Information Technology Specialist 4

State of Iowa•Des Moines - 50309 - Polk County, IA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Management (DOM), Division of Information Technology (DoIT) is seeking a strategic, solutions-oriented Information Technology Specialist 4 – IT Product Owner to lead the development and lifecycle management of one or more business-critical IT products. As the single point of accountability, you will play a vital role in ensuring our internal and external business applications deliver value, align with enterprise goals, and meet user needs. You will partner with business and IT stakeholders, vendors, and cross-functional Fusion Teams to drive efficiency, innovation, and quality in product delivery—applying Agile methodologies and managing risk, performance, and product financials throughout.

Requirements

Experience in IT product management and full product lifecycle oversight.
Ability to lead cross-functional teams and collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
Strong communication skills for stakeholder engagement and training.
Expertise in budgeting, vendor management, and compliance with governance standards.
Strategic mindset focused on continuous improvement and risk management.
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in any field, and experience equal to two years of full-time work in application development and database management, business analysis, systems and network administration, technical training and reporting, IT vendor and purchasing management, IT project management, IT product management, system testing and quality assurance, mainframe and platform administration, and/or information technology security.
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in computer science, computer applications, software engineering, computer engineering, management information systems, business analytics, or cyber security, and experience equal to one year of full-time work in application development and database management, business analysis, systems and network administration, technical training and reporting, IT vendor and purchasing Information management, IT project management, IT product management, system testing and quality assurance, mainframe and platform administration, and/or information technology security.
Two years of full-time work experience in application development and database management, business analysis, systems and network administration, technical training and reporting, IT vendor and purchasing management, IT project management, IT product management, system testing and quality assurance, mainframe and platform administration, and/or information technology security; and a total of four years of education and/or full-time experience (as described in part a), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university coursework in any field equals one year of full-time experience.
Four years of full-time work experience in application development and database management, business analysis, systems and network administration, technical training and reporting, IT vendor and purchasing management, IT project management, IT product management, system testing and quality assurance, mainframe and platform administration, and/or information technology security; and Certification from an authorized educational institution/major computer or software producer in one or more of the specialty areas listed in part a; or Eighteen semester hours from an accredited college or university in one or more of the specialty areas listed in part a.
Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes experience equal to six months of full-time work as an Information Technology Specialist 3.

Nice To Haves

Agile methodologies

Responsibilities

Serve as the IT Product Owner for designated business applications or services, acting as the primary liaison between business users and technical teams.
Develop and manage product roadmaps aligned with enterprise strategy and agency goals.
Prioritize and maintain product backlogs to deliver high-value features and user functionality.
Lead Agile ceremonies such as sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives.
Guide software development processes, including writing user stories and defining acceptance criteria.
Analyze feedback and performance metrics to iterate and enhance product performance.
Collaborate with Executive Technology Officers (ETOs), agency leadership, and other product teams to manage risk, optimize delivery, and identify enterprise service transitions.
Allocate and manage technical resources in coordination with DoIT supervisors and ensure effective team performance.
Monitor product financials including budgeting, resource planning, and cost control.
Ensure compliance with state/federal regulations and IT governance frameworks.
Maintain vendor and service provider relationships, managing service levels and issue resolution.