Interim Product Owner (Contract)

Kinetic Software • Chicago, IL

14d

About The Position

As a Product Owner at Kinetic, you will be the voice of the customer, ensuring our software solutions meet user needs and deliver real value. Working closely with customers, stakeholders, and development teams, you will gather feedback, refine requirements, and prioritise enhancements to ensure continuous product improvement. You will bridge the gap between business needs and technical execution, playing a key role in delivering high-quality solutions that enhance customer experience and drive adoption.

This interim role specifically focuses on supporting our current UK-based Product Manager and Product Owner to create product specifications and work items that US universities require, ensuring KxWelcome becomes the best possible fit for the US higher education market. The position is offered on an initial 3‑month contract, with the potential to extend up to 6 months based on project needs and performance.

Requirements

• Customer Engagement & Feedback Management: Proven ability to conduct customer interviews, run focus groups, and collect user feedback to refine product features and improve customer experience
• Agile Product Ownership: Experience managing product backlogs, writing detailed user stories, and defining acceptance criteria to support development teams
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Strong ability to work with Engineering, UX/UI, and Customer Success teams to translate business needs into technical requirements and ensure smooth product delivery
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Skilled in using analytics, A/B testing, and user research to make informed product decisions and track performance improvements
• Product Delivery & Execution: Experience leading sprint planning, backlog grooming, and coordinating releases in an Agile environment to ensure timely and high-quality delivery
• Documentation & Communication: Ability to create clear product documentation, user guides, and release notes to support internal teams and customers

Nice To Haves

• US Higher Education Experience: Understanding of US university systems and higher education technology requirements (highly preferred)

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary liaison between customers and internal teams, gathering feedback to refine and prioritise product features
• Own and manage the product backlog, ensuring clear prioritisation of tasks based on customer impact and business value
• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including Engineering, UX/UI, and Customer Success, to ensure seamless execution of product enhancements
• Conduct customer interviews, usability testing, and data analysis to gather insights and drive informed decision-making
• Define clear and actionable user stories, acceptance criteria, and requirements for development teams
• Support go-to-market activities by working with marketing and sales teams to communicate product updates and improvements
• Ensure timely delivery of product iterations by collaborating with development teams in an Agile environment
• Monitor product performance post-launch, gathering insights to drive continuous improvements and enhance user satisfaction
• Advocate for customers, ensuring their needs and feedback are central to all product decisions

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed