Product Owner, Customer AI

Ulta Beauty, Inc.•Bolingbrook, IL

36d•Hybrid

About The Position

Live the experience. From professional empowerment to continual learning opportunities. From ongoing investment in new and emerging technologies to a career of self-determination. At Ulta Beauty, our tech team is critical to our scalability—and is recognized that way. We’ve been defined as a “mature start-up.” A place where interdepartmental exposure, open doors, and genuine collaboration is ubiquitous. Where challenges come fast and furious, requiring agility, mental dexterity, and creativity. Where our passion for better solutions drives us and is core to who we are. We’re engineering for the future of retail, and it’s no-holds-barred. But for those motivated by continual change and ambiguity, by superior leadership, by whip smart colleagues who will press you daily for your very best, you’ll find that virtually nothing’s impossible at Ulta Beauty. At Ulta Beauty, the possibilities are beautiful. Ulta Beauty is the largest U.S. beauty retailer and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care products, hair care products and salon services. We reinvented the beauty retail experience by offering a new way to shop for beauty – bringing together all things beauty, all in one place. We put our guests at the center of all we do, committing to offer unrivaled ways to be beautiful in an environment that provides the thrill of exploration and delight of discovery. THE IMPACT YOU CAN HAVE: The Product Owner, Customer AI plays a pivotal role in driving the development and execution of personalized recommendations engine. This individual will own the roadmap and delivery of personalized recommendation algorithms, promotion optimization models, and next-best-action capabilities that power differentiated guest experiences. The Product Owner will work closely with data science, engineering, marketing, and personalization teams to strategically design how AI-driven recommendations and decisions surface across digital channels, driving engagement, conversion, and loyalty. As a core member of the Agile Scrum team, the Product Owner works closely with the Product Manager to align the product roadmap with strategic business objectives. They are responsible for managing the Product Backlog, defining, and prioritizing user stories, and ensuring that the development team delivers impactful customer experiences. This role partners cross-functionally with Marketing, IT, Analytics, and Design to identify and implement solutions that optimize the customer journey and drive measurable outcomes. The ideal candidate has a deep understanding of Martech technologies, personalization frameworks, and agile methodologies, ensuring alignment between customer needs and business goals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or related field required
4+ years relevant work experience, including 2+ years in a product owner role and experience operating in an agile (scrum) environment and AI/ML, personalization, or digital product recommendations.
Strong understanding of recommendation systems, predictive modeling, and optimization techniques.
Experience working with data science teams to design, test, and deploy models into production.
Knowledge of digital customer experiences, personalization strategies, and eCommerce or retail merchandising.
Experiencing using tools, such as Jira, Confluence, Figma, and SharePoint
Experience leading teams in an agile setting such as facilitating ceremonies, managing a backlog, developing a release plan, and writing user stories.
Domain-specific expertise to support backlog development and blocker resolution
Strong collaborator with cross-functional teams across design, product, & technology
Strong communication skills with ability to influence stakeholders, communicate complex concepts, and align the organization on required decisions
Strong problem solver with the ability to manage and lead the team to a solution
Experimental mindset to drive innovation, empower others to fail, learn, and grow

Nice To Haves

Experience implementing and optimizing personalization capabilities leveraging Agentic AI tools

Responsibilities

Facilitate sprint ceremonies, product demos, and release planning.
Drive agile best practices across the team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.
Facilitate release planning with stakeholders as well as required product demos
Set & communicate a clear product vision to team members & relevant stakeholders
Partner with business and technical teams to lead the agile development lifecycle, from ideation to delivery.
Translate business needs into epics, user stories, and acceptance criteria, maintaining a prioritized and groomed Product Backlog.
Collaborate with Marketing, IT, Analytics, and Design teams to develop data-driven, personalized digital products and experiences.
Manage dependencies across teams and act as a liaison between the delivery team and business stakeholders.
Continuously improve the product based on user feedback, A/B testing, and analytics.
Champion and advocate the adoption of personalized product recommendation and next best action capabilities to deliver personalized experiences.
Stay informed on Martech trends, innovations, and industry best practices to identify new opportunities for personalization.
Advocate for the voice of the customer by incorporating user feedback and insights into the product development process.
Align product priorities with organizational goals, ensuring value delivery.