Manager, Product Ownership

Versaterm; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A global public safety solutions provider seeks a Manager of Product Owners in Ottawa, Ontario. This strategic role drives the evolution of mission-critical systems for Police and EMS, requiring 10+ years of product management experience and strong leadership skills. The ideal candidate will use their expertise to enhance product delivery and mentor a team. A collaborative approach with Product Managers and teams is essential to ensure the alignment of product strategies with organizational goals. A commitment to quality and agile practices is key to success.

Benefits

Commitment to diversity and equity

Accommodations available during selection process

Qualifications

• 10+ years of product management experience in enterprise SaaS or public safety software.
• Proven ability to deliver complex, cross‑functional software initiatives.
• Experience mentoring and developing other product professionals.

Responsibilities

• Drive alignment across multiple product areas and champion best practices.
• Oversee the coordination and alignment of multiple product backlogs.
• Ensure deliverables meet defined acceptance criteria and quality standards.

Skills

Product management

Leadership

Agile methodologies

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or related field

MBA or advanced degree preferred

Tools

Aha! Product Management software

Job description

Versaterm is a global public safety solutions company helping agencies transform how they serve their communities. Since 1977, we’ve been building an ecosystem of intuitive tools designed for public safety agencies, forensic labs, court systems, schools and other institutions. Through purposeful integrations and a selective growth strategy, we focus on improving workflows to help our customers achieve more efficient operations, better service and more just outcomes.

Our teams are driven by innovation, expertise and an unwavering commitment to customer success. As we continue to grow and expand our ecosystem, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to solutions that enhance community safety and transform the future of public safety technology. If you’re passionate about making a meaningful difference, we’d love to hear from you.

The Role

The Manager, Product Owners role plays a strategic part in driving the evolution of Versaterm’s mission‑critical systems for Police, Fire, and EMS. Building on deep expertise in product ownership, this role operates at an organizational level—driving alignment across multiple product areas, championing best practices in product delivery, and influencing long‑term product strategy in partnership with Product Management and Engineering leadership.

In addition to these responsibilities, the Manager will lead a small team of Product Owners, fostering collaboration and professional growth. This role combines deep product expertise, driving innovative products while mentoring and elevating others across the product organization. They will partner closely with Engineering, shaping the technical solution and driving our adoption of Agile practices.

This role will be instrumental in the modernization of Versaterm’s Records Management System (RMS) – guiding its transformation into a more scalable, user‑centric, and future‑ready platform in close partnership with Product Management and Engineering.

What You Do

Collaboration with Product Manager

• Partner with Product Managers and senior leadership to translate organizational strategy into actionable delivery plans across multiple product lines.
• Provide strategic input into roadmap planning, balancing innovation, technical investment, and customer commitments.
• Act as a trusted advisor on prioritization, risk assessment, and cross‑team dependencies.
• Oversee the coordination and alignment of multiple product backlogs, ensuring items are well‑defined, estimated, and prioritized.
• Create clear and detailed user stories with acceptance criteria based on the high level direction provided by the Product Manager and stakeholders.
• Continuously refine and update the backlog based on team feedback, changing priorities, and user insights.
• Establish and maintain best practices for backlog management and refinement across the product organization.
• Evaluate cross‑product opportunities to streamline workflows, improve scalability, and maximize customer value.

Development Team Support

• Provide strategic oversight and guidance to development teams, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and product strategy.
• Support agile processes by attending Sprint Ceremonies and ensuring clear delivery of work for refinement and sprint planning.
• Collaborate with the development team to identify technical debt, define remediation plans, and manage priorities within the development backlog.
• Identify and champion process improvements that enhance delivery efficiency and consistency across teams.

Quality Assurance

• Ensure that deliverables across product areas meet defined acceptance criteria, product vision, and quality standards.
• Partner with QA and testing leaders to establish shared quality benchmarks and release readiness criteria.
• Promote a culture of quality ownership within product and development teams.
• Drive organizational learning and maturity in Agile and product practices.
• Analyze and evaluate cross‑team processes, making recommendations for efficiency, scalability, and alignment.
• Use product metrics, customer insights, and performance data to refine priorities and inform strategic decisions.
• Provide leadership and coaching to Product Owners, fostering skill development and career growth.

What You Bring

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of product management experience in enterprise SaaS or public safety software, defining strategy and driving execution across multiple product teams or domain with at least 2+ years in a managerial or leadership role or applicable combination of experience.
• Proven ability to deliver complex, cross‑functional software initiatives with measurable business impact.
• Leadership in modernization initiatives, including UI redesign or integration of emerging technologies.
• Experience with business cases, pricing strategies and P&Ls.
• Deep expertise in product management methodologies, Agile frameworks, and product discovery techniques.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills across technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience mentoring and developing other product professionals.

Asset Qualifications

• Experience with “Aha!” Product Management software.
• Familiarity with software engineering concepts such as APIs, databases, and cloud platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage AI technologies to enhance product capabilities or operational efficiency.
• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) or equivalent certification.
• Previous experience mentoring Product Owners or leading agile initiatives across teams.
• Experience with Public Safety software such as Computer‑Aided Dispatch (CAD) or Records Management Systems (RMS).

This position requires a security clearance from the Government of Canada. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in Canada and must successfully obtain and maintain a Reliability security clearance. Please note that specific customer contracts may impose additional security verification requirements. Obtaining and maintaining all required security clearances is a condition of employment. For more information on the Government of Canada’s security screening process, please visitPublic Services and Procurement Canada.

Versaterm is committed to building and supporting inclusion, diversity, and equity, and sustaining a barrier‑free environment. Accommodations are available, on request, throughout all aspects of the selection process. These principles apply to the terms and conditions of employment at Versaterm. For detailed information on our accessibility policies, please contact [e-mail].