Product Owner - #2172754

Job Title: Product Owner
Location: Remote + Quarterly Planning
Remuneration: £500 per day (Umbrella)
Contract Details: Fixed Term Contract, 3-6 months

Responsibilities:
Our client is seeking an experienced Product Owner to support a critical delivery initiative. This role is perfect for someone who can swiftly integrate into the organisation and take charge of driving progress with minimal ramp-up time. The successful candidate will join a backend platform team focused on developing and maintaining a microservices-based platform hosted in AWS. Key responsibilities include:

• Own the Product Backlog: Manage and prioritise backlog items to align with business objectives and delivery commitments.
• Engage with Stakeholders: Collaborate closely with senior stakeholders, including executive sponsors, to translate business needs into actionable deliverables.
• Lead Agile Scrum Teams: Foster a collaborative environment that drives delivery while maintaining an Agile approach.
• Refine User Stories: Create and enhance user stories, acceptance criteria, epics, and features to ensure clarity and focus.
• Facilitate Agile Ceremonies: Lead sprint planning, backlog refinement, reviews, and retrospectives to keep the team on track.
• Manage Risks and Dependencies: Proactively identify and address risks, dependencies, and blockers to ensure timely delivery.
• Collaborate with Engineering Teams: Work alongside teams developing AWS-hosted microservices platforms to ensure alignment with technical requirements.
• Drive Continuous Improvement: Execute the product roadmap and contribute to ongoing improvement initiatives.
• Communicate Effectively: Provide clear updates on progress, risks, and delivery status to stakeholders at all levels.

Essential Experience:
The ideal candidate will possess:

• Proven experience as a Product Owner in Agile environments.
• Strong skills in backlog management and requirements gathering.
• Demonstrated ability to lead Scrum teams and deliver complex technology projects.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement skills, especially with senior business leaders.
• A strong delivery focus with a record of achieving outcomes and meeting deadlines.
• Experience in platform, digital, or software delivery projects.

Highly Desirable:
Candidates with the following will stand out:

• Background in supporting backend platform engineering teams.
• Understanding of microservices architecture.
• Experience with AWS cloud environments.
• Knowledge of utility, infrastructure, or large enterprise settings.
• Experience in fast-paced transformation or digital delivery programmes.

Ideal Candidate Attributes:
Our client is on the lookout for someone who:

• Can "hit the ground running" and contribute effectively from day one.
• Exhibits confidence and proactivity without being overly directive.
• Demonstrates strong competency as a Product Owner, distinct from Project Managers or Scrum Masters.
• Excels in requirements gathering, backlog ownership, prioritisation, and stakeholder management.
• Effectively leads a Scrum team, maintaining momentum in delivery.
• Possesses a solid understanding of technical environments to collaborate with engineering teams, while not requiring hands-on technical expertise.
• Is comfortable operating in a high-visibility role with executive sponsorship.

If you are an enthusiastic Product Owner ready to make an impact in a dynamic environment, this opportunity is for you!

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