Product Owner – Drive Execution Through Backlog Ownership and Delivery Alignment  

Role Overview  

We are seeking a detail-driven, execution-focused Product Owner (PO) to join our team and serve as the voice of the product and technology at the product, program or team level. In this role, you will own the team backlog, translate product strategy into sprint-ready work, and ensure clear, prioritized features are always available for engineering execution.  

Product Owners play a critical role in bridging product strategy and delivery, ensuring that what gets built is clearly defined, properly prioritized, and aligned with customer needs. While POs do not own overall product direction (the role of Product Managers), they own the path to get there.  

This role collaborates with Planning Managers, Program Managers, Engineering Managers, and Lead Engineers to maintain high standards of delivery readiness, clarity, and sprint-level alignment.  

Why This Role Matters  

Product success is defined not just by vision, but by execution. Product Owners turn big ideas into actionable work, translating strategy into stories, priorities, and sprint goals. In doing so, they accelerate delivery, improve quality, and ensure the work teams complete delivers customer and business value.  

If you're energized by bringing structure to complexity, clarifying priorities, and helping engineers deliver with focus and confidence, this is your opportunity to bridge design to detail and directly impact delivery success.  

Key Responsibilities  

Backlog Ownership  

• Own and continuously refine the team backlog to ensure clarity, prioritization, and delivery readiness.  

• Translate product strategy and roadmaps into actionable, sprint-sized user stories with clear acceptance criteria.  

• Maintain alignment between backlog items and customer outcomes, ensuring each sprint delivers meaningful value.  
  
  

Sprint Planning & Execution Support  

• Collaborate with engineering leadership to plan sprints, refine stories, and set clear sprint goals.  

• Ensure stories are technically feasible and properly scoped with input from engineers and architects.  

• Serve as the primary point of contact for feature clarification and value context during the sprint cycle.  
  
  

Stakeholder Alignment  

• Work closely with Planning Managers, Program Managers, and other cross-functional partners to incorporate stakeholder feedback into backlog prioritization.  

• Support roadmap-to-backlog translation and help balance near-term sprint work with long-term strategic goals.  

• Align backlog scope and timing with contractual, compliance, or customer delivery requirements when applicable.  
  
  

Team Engagement & Leadership   

• Collaborate with Engineering Managers, Team Leads, Program Managers, and Project Managers to assess team performance and delivery alignment.  

• Provide quarterly and annual feedback to support team member growth, performance reviews, and role development.  

• Foster a delivery culture rooted in accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement.  

• Uphold Bluestaq’s core values of trust, ownership, curiosity, teamwork, mentorship, and talent development, fostering a culture where team members take initiative, support one another, and grow together.  
  
  

Agile Delivery Advocacy  

• Champion backlog hygiene and agile best practices within your team.  

• Identify blockers or delivery risks early and escalate appropriately.  

• Promote team focus on value delivery, technical quality, and sprint health.  
  
  

Outcomes  

• A clear, prioritized backlog that enables focused, high-quality delivery by the engineering team.  

• Sprint goals that consistently reflect business value, user needs, and technical feasibility.  

• Program Increments delivered with clarity, alignment, and minimal rework.  

• Stakeholders aligned and informed through transparent prioritization and story development.  

• Improved team velocity, backlog readiness, and execution quality across sprints.  
  
  

Qualifications and Skills  

• Experience working within agile teams, preferably in a government, commercial tech, or regulated environment.  

• Proficient in writing user stories, defining acceptance criteria, and managing team-level backlogs.  

• Strong communication and collaboration skills; able to synthesize technical and business perspectives.  

• Detail-oriented with the ability to manage ambiguity and adapt to evolving priorities.  

• Familiarity with agile tools and workflows (e.g., Jira, Confluence).  

• Comfortable working cross-functionally across product, engineering, design, and program roles.  

• Understanding of agile delivery patterns, sprint metrics, and backlog health indicators.  

• Agile certification (e.g., CSPO, SAFe PO/PM) is a plus  
  
  

Required Education and Experience  

• Master’s degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field and 0+ years of product ownership or related experience, OR  

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field and 2+ years of product ownership or related experience, OR  

• Associate degree in a related field and 4+ years of product ownership or related experience, OR  

• High School Diploma/GED and 6+ years of product ownership or related experience.