Product Owner

Why Work Here?

Our mission to achieve universal service addresses America's current critical needs to build out broadband capabilities for telehealth, online learning, and keeping families connected. Join us and help USAC accomplish our mission to bridge the digital divide. Through its administration of the $10 billion Universal Service Fund (USF) programs on behalf of the FCC, USAC works to promote the availability of quality services at just, reasonable and affordable rates and to increase access to advanced telecommunications services throughout the nation. Additional information on USF programs can be found at: https://www.usac.org/about/

Benefits

USAC supports our employees well beyond their salary with a system of benefits that rivals the top organizations in the country. Simply put: if you are committed to improving the lives of others, we are committed to improving yours. USAC provides low-premium, top-of-the-line medical, dental, and vision insurance in addition to disability and life coverage. Generous 401k contribution, Federal and floating holidays, paid sick leave and vacation time that increases every year. Regular telework schedule and opportunities to take professional development courses and training.

A Multicultural Team

We have actively built an organization that doesn't just celebrate our diversity; we depend on it. The challenges of achieving universal service require creative and unique perspectives. Our accepting and inclusive community will challenge you to grow and learn from others while always recognizing the value of your contribution.

USAC employees are passionate about our mission. Our work contributes to the success of all Americans. We've worked together to build a culture that is collaborative, ambitious, outcome-oriented, and feedback-focused

As USAC continues to support universal service impacting health care providers, educators, and consumers, it is critical now more than ever that we hire people equally passionate and committed to helping fulfill our mission. We are currently seeking an experienced, dynamic and collaborative professional to serve as IT Product Owner with our IT team to become our champion for software products we deliver to internal and external stakeholders, act as the interface between the business and IT development teams working to solve business challenges through technology, while ensuring the product provides maximum value to the user through collaboration and alignment on the product vision.

Reporting to the Director of Program Management you will:

• Understand and assist Product Manager with development of a Product Vision; uses Product Vision as guide to create product roadmaps for Scrum development effort.
• Define product use cases, processes and requirements based on customer input and feedback, and assessment of existing workflow; considers internal and external business needs as well as regulatory impacts.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to understand business needs.
• Work with business teams to prioritize demand for IT ensuring the solutions developed support the business units in achieving their strategic and tactical objectives
• Coordinate with business operations by exercising oversight, applying risk/value techniques and business analysis expertise to understand project architecture and components, shape initial project requests, and assist with the formulation of high-level product roadmap.
• Support the collection of product requirements by working with the business SMEs, BSAs, and the IT development team.
• Identify and provide mitigation plans for risks, concerns and resource constraints for review with appropriate stakeholders
• Facilitate user acceptance testing results, including coordination with internal and external stakeholders.
• Create, maintain, and prioritize the product backlog and acceptance criteria.
• Develop and maintain a thorough knowledge of as-is and to-be business processes supported by software systems/products.
• Use both lightweight and complex analysis techniques to elicit and communicate requirements.
• Work with BSAs to define, elaborate and groom user stories with the IT development team.
• Lead and manages requirements reviews, design reviews, and change control activities.
• Work as part of Agile Development Team, conducts and effectively participates in sprint planning, task estimates, task sequencing, task assignments, sprint reviews and retrospectives.
• Develop, revise and enhance processes and procedures related to requirements definition and documentation, solution testing and service delivery.
• Act as the SME for necessary program system.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to business systems analysts
• Coordinate IV&V with PMO vendors, participate in UAT and iterative feedback with customers.
• Identify and analyze product metrics and customer feedback to recommend improvements.
• Ensure IV&V functions with PMO vendors regarding major IT projects.
• Support management in quality control of deliverables from business systems analysts
• Work closely with USAC's IT security team to manage and mitigate/remediate issues and risk.
• Present product concepts to senior management and acquires buy-in.
• Other duties as assigned.

About You

• Bachelor's degree and/or relevant technical training and certifications.
• Five (5) to Seven (7) years of directly related experience.
• Three (3) to Four (4) years of management or internal operational/technical leadership experience.
• One (1) to Two (2) years of business leadership experience
• Experience working with development teams and serving as the liaison between the business and IT.
• Ability to successfully manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong knowledge of the latest technologies and system development methodologies.
• Five (5) to Seven (7) years of demonstrated experience with increasingly complex system analysis projects, and various requirements gathering techniques and methodologies
• Two (2) to Three (3) years of experience developing user stories on business and system requirements, defining and elaborating user stories with validation and acceptance criteria, and experience with Scrum and/or other Agile development frameworks.
• Experience with JIRA and Confluence.
• Experience in presenting product concepts to senior management and acquiring buy-in.
• Experience with agile framework, values, and principles.
• Experience Querying and analyzing data using SQL
• Experience with Enterprise Data Warehouse, Data Lake, and Data Visualization (Tableau, Power Bi)
• Experience with Cloud technology and Cloud Services knowledge (AWS, Azure)
• Two (2) years of experience General Project Management
• Experience working with no code / low code Applications (Appian, ServiceNow)
• Experience working with data integration tools (API, ETL)
• Experience working with UX and wireframe
• Experience and knowledge in the following areas preferred:
• Business process design and management
• Product and portfolio management
• Testing and quality assurance

USAC is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all employees. All offers of employment with USAC are conditioned on completing and passing a background and reference check. USAC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. No agencies please.