agile teams
* Represents customer and end-user interests during development, helping the team understand the business context
* Advocates for customer value in every iteration
* Engages with business & technical stakeholders, designers, and developers to clarify requirements and address questions
* Acts as the primary liaison between the development team and business stakeholders
* Builds strong relationships with business owners, SMEs, and other key stakeholders
* Plays an active role in daily stand-ups, iteration planning, iteration reviews, and backlog refinement sessions
* Helps the team align around goals and stay focused on delivering value
* Coordinates closely with other POs to manage inter-team workflows and align delivery
* Reviews completed work items to ensure they meet acceptance criteria and stakeholder expectations
* Accepts or rejects work based on quality, completeness, and business value alignment
* Provides leadership within the team regarding the product direction
* Champions adherence to the agreed-upon plan and upholds Agile principles
* Proactively identifies and communicates program status, risks, and issues
* Communicates progress, gathers feedback, and negotiates scope or trade-offs when needed
* Coaches Junior POs and Team Members
* Provides guidance and support to other POs or analysts

REQUIREMENTS:
* Bachelor's degree
* Industry experience (preferred): Structured Finance/Securitization, Loan/Credit Markets, Valuation/Risk Analytics, Tax/Regulatory Reporting, Financial Services
* Ability to ingest a set of ambiguous feature level requirements from the business, develop an understanding of the business context and the business problem being solved, and translate that information to an actionable set of user stories to be implemented by their Agile team
* Solid understanding of Agile principles and practices, with experience in Scrum or Kanban frameworks
* Proven ability to manage and prioritize a backlog effectively
* Knowledge of the Software Development Lifecycle - from requirements and design through development, testing, deployment, and maintenance
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills for articulating Product Backlog Items and collaborating with cross-functional teams; Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders
* Strong analytical skills to break down complex features into manageable work items; Ability to identify and prioritize features based on business value and user needs
* Ability to build relationships and work collaboratively with diverse teams
* Strong negotiation skills to balance stakeholder needs and technical feasibility
* Good understanding of technology and high-level technical concepts well enough to participate in technical feature discussions and assess feature dependencies

The pay range is the lowest to highest compensation we reasonably in good faith believe we would pay at posting for this role. We may ultimately pay more or less than this range. Employee pay is based on factors like relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, location, performance, union contract and business needs. This range may be modified in the future.

We offer comprehensive benefits including medical/dental/vision insurance, HSA, FSA, 401(k), and life, disability & ADD insurance to eligible employees. Salaried personnel receive paid time off. Hourly employees are not eligible for paid time off unless required by law. Hourly employees on a Service Contract Act project are eligible for paid sick leave.

Note: Pay is not considered compensation until it is earned, vested and determinable. The amount and availability of any compensation remains in Kforce's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified in its discretion consistent with the law.

This job is not eligible for bonuses, incentives or commissions.

Kforce is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.

By clicking ?Apply Today? you agree to receive calls, AI-generated calls, text messages or emails from Kforce and its affiliates, and service providers. Note that if you choose to communicate with Kforce via text messaging the frequency may vary, and message and data rates may apply. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. You will always have the right to cease communicating via text by using key words such as STOP.