Product Owner I

GESA CREDIT UNION•Richland, WA

57d•$80,168 - $145,040

About The Position

The Product Owner I is responsible for the technical lifecycle of assigned products, including coordinating development efforts, configuration changes, and support. The role documents technical requirements, develops product roadmaps, and manages associated budgets. Working regularly with internal stakeholders, developers, and vendors, the Product Owner delivers new products and enhancements that meet documented business objectives and coordinates product lifecycles through Agile practices. The role independently manages and prioritizes the backlogs for one or more products, with oversight, balancing functional and non-functional needs and keeping user stories ready for development one to two weeks ahead. It develops and refines roadmaps, user stories, features, and epics; tracks product success metrics; and uses stakeholder input, delivery data, end-user feedback, and operational metrics to guide decisions and improve outcomes. The Product Owner also supports vendor contract review with business stakeholders, ensures products meet regulatory and security requirements, and plans and completes upgrades in accordance with standards and control procedures. This is a full-time, salaried position based at the South Richland headquarters in Richland, Washington. The posted salary range is $80,168.40–$145,039.55; the listed full salary ranges are $80,168.40–$113,414.38 in Richland and Spokane, and $87,023.73–$145,039.55 in Renton. Most new team members typically start between the minimum and midpoint, based on experience and qualifications. Candidates must pass a pre-employment credit and background check. Reasonable accommodations are available for individuals with disabilities during the application or interview process and in performing essential job functions.

Requirements

At least one year of product ownership or product management experience in an Agile environment; at least three years of business management experience may substitute.
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or a related field, or equivalent specialized courses, training, and/or related experience; a high school diploma is required.
Knowledge of the financial industry, products, and services.
Ability to understand complex business problems and interpret business needs.
Ability to create product strategy aligned with measurable business outcomes.
Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
Ability to communicate complex technical information concisely, verbally and in writing, to varied stakeholders.
Demonstrated facilitation and influencing skills to drive decisions among stakeholders with diverse perspectives and priorities.
Experience working in an Agile environment, using Kanban or Scrum.
Strong organizational skills.
Ability to complete tasks effectively both independently and collaboratively.
Knowledge of product management tools such as Azure DevOps or Jira.
Ability to travel to fulfill assigned responsibilities and attend approved professional seminars and education.

Nice To Haves

Credit union experience preferred.
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Professional Scrum Product Owner I (PSPO I), or equivalent foundational-level certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Understand business and end-user needs and identify and prioritize features to address them.
Participate in Agile ceremonies to keep development aligned with business objectives, product vision, and user needs.
Facilitate stakeholder reviews of delivered functionality, lead planning sessions to clarify priorities, and communicate transparently throughout development.
Negotiate deliverables based on team capacity and iteratively adapt plans to evolving priorities and validated outcomes.
Develop and continuously refine near-term, rolling-wave product roadmaps with business owners, aligned to business objectives and outcomes.
Define and track product success metrics; use data and feedback to validate hypotheses, inform prioritization and decisions, communicate outcomes, and improve product performance.
Use knowledge of product strengths and weaknesses to maximize value, identify enhancement opportunities, and inform stakeholders of process improvements and strategic possibilities.
Analyze end-user feedback and operational metrics to identify and understand product needs.
Direct the lifecycle of one or more products by managing and prioritizing product backlogs with business owners and technical stakeholders, balancing functional and non-functional needs.
Maintain a steady flow of user stories ready for development one to two weeks in advance.
Collaborate with business owners and technical stakeholders to develop and document user stories, features, and epics that align development with business objectives and strategic goals.
Collect and understand technical requirements for new implementations and enhancements, supporting technical runway, limiting technical debt, and maintaining product relevance and stability.
Proactively prioritize non-functional backlog items, including performance, scalability, and maintainability.
Assist business stakeholders with reviewing vendor contracts and manage vendor relationships as applicable.
Ensure products comply with regulatory and security requirements.
Plan and complete upgrades while maintaining compliance with standards and control procedures.
Travel as needed to complete assigned responsibilities and attend approved professional seminars and education.