Product Owner

• Own the end-to-end use-case backlog, strategically prioritizing features based on business value, technical feasibility, and operational risk.
• Translate intricate operational challenges into clear problem statements, epics, user stories, and precise acceptance criteria, enabling immediate execution by engineering teams.
• Serve as the primary liaison, fostering alignment and driving consensus among diverse stakeholders including business subject matter experts, operations leaders, IT engineering, Legal, Privacy, and Cybersecurity partners.
• Lead and facilitate all core Agile ceremonies, including daily stand-ups, backlog refinement, sprint planning, retrospectives, and stakeholder reviews/demos.
• Maintain meticulous daily task status, ensure backlog transparency, and track velocity metrics using platforms like Azure DevOps or Jira.
• Define crucial operational autonomy boundaries, establish evaluation criteria for successful deployment, implement data-masking guardrails, and navigate internal governance processes for secure and ethical AI development.
• Champion end-user training, develop adoption playbooks, and establish continuous feedback loops to ensure solutions achieve measurable operational outcomes, such as improved call deflection, reduced handle times, and increased accuracy.

• Experience: 5-10+ years of dedicated experience in Product Ownership, Product Management, or Project Management, specifically driving enterprise software delivery.
• Agile Execution: Proven expertise in writing user stories, defining acceptance criteria, managing backlogs, and leading sprint teams within an Agile framework.
• Tool Proficiency: Hands-on experience with Agile tracking platforms such as Azure DevOps, Jira, and Confluence.
• Enterprise Transformation: Demonstrated experience leading large-scale technology modernizations, major system implementations, or multi-department process overhauls.
• Education: Bachelor’s Degree required.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications & Certifications

• Active Certifications: Highly preferred active credentials including:
• SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework - POPM, Agilist, RTE)
• Agile / Scrum Certifications (CSPO, CSM, PSM, PMI-ACP)
• Project Management (PMP)
• Emerging Tech & AI Background: Prior experience with Generative AI, LLMs, conversational AI, or intelligent automation; experience setting evaluation criteria for probabilistic outputs or building RAG/agentic workflows.
• Governance & Vendor Experience: Exposure to Responsible AI frameworks, vendor management, SOW evaluation, or managing employees/contractors.

$75.00 - $85.00 / hr

Partnered with Aquent, we are supporting a leading organization at the forefront of innovation, dedicated to shaping the future of customer engagement through groundbreaking technological advancements. This organization is committed to leveraging the power of AI to deliver unparalleled service and efficiency, making a tangible difference in daily customer interactions and overall business performance.

We are seeking a visionary and driven individual to join our team and play a pivotal role in transforming customer operations. You will be the central catalyst, translating complex business challenges into innovative AI-driven solutions that directly impact how customers interact with our services. Your leadership will not only modernize critical systems but also redefine operational excellence, making a profound difference in the customer experience and overall business success. This is an opportunity to own the end-to-end journey of impactful initiatives, from conception to successful deployment, within a dynamic and forward-thinking environment.