Senior Product Owner (Contract)
About The Position
As a Senior Product Owner (contract) at SH/FT, you will lead the development and delivery of large, technically complex software projects. Our Product Owners play a critical role in ensuring solutions meet or exceed client expectations while enabling internal teams to perform at their best. In this contract role, you will own the end-to-end product lifecycle, from early client engagements and requirements definition through to translating those requirements into clear, actionable work for the delivery team. You will operate at both a strategic and tactical level, balancing big-picture thinking with attention to detail. We are seeking an experienced Product Owner with a strong background in custom software development (e.g. websites, web applications, APIs, databases). You thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and bring structure and clarity to complex problems. Agency experience is a plus, but most importantly, you enjoy transforming evolving requirements into high-quality client deliverables.
Requirements
- 4+ years of Product Owner experience in a technical environment, with hands-on involvement in custom software development projects (e.g. websites, web applications, APIs, databases) -- this experience is required; please ensure your resume clearly articulates the types of projects you have worked on
- Demonstrated ability to translate complex requirements into actionable deliverables for engineering teams
- Strong understanding of Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, DevOps practices)
- Experience with Jira or comparable project management tools
- Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and see the big picture while maintaining attention to detail
- Strong stakeholder management skills, including experience working directly with clients
- Clear and effective communicator who leads through collaboration and action
- Strong sense of ownership and accountability in fast-paced, ambiguous environments
- Ability to quickly integrate into cross-functional teams and drive projects to completion
- Confident in client-facing settings, with the ability to manage expectations and build trust
- Proactive problem solver with a continuous improvement mindset
Nice To Haves
- Agency experience is a plus
- CSPO or equivalent certification is a plus
Responsibilities
- Lead multiple client engagements and workstreams concurrently across all phases of the project lifecycle, including discovery, scoping, planning, requirements definition, execution, release, and post-release support
- Facilitate discovery sessions with clients and subject matter experts to define requirements, uncover gaps, and align on expectations
- Translate business and technical requirements into detailed functional specifications and well-defined user stories with clear acceptance criteria
- Own and manage the product backlog, including prioritization, refinement, and trade-off decisions to balance scope, timeline, and budget
- Partner with cross-functional teams (Engineering, Design, QA, etc.) to ensure solutions meet customer needs and are delivered on time and within budget
- Support resource planning by identifying required skillsets and collaborating with team leads to staff projects effectively
- Lead Agile ceremonies, including backlog refinement, sprint planning, daily standups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives
- Facilitate technical discussions to align stakeholders, remove blockers, and identify opportunities for process and tooling improvements
- Monitor team capacity and velocity to promote sustainable, predictable delivery
- Track and communicate project progress, including risks, dependencies, blockers, and key milestones
- Report on sprint and release health using metrics such as burndown and burnup charts
- Forecast delivery timelines and proactively identify potential bottlenecks or risks
- Develop mitigation strategies and contingency plans to ensure successful delivery within scope, timeline, and budget
- Communicate clearly and consistently with stakeholders, fostering transparency and trust
- Provide leadership and direction to project teams, ensuring accountability and high-quality execution
- Navigate ambiguity with confidence, proactively driving clarity and outcomes
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Part-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
Number of Employees
11-50 employees
