Product Owner

Adelphi • McLean, VA

35d • Hybrid

About The Position

Adelphi is seeking a Product Owner to manage delivery planning for a major public sector client within an AI R&D setting. This role involves being embedded with the engineering team and taking ownership of key program documents such as Product Requirement Documents (PRDs), roadmaps, backlogs, and committed timelines. The primary goal is to establish and maintain clear documentation and processes in a fast-paced environment where scope and direction can change frequently. This is a foundational role where the Product Owner will define planning and execution strategies, working closely with the lead forward-deployed engineer and reporting to the Sr. Director of Product Operations. The position offers the opportunity to manage delivery at startup speed within government projects, spanning a diverse range of missions.

Requirements

• 2–5 years as a product owner, scrum master, or technical program manager.
• At least three years of experience delivering in the public sector.
• Experience working without a formal spec and defining requirements.
• Ability to credibly size work and identify discrepancies in estimates.
• Experience running delivery in Jira, Linear, or similar tools and maintaining an honest board.
• Strong organizational and detail-oriented skills, reflected in documentation.
• Resilience to scope and direction changes, and ability to manage challenges from external contractors.
• Focus on task completion over individual recognition.
• Customer-facing presence with confidence in team capabilities.
• AI-native mindset, even without direct coding responsibilities.
• Active U.S. Government clearance at the Secret level or above.

Nice To Haves

• Interest in building dashboards and roadmap visualizations for scrum and delivery management.
• Experience building program wikis and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Experience with AI, LLM, or data integration programs.
• Previous experience being forward-deployed or embedded with a customer.
• Experience as the first product person on a program or team.

Responsibilities

• Own delivery planning across every project supported for the customer, including scope, sequencing, timelines, and completion.
• Write and maintain PRDs and roadmaps to serve as reference documents for the team and the customer.
• Manage the agile process, including structuring the backlog, creating tickets with engineers, and maintaining the delivery cadence.
• Handle requirements intake from weekly mission owner meetings, summarizing discussions and translating them into actionable work for the team.
• Define 'done' criteria for each project and manage scope through documentation.
• Develop delivery reporting and metrics for customer program leadership.
• Establish processes for intake, building, and delivery of new projects to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat business.

Benefits

• Healthcare coverage: 100% employee premium and 50% dependents premium coverage of a platinum-level plan.
• 401K with 2% company match.
• Equity in a seed-stage business.
• $500 monthly Physical and Mental Health reimbursement program.
• Flexible PTO policy.
• Competitive salary and equity compensation.
• Opportunity to work on impactful projects in the national security sector.
• Career growth and leadership opportunities in a dynamic, innovative environment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed