Sr. Healthcare Product Owner

Cognizant•Mesa, AZ

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Senior Product Owner (Manager Level), you will make an impact by driving the roadmap and execution for the modernization of QNXT and related platform capabilities. You will be a valued member of our Product & Engineering organization, partnering with Product Management, Architecture, DevOps, Engineering, Consulting, and client stakeholders to translate strategy into outcomes, shape backlog priorities, and ensure high‑quality delivery. While this is an individual contributor role, you will influence and mentor product owners and engineers, with the potential to grow into people leadership. In this role, you will: Lead and co‑own roadmap definition for QNXT architecture and operational modernization that supports real business use cases and solution delivery. Serve as the voice of the end‑user, turning business and technical strategies into clear user stories, acceptance criteria, and execution‑ready backlog items for Agile teams. Collaborate closely with Product Management, Product Owners, Architecture, DevOps, and Engineering to align requirements, expectations, and delivery plans with customers and consulting groups. Own the product backlog: prioritize, refine, and adjust scope to meet outcome‑based goals; ensure clarity, quality, and supportability of delivered work. Provide day‑to-day leadership to Agile teams—clarifying requirements, removing impediments, and driving continuous improvement in ways of working. Review team deliverables for content, quality, supportability, and alignment to standards and non‑functional requirements. Communicate team goals, status, risks, and decisions effectively to executives, stakeholders, and delivery partners. Partner with leaders to plan resources needed to achieve business outcomes; promote an inclusive, innovative culture where teams are empowered. Mentor Product Owners, Architects, and Engineers on Agile product practices, product thinking, and outcome orientation. Work model: We believe hybrid work is the way forward as we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role’s business requirements, this is a hybrid position requiring 2–3 days per week in a Cognizant office in Mesa, AZ. Regardless of your working arrangement, we support a healthy work‑life balance through our wellbeing programs. The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting and may change based on project or client needs. We will always communicate expectations clearly.

Requirements

5–6 years of relevant experience, including software development exposure and Architecture delivery and/or Technical Product Owner responsibilities.
5–6 years influencing and motivating teams as a business/technical lead in Agile environments.
5–6 years of healthcare payer industry experience (e.g., claims, eligibility, benefits, configuration, or administration platforms).
Demonstrated servant leadership, strong interpersonal skills, and a track record of delivering tangible product outcomes.
Proven ability to translate technical vision (architecture goals, platform modernization) into business and operational value for stakeholders.
Deep understanding and hands‑on practice of Agile principles, practices, and methodologies (Scrum/Kanban), including backlog management and release planning.
Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence at multiple levels and drive alignment across cross‑functional teams.

Nice To Haves

Scaled Agile (SAFe) experience and prior use of Azure DevOps for product/backlog management.
Prior experience with healthcare payer administration, QNXT (or similar platforms), and large‑scale healthcare software development.
Exposure to or familiarity with modern engineering stacks and cloud platforms such as: Azure services/infrastructure, .NET/C#/ASP.NET, Angular, MS SQL, Kafka/AMQP, PaaS/SaaS, Azure Architecture, Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform, microservices & RESTful APIs, CI/CD automation, IAM/OIDC, and large‑scale system architecture design.
Experience supporting multiple Product Owner teams or engagements.
Empathy and cultural awareness; ability to coach through questions rather than authority.
Strong analytical and critical thinking skills; organize content and teams to solve complex problems.
Growth mindset—always learning and sharing with teams; fosters a positive, collaborative environment.
Able to drive conversations toward clear decisions and positive outcomes.

Responsibilities

Lead and co‑own roadmap definition for QNXT architecture and operational modernization that supports real business use cases and solution delivery.
Serve as the voice of the end‑user, turning business and technical strategies into clear user stories, acceptance criteria, and execution‑ready backlog items for Agile teams.
Collaborate closely with Product Management, Product Owners, Architecture, DevOps, and Engineering to align requirements, expectations, and delivery plans with customers and consulting groups.
Own the product backlog: prioritize, refine, and adjust scope to meet outcome‑based goals; ensure clarity, quality, and supportability of delivered work.
Provide day‑to-day leadership to Agile teams—clarifying requirements, removing impediments, and driving continuous improvement in ways of working.
Review team deliverables for content, quality, supportability, and alignment to standards and non‑functional requirements.
Communicate team goals, status, risks, and decisions effectively to executives, stakeholders, and delivery partners.
Partner with leaders to plan resources needed to achieve business outcomes; promote an inclusive, innovative culture where teams are empowered.
Mentor Product Owners, Architects, and Engineers on Agile product practices, product thinking, and outcome orientation.