Product Owner I

SALARY: $79,684

USF Information Technology (USF IT) provides technology services and support for the University of South Florida. The IT team, led by the Vice President and CIO, provides the following services: Administrative Services, Client Support, Communication Services, Teaching and Learning, Analytics and Reporting, Mobile and Web Services, Consulting Services, Cybersecurity Service and Research Technologies. 

POSITION SUMMARY

This position will act as a Product Owner I on one or more project teams utilizing Scrum methodology and implementing Agile ideology. The Product Owner I serves as a bridge between the product development process, business stakeholders, and clients. The Product Owner's primary goal is to provide value for the business/customers and align the business needs with the overall business strategy. These responsibilities include meeting with stakeholders, developing and adapting product vision, writing user stories, prioritizing and grooming the backlog, release planning, etc. This position attends daily stand up, sprint planning, and retro.  The ultimate goal of an Agile team is to understand business needs and develop optimal business and/or IT solutions in partnership with department stakeholders and functional experts. 

ORGANIZATIONAL SUMMARY:

Located in the vibrant and diverse Tampa Bay region of Florida’s gulf coast, the University of South Florida (USF) is a Preeminent State Research University with campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee. Rated as one of the top places to live in the U.S., Tampa Bay offers a high quality of life, year-round sunshine, and easy access to top-rated entertainment. USF is one of the nation’s largest public universities, serving more than 50,000 students with an annual budget of $1.8 billon. Over the past five years, USF has been the fastest-rising university in the nation, public or private, on the U.S. News and World Report's list of best universities, which it ranks as the 44th best public university in America. USF is proud to be an innovating partner within the Tampa Bay region, listed by Forbes as the top emerging tech city in the country.

USF Information Technology (USF IT) provides technology services and support for the University of South Florida. The IT team, led by the Vice President and CIO, provides the following services: Administrative Services, Client Support, Communication Services, Teaching and Learning, Analytics and Reporting, Mobile and Web Services, Consulting Services, Cybersecurity Service and Research Technologies. For more information, please visit: Information Technology | University of South Florida (usf.edu)

ADDITIONAL INFO FOR APPLICANTS:

The selected candidate must have current work authorization in the United States. This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

USF offers GREAT BENEFITS to full time employees!!

· Medical Insurance

· Dental Insurance

· Vision Insurance

· Paid Vacation Days

· Paid Sick Days · 11 Paid Holidays · Various Retirement Options, including 401K employer match · Tuition Assistance (available for yourself, spouse, partner or dependent)

For more information about your total compensation package and other USF benefits, please visit: Work at USF

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Customer/Stakeholder Relations: Serves as a liaison between stakeholders and the Scrum team. Assesses client needs utilizing a structured requirements process (gathering, analyzing, documenting, and managing changes).Negotiate and mediate problems with stakeholders. Communicate the needs of all internal stakeholders and work with team to identify solutions based on the need of the audience. Create usage scenarios or use cases to help customers better identify key requirements. Acts as an advocate for business requirements and required results.
• Project Management and Product Backlog: Lead smaller programs or projects with moderately complex tasks in support of a project that requires a singular area of expertise. Define and organize objectives, responsibilities and priorities. Build, prioritize and refine the product backlog. Write and communicate well written User Stories and Acceptance Criteria for the implementation of client solutions. Document client operations under consideration for automation or process improvement and conducts process mapping. Assist in the business process redesign and documentation as needed for new technology. Identify non-functional requirements and key metrics necessary to measure project’s success. 
• Review/Testing: May act as a reviewer/tester for a project and User Acceptance testing writer. May create and validate prototypes.
• Agile Project Management: Understand and keep abreast of Scrum and other Agile methodologies. Work closely with the Scrum Mast