Manager, Product Ownership

Express Employment International Headquarters•Oklahoma City, OK

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Within the corporate office of Express Employment International, the Manager - Product Ownership is responsible for leading, developing, and scaling a team of IT Product Owners to ensure consistent, high‑quality product ownership across Express Employment International’s technology portfolio. This role establishes standards, coaching, and operating rhythms for product ownership while partnering closely with IT leadership, architecture, delivery teams, and business stakeholders to maximize value delivery. Unlike an individual Product Owner role, this position does not own a single product backlog. Instead, it focuses on people leadership, portfolio alignment, governance, and continuous improvement of product ownership practices across ITS. The Manager - Product Ownership ensures Product Owners are equipped to translate strategy into execution, manage stakeholder demand effectively, and deliver outcomes aligned with EEI’s enterprise priorities. This position sits within our Oklahoma City based corporate office, currently with an expectation to be onsite 80% of the time.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Business, Computer Science, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
7+ years of experience in product ownership, product management, or related IT roles
3+ years of people leadership experience, including coaching and performance management
Strong understanding of Agile and Scrum frameworks, particularly the Product Owner accountability
Proven ability to lead through influence and facilitate prioritization across competing stakeholders
Excellent communication, facilitation, and leadership skills
Experience leading Product Owners in a complex, enterprise IT environment
CSPO, SAFe POPM, Pragmatic, or similar product management certifications

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a matrixed organization with multiple business units
Background in workforce solutions, franchise‑based models, or large‑scale internal platforms (preferred, not required)

Responsibilities

Product Ownership Leadership & Coaching Lead, mentor, and develop a team of IT Product Owners, ensuring clarity of role, accountability, and career growth
Establish consistent expectations for backlog quality, prioritization, refinement, and readiness across teams
Provide ongoing coaching to improve Product Owners’ effectiveness in value definition, stakeholder management, and decision‑making
Support onboarding and continuous learning for Product Owners, including Agile, Scrum, and product management practices
Portfolio Alignment & Governance Partner with IT and business leadership to translate enterprise strategy into clear product priorities
Ensure alignment between product roadmaps, capacity planning, and delivery commitments
Facilitate prioritization conversations across products to balance business value, risk, and technical sustainability
Establish and maintain product ownership governance, including intake, prioritization, and escalation standards
Stakeholder & Cross‑Functional Collaboration Serve as a senior point of contact for business leaders regarding product ownership practices and expectations
Collaborate closely with Architecture, Engineering, Security, and Operations to ensure product decisions align with enterprise standards
Enable effective collaboration between Product Owners, Business Analysts, Scrum Masters, and delivery teams
Support transparent communication of priorities, trade‑offs, and outcomes to stakeholders
Delivery Enablement & Continuous Improvement Monitor product ownership effectiveness using qualitative and quantitative indicators (e.g., backlog health, delivery predictability, stakeholder satisfaction)
Identify systemic issues impacting delivery and partner with IT leadership to address them
Drive continuous improvement of product ownership processes, tools, and ways of working
Champion a customer‑focused, outcome-oriented mindset across the Product Owner community